2008 West Virginia Buck Season Fact Sheet

• The West Virginia buck season is November 24 – December 6. It is open in all counties except Logan, Mingo, McDowell and Wyoming.
• Approximately 320,000 licensed hunters will be in West Virginia’s woods during this season.
• Hunters should review the 2008-2009 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Summary for detailed instructions concerning bag limits and season dates. The regulations are online at www.wvdnr.gov
• A list of deer checking stations in West Virginia can be found online at www.wvdnr.gov/hunting/check_stations.asp  
• The bag limit during the two week buck season is two (one on the base license and one on an RG [resident] or RRG [nonresident] stamp). A hunter may take no more than three antlered deer per calendar year in all archery and firearms seasons combined.
• The last day to purchase an additional deer gun tag (Class RG/RRG Stamp) is November 23. Class RG and Class RRG additional buck stamps can only be used to take an additional antlered deer in buck season. Unused Class RG and Class RRG stamps may not be used in antlerless or muzzleloader seasons.
• A concurrent antlerless deer season will be available in all or portions of 44 counties on private land only during the entire two-week buck season and beginning November 26 through the remainder of the buck season on specified public land. This is not a “hunter’s choice” season, because hunters must have purchased the proper antlerless deer license (Class N for residents and Class NN for nonresidents) to participate. Hunters may take only one deer per day; therefore, a buck and an antlerless deer may not be taken on the same day. Class N and Class NN antlerless stamps are no longer county specific. See the 2008-2009 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Summary for county and public lands specific regulations.
• All deer must be field tagged and checked in within 72 hours of the time of kill or within 24 hours of the close of the season, whichever comes first. Additional deer may not be taken until all previously taken deer have been checked. Only one deer may be taken per day during the buck season.
• Deer hunting in West Virginia generates a total annual economic impact of $233 million, much of it in the rural areas of the state that depend upon the deer seasons for a large portion of their annual income.
• In 2007, deer hunters in West Virginia harvested 67,213 bucks during the two-week buck season, an increase of 1.7 percent from the previous year.
• Based upon scouting reports and mast production, DNR is looking for the buck kill to be slightly higher than last year.  Poor weather conditions last year during the first week of buck season resulted in a large number of antlered deer carrying over to this hunting period, meaning more and bigger bucks will be harvested.  Hunters who have done their pre-season scouting and have located food sources for deer will have the best chance of success.
• Sunday hunting is legal in the following 14 counties on private land only: Boone, Brooke, Clay, Hancock, Jefferson, Lincoln, Logan, McDowell, Marshall, Mingo, Ohio, Wayne, Wetzel and Wyoming. The only Sunday that is open in these counties during the buck season is November 30. Hunters are reminded that deer gun seasons are closed in Logan, Mingo, McDowell and Wyoming counties.
• Hunters are required to wear at least 400 square inches of blaze orange (about the size of a vest) as an outer garment for visibility and safety. Blaze orange camouflage patterns are legal as long as 400 square inches of blaze orange are displayed on the garment. A blaze orange hat is not required, but the hunter must have blaze orange visible from both the front and the back.
• Hunting licenses may be purchased online at any time and printed out on a home computer printer. Go to the goWILD! Web site at www.wvhunt.com, fill out the application, and purchase it over a secure server with a credit card.
• Hunters who wish to donate deer meat or dollars to the Hunters Helping the Hungry program, which distributes deer meat through the Mountaineer Food Bank and the Huntington Food Bank, should call (304) 558-2771 or visit the DNR Web site at www.wvdnr.gov to find a participating meat processor.

Related posts

• Resident Either-Species Deer, Elk Permit Applications Due July 11 (0)
• Pennsylvania Game Commission Announces Results of October Board Meetings (0)
• November 15 Marks DNR’s 14th Annual Maryland Junior Deer Hunt Day (1)
• Minnesota DNR Announces 2008 Deer Season Changes (1)
• Iowa’s Becoming an Outdoors Woman Workshop Set for Sept. 19 - 21 (0)

ATV and Other OHV Riders: Riding Restrictions Start With Firearms Deer Season Opener in Minnesota

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds off-highway vehicle (OHV) riders that new recreational riding restrictions will be in effect for the duration of the regular firearms deer hunting season. This restriction is intended to protect recreational OHV riders from potentially unsafe riding conditions and to minimize conflicts between deer hunters and recreational riders who may unintentionally interrupt the hunt.

The restrictions apply to off-highway vehicles, all-terrain vehicles, off-highway motorcycles, and off-road vehicles such as Jeeps and four-wheel-drive trucks that are not being used in conjunction with deer hunting by a licensed deer hunter.

In the northeastern Minnesota 100 Series deer season, the recreational riding restriction will be in effect Nov. 8 through Nov. 23. In Minnesota 200 Series deer season, the recreational riding restriction will be in effect Nov. 8 through Nov. 16. (The 2008 Series deer season map is available at www.dnr.state.mn.us/hunting/deer/index.html under Maps.)

The riding restrictions do not apply to OHV use by deer hunters possessing a valid firearms deer hunting license.  They may operate an OHV during the following times: before legal shooting time (one-half hour before sunrise); from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and after legal shooting hours (one-half hour after sunset).

Wearing blaze orange is recommended during the firearms deer season when visiting Minnesota’s forest lands, said Capt. Mike Hammer, Education Program coordinator for the DNR Enforcement Division.

“See and be seen; it’s a common sense thing to do,” Hammer said. “The DNR urges all hunters heading afield for the firearms deer season to think about safety first.”

