The total white-tailed deer harvest should be higher in 2018 than it was in. By the 1840s they were scarce in some areas and nearly extirpated in the early 1900s. Each hunter can get a maximum of seven deer, though they must harvest two does before getting one buck and no more than two bucks total. As a result of over hunting, deer populations declined and were becoming somewhat scarce by 1941. Antlered deer were about 50 percent of the 2013 harvest, the goal in 2014 was to increase anterless deer killed somewhat to reduce the population. Scott Siegel, a veterinarian who treats animals housed in the parks wildlife exhibit, said theres simply no need to open the park to hunting DNR warns collectors to leave elk antlers alone April 27, 2018 West Virginia. The 2013 harvest increase also reflects an increase in the antlerless deer harvest designed to reduce the deer population. The deer population had been on an upward trend because of a good acorn crop and reduced hunting of antlerless deer in 2014 and into 2015. white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) to be the most frequently occurring item in samples at 59.5%, followed by plant material (39.7%), small mammals (19.3%), fruits and seeds (16.1%), and squirrels (Sciurus spp., Tamiasciurus hudsonicus ) and chipmunks (Tamias striatus; 11.4%). An outbreak of EHD took a toll on some area populations in 2017. firearm season for buck deer which ended Dec. 1, hunters killed 44,572 bucks, a 1 percent increase from the previous years total Kayakers Help a Swimming Deer Escape From a Pack of Dogs December 10, 2018 West Virginia, WKRG News 5. The elk, which are part of West Virginias elk restoration project, were captured in late January and held near Flagstaff, Arizona for disease testing.., 10 WV state parks to host deer hunts this fall March 17, 2018 West Virginia, Charleston Daily Mail. during the warmer periods of the ice age familiar creatures, such as deer it would warm up and the Virginia deer would be here, the white tail deer there were extreme changes back and forth through time throughout the Pleistocene Will the headlong pursuit of 'booners' harm deer hunting's future? Fawns are bottle fed, resulting in calm, healthy adults that are less likely to become stressed in working environments West Virginia DNR set to begin 'spotlight surveys' of deer herds August 10, 2018 The Herald-Dispatch. Three people in kayaks hear barking and discover a pack of dogs in the water going after a deer in a West Virginia waterway They paddle over to help and chase the canines away. History White-tailed deer numbers began to decline in the 1720s when settlers moved into the area. white oak and chestnut oak trees have borne good crops of acorns this year Last year was a pretty good mast year, too, which means deer went into the winter well-fed, The states deer population is highest in the northern and western counties .., Experts give WV high marks for elk-reintroduction effort September 15, 2018 West Virginia, Charleston Gazette-Mail. The increased doe kill starting in 1999 started a downward trend of the population into 2017 amplified by maturing hardwood forests that reduce deer food.
About 550,000 deer in 2017. The free-ranging elk were captured in late January and held near Flagstaff, Arizona, for disease testing, before being transported in early March to a holding pen near Holden, West Virginia .., John McCoy: Park deer hunts approved, but Chief Logan hunt not assured May 5, 2018 West Virginia, Charleston Daily Mail. The population has been on a managed decline since the mid-2000's after the population peaked in the early 2000s at high densities. In 1909, the Legislature passed a bill that made it illegal to sell or ship game out of state.
Visiting West Virginia During the Ice Age January 2, 2019 West Virginia Public Broadcasting. A population estimate of 650,000 in 2009 and 800,000 in 1990. The very mild 2019-20 winter resulting in higher fawn numbers was offset somewhat by a poor oak production in 2020. 2017 Field reports are showing a very healthy deer population and many good bucks. an 18-month-old border collie named Hercules It will keep birds, deer, coyotes, rabbits away from the airfield. Arizona elk arrive in West Virginia March 19, 2018 WVDNR News. Those elk not only survived, they thrived. The population in 2020 is thought to be about the same as 2019, although there was a sharp drop in the 2019 buck kill. Does Legislature want to go back to 'bad old days' of deer management? By 2016 the disease had spread to Hardy County. Last year, 69 people participated in the hunt. Legislation would lower buck limit and raise license fees, WV's 2018 whitetail harvest: Slight gains in all areas except antlerless deer, West Virginia hunters harvest 108,856 deer during Fall 2018 through January 2019 seasons, Constant vigilance keeps WV's elk out of poachers' hands, Visiting West Virginia During the Ice Age. Sam England, chief of the states Parks Section, said the main goal of conducting so many hunts is to protect the parks from the deer Tests show more chronic wasting disease in W.Va. deer March 9, 2018 West Virginia, Cumberland Times-News. controlled deer hunt at Chief Logan State Park Those wishing to express their opinion can contact the Governors office via phone 304-558-2000 or at governor.wv.gov Elk in West Virginia? There is enough oak mast to put the animals in good shape going into the season .., West Virginia drivers rank #1 in chances of hitting a deer October 2,22018 WVVA TV. White settlers moved into the region in the 1720s. Mature forests reducing deer habitat have contributed to a general declining population trend. Every year, from mid-August to the end of December, most of the chatter in hunting-related social media sites centers on trophy bucks. Twenty-one three-day managed hunts will take place in 10 parks - a sharp break from recent years, when single-day hunts were held in only one or two parks Dr. Scott Siegel, a veterinarian at Logan Animal Hospital and a wildlife consultant at the park for nearly 30 years, said the deer population is actually "dramatically down" in Chief Logan, as much as 70 percent to 80 percent in the past 10 years Airport pays $7500 for dog to chase birds from runway April 2, 2018 West Virginia, Fox News. May 27, 2018 Beckley Register-Herald. By 2017 one-quarter to one-third of deer in Hampshire County were infected. Another mild 2018-19 winter allowed for higher fawn survival into 2019.
