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2016 overall deer harvest drops

DNR Press Release

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Preliminary counts indicate West Virginia hunters harvested 112,384 white-tailed deer during the recently completed bucks firearms, antlerless, muzzleloader, archery, crossbow, and youth/Class Q/Class XS deer seasons, according to Paul Johansen, chief of the Division of Natural Resources (DNR) Wildlife Resources Section. This year’s total harvest was 19 percent below the 2015 deer harvest of 138,493 and 15 percent below the five-year average of 132,466.

A breakdown of the combined 2016 deer seasons reveals 46,071 bucks harvested during the traditional buck firearm season, 32,508 antlerless deer taken during all antlerless firearm hunting opportunities, 28,808 deer harvested by bows and crossbows, and 4,997 deer taken by muzzleloader hunters.

 

Antlerless Deer Season

The 2016 antlerless deer season harvest, which includes the youth/Class Q/Class XS deer season, was 18 percent less than in 2015 and 26.5 percent below the five-year average of 44,239. “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 Johansen. Hunters are reminded that on March 13 and 14, 2017, the DNR will hold 12 public meetings across the state to gather comments on proposed fall 2017 antlerless deer hunting seasons in each of the 51 counties where firearms deer hunting is permitted. The 2016 top 10 counties are: Preston (1,535), Upshur (1,485), Lewis (1,292), Mason (1,269), Jackson (1,224), Ritchie (1,215), Wood (1,126), Roane (1,034), Harrison (972), and Braxton (854).

 

Muzzleloader Deer Season

The 2016 muzzleloader harvest of 4,997 was 3 percent below the 2015 harvest of 5,178, and 21 percent below the five-year average of 6,344. The top 10 counties are Randolph (243), Nicholas (232), Preston (217), Upshur (185), Lewis (168), Jackson (158), Braxton (157), Mason (153), Wood (141), and Webster (139).

 

Archery and Crossbow Deer Season

The bow and crossbow hunter’s take of 28,808 deer was 11 percent less than the 2015 archery season harvest of 32,540, and four percent above the five-year average archery season harvest of 27,596. Archery harvests are inversely correlated to hard mast crops. The below-average acorn crop in 2015, followed by a better acorn crop in 2016, likely contributed to the lower 2016 harvest; however, the proportion of the harvest taken using a crossbow increased in 2016 over that recorded in 2015. The 2016 top 10 counties are: Preston (1,365), Randolph (975), Wood (945), Kanawha (921), Upshur (867), Wyoming (867), Mason (791), Jackson (785), Nicholas (765), and Raleigh (738).

 

 

WEST VIRGINIA DEER HARVEST, 2016
County Buck Firearms Antlerless Muzzleloader Archery/Crossbow Total
Barbour 1,098 773 133 568 2,572
Brooke 268 367 38 287 960
Hancock 209 164 34 357 764
Harrison 1,138 972 113 632 2,855
Marion 765 787 113 521 2,186
Marshall 727 493 73 357 1,650
Monongalia 827 644 91 707 2,269
Ohio 270 222 46 294 832
Preston 1,774 1,535 217 1,365 4,891
Taylor 581 490 70 303 1,444
Tucker 730 191 73 409 1,403
Wetzel 899 819 90 335 2,143
Dist. 1 Subtotal 9,286 7,457 1,091 6,135 23,969
Berkeley 737 627 67 582 2,013
Grant 954 439 81 351 1,825
Hampshire 1,197 836 88 421 2,542
Hardy 1,076 610 63 317 2,066
Jefferson 422 413 54 417 1,306
Mineral 922 684 80 404 2,090
Morgan 437 406 44 241 1,128
Pendleton 1,088 448 70 345 1,951
Dist. 2 Subtotal 6,833 4,463 547 3,078 14,921
Braxton 1,102 854 157 571 2,684
Clay 390 164 43 241 838
Lewis 1,246 1,292 168 629 3,335
Nicholas 1,044 470 232 765 2,511
Pocahontas 921 202 56 278 1,457
Randolph 1,617 803 243 975 3,638
Upshur 1,399 1,485 185 867 3,936
Webster 941 303 139 548 1,931
Dist. 3 Subtotal 8,660 5,573 1,223 4,874 20,330
Fayette 889 266 124 718 1,997
Greenbrier 1,447 699 135 565 2,846
McDowell 456 456
Mercer 636 383 86 684 1,789
Monroe 1,099 752 70 550 2,471
Raleigh 648 206 70 738 1,662
Summers 657 562 62 403 1,684
Wyoming 867 867
Dist. 4 Subtotal 5,376 2,868 547 4,981 13,772
Boone 573 147 72 364 1,156
Cabell 677 404 60 434 1,575
Kanawha 1,058 385 78 921 2,442
Lincoln 846 522 106 466 1,940
Logan 574 574
Mason 1,267 1,269 153 791 3,480
Mingo 386 386
Putnam 992 803 119 661 2,575
Wayne 815 252 62 419 1,548
Dist. 5 Subtotal 6,228 3,782 650 5,016 15,676
Calhoun 705 599 69 326 1,699
Doddridge 946 706 70 308 2,030
Gilmer 791 634 93 311 1,829
Jackson 1,487 1,224 158 785 3,654
Pleasants 334 251 27 154 766
Ritchie 1,422 1,215 102 630 3,369
Roane 1,178 1,034 105 544 2,861
Tyler 855 766 82 330 2,033
Wirt 777 810 92 391 2,070
Wood 1,193 1,126 141 945 3,405
Dist. 6 Subtotal 9,688 8,365 939 4,724 23,716
State Total 46,071 32,508 4,997 28,808

 





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