Related posts

• Motor Access Plan Approved for the Sturgeon River State Forest of Minnesota (0)
• Whitefish and Cisco Sport Netting Season on Shagawa Lake, Minnesota (0)
• Minnesota DNR Dock Removals Underway (0)
• DNR Urges Safety First For All ATV Operators (0)
• Tree Planting Event in Kalkaska Planned for Sunday (0)

2008 Fall Wild Turkey and Ruffed Grouse Seasons Open Sept. 13 in Wisconsin

Hunter safety should be a top priority

MADISON – The 2008 fall wild turkey and ruffed grouse seasons are set to open at the start of shooting hours on Sept. 13, and state wildlife officials say hunter prospects are good for both seasons.

Wisconsin’s wild turkey population also continues to grow, and wildlife officials have increased the number of fall turkey permits to 95,700 from last year’s 94,800. Wisconsin’s grouse population also continues to climb as it is still on the upward side of this popular game bird’s 10-year population cycle.

New for the fall 2008 wild turkey hunting season is a consolidation of the previous 46-zone structure into a new seven-zone structure (pdf; 256kb). There is still the same amount of turkey hunting area and the application and permit process remains the same. The consolidation will allow turkey hunters more flexibility to move about in search of birds this fall.

Hunters also may use dogs to hunt wild turkey for the fall 2008 season. Use is restricted to a nine county area including: Crawford, Jackson, Juneau, La Crosse, Monroe, Richland, Sauk, Vernon, and Wood.

Leftover turkey permits on sale Sept. 6

Leftover fall turkey permits will go on sale beginning at noon on Saturday, September 6 over the Internet through the Online Licensing Center; by calling toll-free 1-877-WI LICENSE (1-877-945-4236); and at license sales locations. DNR service centers are closed Saturdays but permits may be purchased at DNR service centers during their regular business hours (check service center link for hours of operation). Postcard notifications from the fall preference drawing have been mailed to those who were awarded a permit in the drawing. Hunters can also check their permit status on the Online Licensing Center.

Hunters are reminded that new for 2008 is the requirement of blaze orange on ground blinds on DNR lands during any Gun Deer Season. Ground blinds on DNR lands left unattended must also have the owners name and address or DNR Customer Identification Number attached near door opening. Ground blinds still may not be left out over night. Please note that these ground blind rules do not apply to ground blinds being used for hunting waterfowl or to blinds built only out of natural vegetation found on the DNR property.

Grouse and turkey hunters should also note that during any gun or muzzleloader deer season, including the Oct. 6 - 7 Youth Deer Hunt, antlerless hunts and CWD hunts (see 2007 Wisconsin Deer Hunting Regulations), Blaze Orange clothing is required. A hat, if worn, must be at least 50 percent blaze orange.

Turkey, grouse hunting have special safety concerns

Hunters need to keep safety in sight due to the nature of hunting these challenging game birds.

“There’s something very special about turkey and grouse hunting,” says Tim Lawhern, hunter education administrator for the state Department of Natural Resources. “And with the enthusiasm that goes with this type of hunting, we should all be mindful of making sure we return home safe and sound at the end of each hunt.”

Here are some things Lawhern says hunters need to keep in mind when going afield after ruffed grouse and fall turkey:

• In grouse hunting, two is company and three is definitely a crowd. Any hunt with more than two will become difficult to manage from a safety aspect.
• Communicate. Grouse cover is thick and sometimes it will be difficult to see a hunting partner who might only be a few yards away.
• Plan your hunt and hunt your plan. Keep it simple. Know in advance how far and in what direction you will be going and when turns will be made.
• Advise someone else of where you will be hunting and when they should expect you back. Then, if something goes wrong, at least someone will know where to start looking.
• Know your safe zone of fire. If you are on the left, your safe zone is to the left and slightly forward. The opposite is the case if you are on the right. Always advance forward in unison and don’t get ahead or behind your partner.
• In heavy cover, shoot only at birds that are at least eight feet above the ground. Don’t shoot at low birds that could have a hunter or a dog behind them!
• Wear blaze orange clothing and stay in visual contact with your partner at all times. If you lose sight of your partner stop hunting, call and listen until you locate each other.
• Turkey hunters need to be sure of their target - shooting into heavy brush without positive identification can lead to tragedy
• Follow the four basic rules of firearms safety: TAB+K.
  • Treat every firearm as loaded;
  • Always point the muzzle in a safe direction;
  • Be certain of your target and what’s beyond it;
  • Keep your finger outside the trigger guard until you are ready to shoot.

 Grouse and turkey hunters also need to be aware that there might be other hunters afield at the same time after other types of game. Bow hunters may be perched in tree stands and other turkey hunters may be under a tree. Most of them will be wearing full camouflage and very hard to see.

Lawhern suggests hunters also consider wearing some type of eye protection. A good pair of clear or light colored safety glasses can go a long way toward avoiding injury to eyes and sight.

“Famed conservationist Aldo Leopold once wrote, ‘There are two kinds of hunting: ordinary hunting, and ruffed grouse hunting,’” Lawhern says. “Don’t let careless hunting practices spoil this special tradition.”

Fall Wild Turkey & Ruffed Grouse Season Dates and Reminders

2008 Fall Wild Turkey Season Dates:

Sept. 13 - Nov. 20

2008 Ruffed Grouse Season Dates:

Zone (A): Sept. 13-Jan 31, 2009

Zone (B): Oct. 18 - Dec. 8

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Tim Lawhern, hunter safety, (608 266-1317 Scott Hull, grouse and turkey seasons (608) 267-7861

Related posts

• Ohio’s Spring Wild Turkey Numbers Continue To Have Success (0)
• Minnesota Fall Wild Turkey Leftover Licenses Available (0)
• Spring Wild Turkey Season Opens April 28; Youth Only Day April 26 (0)
• Ohio’s Spring Turkey Hunting Season Off To A Good Start (0)
• Nevada Upland Game, Furbearer and Turkey Seasons Set (0)