Bear An estimated 12,000 to 14,000 in 2019. The poor acorn crop in 2013, forcing deer to move around more contributed to the 14 percent increase in the deer harvest.
Despite opposition from a Logan County organization, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources plans to move ahead with a controlled hunt at Chief Logan State Park Weve been doing these since 2001 Arizona elk prepared for their new West Virginia home May 15, 2018 WVDNR News. Opponents vow to fight proposed park hunt in southern W.Va. May 26, 2018 West Virginia, West Virginia MetroNews. The likelihood of hitting a deer in West Virginia is actually down three percent over the previous year. 
The disease continues to spread slowly throughout the state with 29 of 591 tissue samples testing positive in the county in 2014. In 1909, the Legislature passed a bill that made it illegal to sell or ship game out of state. Deer populations are down by as much as one half in the high mountain areas where reduced logging has resulted in a more mature forests and less deer browse. Gains made during the buck, archery/crossbow and muzzleloader hunts were enough to offset a 2.5 percent decline in the antlerless-deer harvest. 
Chronic Wasting Disease was first discovered in a road killed deer in 2005 in Hampshire County. The scared, exhausted and shivering deer stays close Gas developer helps fund restoration in wildlife-management area December 7, 2018 West Virginia, West Virginia Explorer. People post game-camera pictures of bucks, often accompanied by the question, Do you think its a booner? a buck with a rack large enough to qualify for the Boone & Crockett record book WV's buck kill 1 percent higher than last year's, DNR says December 15, 2018 West Virginia, Charleston Gazette-Mail. A total of 183 positives into 2015, 235 into early 2017, 332 into early 2018, a total of 376 for the 2018 hunting season.Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) An outbreak in 2017. The 2018 harvest was 1 percent higher than the 2017 harvest Sunday deer hunting expected to contribute to WV economy November 25, 2018 West Virginia, WV News. They also would like to split the seasons for wild boar and urban deer so they, too, continue into the following year West Virginia House opposes wasting hunters' prey February 5, 2018 Kansas City Star. A large deer kill in 1951 depleted the herd there were large changes in the deer harvest over the next decades as the state varied policy from buck only to hunter's choice. The number of West Virginia deer confirmed to have CWD since it was first discovered in 2005 now reached 332.,, WV DNR proposes longer antlerless-deer seasons, lower bag limits March 3, 2018 West Virginia, Charleston Gazette-Mail. Weve let people know that we can track these animals in real time, and that we get a mortality signal immediately when one of them dies, Ballard said. About 300,000 deer hunters in 2014, about 330,000 in 2015 and 2016. The deer harvest declined by 34 percent in 2014, a newly appointed DNR chief has a goal of rebuilding the deer population. So I would say its between $9 million and $10 million in hunting license sales overall. WV's buck hunters are taking older, bigger-antlered deer November 17, 2018 Charleston Daily Mail. There were 25,176 deer claims reported between July 1, 2017 and June 30, 2018 Abundant acorns might disperse deer, but WV DNR still expects good archery kill September 22, 2018 West Virginia, Charleston Gazette-Mail. More than 40 deer farms in 2016. Once numerous, the last elk was seen in the state in, . Rising coyote populations are reducing deer populations throughout the southeast. will include the application of herbicides in pre-timber and post-timber harvesting units to control undesirable vegetation and promote productive woodland regeneration for wildlife. The bill also outlawed the killing of doe deer. 
. Opponents vow to fight proposed park hunt in southern W.Va. Arizona elk prepared for their new West Virginia home, John McCoy: Park deer hunts approved, but Chief Logan hunt not assured, DNR warns collectors to leave elk antlers alone, 10 WV state parks to host deer hunts in fall, Airport pays $7500 for dog to chase birds from runway, 10 WV state parks to host deer hunts this fall, Tests show more chronic wasting disease in W.Va. deer, WV DNR proposes longer antlerless-deer seasons, lower bag limits, DNR seeks to expand WV's big-game hunting calendar past Dec. 31, West Virginia House opposes wasting hunters' prey, 2017 West Virginia Mast Survey and Hunting Outlook, Keeping todays deer hunting in perspective, West Virginia Wildlife Management Area Maps, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. 
estimated deer population in west virginia
