PRESS RELEASE:
The WV Division of Natural Resources wishes to thank all sportspersons for their support of our agency goals. Without public support, the wildlife of this great state would be in jeopardy. To show our appreciation to all men and women who enjoy the outdoors, the Natural Resources Police Officers Association sponsored a fun “Mountaineer Sportsperson Challenge” held during the 2019 State Fair of West Virginia. Participants had to answer five wildlife questions worth 20 points each, totaling a possible 100 points. The challenge ranged from guessing the weight of a bear, antler score of a whitetail buck, and other topics of great interest among outdoor enthusiasts sitting around a campfire.
The competition placed contestants into seven categories. Residents of West Virginia competed against each based on one of the six districts in which they reside. The six districts can easily be found inside the WV Hunting and Fishing regulations. Non-resident’s comprised the seventh category.
Over 800 men and women from West Virginia and surrounding states participated in the challenge and had to be present at the 2019 State Fair of West Virginia to have a chance to become the 2019 WV DNR Mountaineer Sportsperson. Below are the answers to the questions and scores from the challenge. Scores were tabulated by the WV Natural Resource Police Officers.
The official scores/weights of each animal:
- Boone & Crocket Gross Score of Buck Deer 161 2/8
- Black Bear Weight in pounds 305 lbs
- Rainbow Trout Weight 4 lbs 8 oz
- Turkey Beard Length in inches 11 3/8
- Boone & Crocket Gross Score of Elk 271 1/8
Logan Neace, of Pineville WV, is the “2019 WV DNR Mountaineer Sportsperson”. All top scorers will be contacted by the WVNRPOA to receive a gift from the association. A big thank you to all participants and the State Fair of West Virginia Staff for making this inaugural event a success.
Top scorer for each category is listed below:
District One Alyssa Bolinger 60 points
District Two Nelson Holliday 56 points
District Three Kelsi Roberts 55 points
District Four Logan Neace 73 points
District Five Mitch Tuggle 61 points
District Six Jim Greathouse 52 points
Non-Resident Tyler Gibson 60 points