2014 in the W.Va. outdoors

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Taking a look back at the year 2014 seems like the thing to do at this time of year.  So why not glance back at stories which involved the outdoors in West Virginia over the last 12 months.

We saw two state record fish caught this year. Eric Files Senior of Martinsburg caught the new state record rainbow trout from a pond in the eastern panhandle where he was fishing on April 30.  The fish set the new record for both length and weight at 33.11-inch, 19.40-pounds.

Four days earlier an angler caught the new state record for blue catfish from the Ohio River.  Austin Hoffman of Milton caught the big blue while fishing with his girlfriend from a boat near the Robert C. Byrd Lock and Dam April 26.  The big catfish measured  47.75 inches and weighed 52.95 pounds, both establish new standards for the biggest ever caught in West Virginia.  However, don’t expect that record to stand for long. The blue catfish is experiencing a comeback thanks to work by the West Virginia DNR and the fast growing creatures get longer and heavier every year.  Hoffman released the big catfish alive.

The year also saw a continued push toward reintroduction of elk in West Virginia. More and more elk are starting to cross the state’s boundaries from Kentucky and Virginia.  Two public meetings during the fall indicated strong support for the reintroduction in the southern coalfields.  Also, the DNR revealed during the legislative session they were already laying the ground work to procure the elk from Kentucky with a swap of wild turkeys to the state of Texas for quail. The bob whites, when they are finally rounded up, will be diverted to Kentucky in exchange for their excess elk to West Virginia at a time to be named in the future.   As unusual as it sounds, this is how a lot of reintroduction programs happen. A lot of “horse” trading goes on to get the desired animals.

The buck hunting season in West Virginia left many with a bad taste in their mouths.  The harvest during the two week season was down 34 percent from the 2013 harvest.   Part of the reason was a massive crop of acorns in 2014 which kept many deer content and hidden with no reason to move very far.

The rifle season not withstanding, hunters once again collected some excellent deer in the four archery only counties of southern West Virginia.  None better than the massive 10 point buck killed by Chad Scyphers of Princeton while hunting in McDowell County on a cold morning in November.  Scyphers didn’t have much to say about the hunt for now, but if all indications are correct his buck could turn out to be the biggest typical buck ever killed in West Virginia once it is officially scored next month.

The year also saw the first ever sanctioned bass tournaments held on Stonewall Jackson Lake.  The 25 year catch and release restriction on black bass in the popular central West Virginia lake was eased in 2014 enabling anglers to keep six fish, but only one over 18 inches.  Biologists concluded the restriction had reached the point of diminished returns and harvesting some of those fish would be helpful.  Still, the numbers of bass actually removed from the water is probably miniscule since tournament rules revolve around fish care and a live release back into the water after the weigh in.  The state continues to keep strict parameters on all fishing tournaments held at Stonewall and continues to monitor the impact the new regulations have on the bass there.

The year also brought another new regulation to Stonewall Jackson with a minimum 52 inch length for any musky kept from the water. The aim of the regulation is to help bolster and firmly establish the lake as trophy musky fishery.

Voters in seven West Virginia counties authorized Sunday hunting.  Five won approval in the May primary election. Two more were approved by voters in November.  The votes were the first on the subject since a 2002 election closed Sunday hunting in the majority of West Virginia counties for the past decade.

Finally, the DNR will be under new management soon. DNR Director Frank Jezioro announced his retirement at year’s end.  The often controversial Jezioro said he had done about all he wanted to accomplish in the position. Look for a new director to be appointed soon by Governor Earl Ray Tomblin.

As always, I deeply appreciate those of you who visit the website often and contribute to the success of our coverage.  Your reading here and listening to the radio on Saturday morning is a huge compliment to the coverage and attention I try to give the outdoors in West Virginia. Here’s wishing you tight lines and straight shooting in 2015.







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