DNR releases total number of deer killed over 2017 seasons

DNR PRESS RELEASE

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Preliminary counts indicate hunters harvested 108,160 white-tailed deer in West Virginia during the 2017 seasons. The 2017 harvest was 4 percent below the 2016 harvest of 112,384 deer, and 15 percent below the five-year average of 127,803.

A breakdown of the combined 2017 deer seasons reveals 44,127 bucks were harvested during the traditional buck firearm season, 33,584 antlerless deer were killed during all antlerless firearm seasons, 26,206 deer were harvested by bows and crossbows, and 4,243 deer were taken by muzzleloader hunters.

 

Antlerless Deer Season
The 2017 antlerless deer harvest, which includes those taken during the youth/Class Q/Class XS deer season, was 3.5 percent less than in 2016 and 22 percent below the five-year average of 43,145.

“It is important to note that the antlerless harvest is the key component to any deer management strategy, as it controls the future deer population,” said Paul Johansen, chief of the Wildlife Resources Section.

The top 10 counties were: Preston (1,703), Upshur (1,300), Ritchie (1,290), Lewis (1,258), Jackson (1,122), Roane (1,101), Wood (1,087), Braxton (1,083), Mason (1,052), and Harrison (1,014).

Hunters are reminded that the DNR will hold 12 public meetings across the state and 13 to gather comments on fall 2018 antlerless deer hunting seasons in each of the 51 counties where firearms deer hunting is permitted.

 

Muzzleloader Deer Season
The 2017 muzzleloader harvest of 4,243 was 15 percent below the 2016 harvest of 4,997, and 26 percent below the five-year average of 5,768. The top 10 counties were: Preston (203), Randolph (194), Upshur (163), Nicholas (162), Lewis (146), Jackson (138), Greenbrier (130), Braxton (127), Harrison (126), and Fayette (124).

 

Archery and Crossbow Deer Season
The bow and crossbow harvest of 26,206 deer was 1.2 percent less than the 2016 harvest of 26,524, and 4 percent below the five-year average of 27,420. Archery harvests are affected by hard mast crops. The average acorn crop in 2016, followed by a better-than-average acorn crop in 2017, likely contributed to the slightly lower 2017 harvest.

More deer were harvested with a crossbow than in past years. For the first time, more deer were taken with a crossbow than a bow. The top 10 counties were: Preston (1,469), Kanawha (894), Randolph (883), Wyoming (824), Raleigh (789), Fayette (765), Wood (738), Greenbrier (722), Upshur (694), and Monongalia (694).

 

 

 

WEST VIRGINIA DEER HARVEST, 2016
County Buck Firearms Antlerless Muzzleloader Archery/Crossbow Total
Barbour 984 873 119 534 2,510
Brooke 175 236 13 155 579
Hancock 157 163 18 282 620
Harrison 1,017 1,014 126 634 2,791
Marion 735 809 82 509 2,135
Marshall 624 437 64 300 1,425
Monongalia 825 673 82 694 2,274
Ohio 180 152 34 202 568
Preston 1,947 1,703 203 1,469 5,322
Taylor 485 533 59 361 1,438
Tucker 817 332 73 482 1,704
Wetzel 823 723 71 311 1,928
District 1 Subtotal 8,769 7,648 944 5,933 23,294
Berkeley 753 730 64 559 2,106
Grant 1,194 599 75 363 2,231
Hampshire 1,386 959 89 381 2,815
Hardy 1,198 717 74 321 2,310
Jefferson 419 450 46 408 1,323
Mineral 1,011 706 43 381 2,141
Morgan 503 490 38 242 1,273
Pendleton 1,018 424 48 316 1,806
District 2 Subtotal 7,482 5,075 477 2,971 16,005
Braxton 1,233 1,083 127 539 2,982
Clay 481 109 34 243 867
Lewis 1,216 1,258 146 538 3,158
Nicholas 987 436 162 635 2,220
Pocahontas 1,040 249 57 324 1,670
Randolph 1,633 849 194 883 3,559
Upshur 1,025 1,300 163 694 3,182
Webster 777 562 74 511 1,924
District 3 Subtotal 8,392 5,846 957 4,367 19,562
Fayette 927 286 124 765 2,102
Greenbrier 1,628 773 130 722 3,253
McDowell 574 574
Mercer 593 547 62 625 1,827
Monroe 1,295 998 107 542 2,942
Raleigh 592 226 70 789 1,677
Summers 809 682 78 450 2,019
Wyoming 824 824
District 4 Subtotal 5,844 3,512 571 5,291 15,218
Boone 658 172 74 377 1,281
Cabell 404 290 32 208 934
Kanawha 1,046 478 64 894 2,482
Lincoln 569 338 46 258 1,211
Logan 507 507
Mason 867 1,052 108 535 2,562
Mingo 277 277
Putnam 624 612 63 397 1,696
Wayne 448 134 30 179 791
District 5 Subtotal 4,616 3,076 417 3,632 11,741
Calhoun 740 557 66 283 1,646
Doddridge 947 731 95 328 2,101
Gilmer 875 727 87 334 2,023
Jackson 1,096 1,122 138 515 2,871
Pleasants 317 298 20 162 797
Ritchie 1,338 1,290 109 501 3,238
Roane 1,186 1,101 90 489 2,866
Tyler 817 781 63 328 1,989
Wirt 734 733 91 334 1,892
Wood 974 1,087 118 738 2,917
District 6 Subtotal 9,024 8,427 877 4,012 22,340
State Total 44,127 33,584 4,243 26,206 108,160

 





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