The DNR will be listening in the coming days to what you think about the proposed season dates and bag limits for the 2008 white tail deer season in
Generally the deer regulations are the ones that draw the most attention during the annual Sportsman Sectional Meetings in March. However, this year, there is hardly any change on deer hunting plans put forward by the DNR.
"For the antlerless deer season, our proposals are very similar to last year," said Dick Hall of the DNR. "We’ve added a couple of counties to it, but for the most part it’s going to be very similar to the 2007 deer season."
Hall says a survey of check tags last fall revealed the deer management plan the DNR uses to gauge the size of the state’s herd was in line with harvest objectives in some places, but there’s a continuing need to thin the numbers in others.
"The only real changes are that we’ve increased the (antlerless) hunting on public lands. In the past we’ve had the WMA’s open only for six days in the traditional antlerless season," said Hall. "This year we’re recommending we open them up for 20-days, starting the Wednesday of the Thanksgiving week through the end of December."
The expanded antlerless season is open for 22-days on private land, which encompasses the entire two weeks of buck season.
The only other change is an elimination of those counties where hunters need to apply and be drawn for an antlerless permit. Hall said there was no need to have limited permits in any of the counties this year.
To read the proposed changes, click here.
The sectional meetings are set for March 17 and 18 from
- Martinsburg –
- Summersville –
- Lewisburg – Brier Inn (Grassy Meadows Room)
- Spencer –
- Glen Dale –
- Moorefield –
- Buckhannon –
- Pipestem –