CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — Harvest was up 18% in West Virginia this buck firearms season.
West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) Wildlife Resources Chief Paul Johansen said in a press release that he is crediting favorable mast conditions and weather for the increase.
Several north central West Virginia counties made the top 10:
- Greenbrier County, 1,856 bucks harvested
- Preston County, 1,760
- Randolph County, 1,667
- Ritchie County, 1,633
- Jackson County, 1,539
- Hampshire County, 1,453
- Mason County, 1,417
- Kanawha County, 1,352
- Lewis County, 1,270
- Pocahontas County, 1,196
There are still some opportunities to bag a buck. Archery and crossbow season runs through Saturday, Dec. 31, antlerless deer season for youth, Class Q/QQ and Class XS hunters will be open Dec. 26-27 in any county with a firearms deer season and a final Class N/NN antlerless deer season will run Dec. 28-31 in select areas.
If you haven’t yet, there’s still time to enter the state’s Big Buck Photo Contest. The contest will close on Tuesday, Dec. 27 at 11:59 p.m.
The state’s lifetime license giveaway is also still running for hunters and anglers who purchase an annual 2023 hunting, trapping, or fishing license in the month of December.
