Bucks firearm season opens with a bang
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The Inter-Mountain photo by Edgar Kelley
Elkins resident Ryder Schoonover checks in an 8-point buck at Middle Mountain Sporting Goods early Monday morning. The deer weighed in at 176 pounds and was harvested on Georgetown Road next to Beverly. Monday was the first day of bucks-only gun season in West Virginia.
ELKINS -- West Virginia's most popular hunting season of the year got underway Monday morning as the traditional bucks firearm season opened in the Mountain State.
Each year thousands of locals and out-of-state hunters take to the woods of West Virginia in search of that elusive buck during the two-week season that runs this year from Nov. 22 to Dec. 5. The Division of Natural Resources says that an estimated 250,000 to 300,000 hunters will participate during this year's hunt.
Hunters are eligible to harvest two bucks during the firearm season as long as they purchased the Class RG stamp before Monday. Landowners, however, can take an extra buck without purchasing the RG stamp as long as they are hunting on their own property.
The DNR is predicting that fewer hunters will take to the woods this year compared to last. That's because last season provided enthusiasts an ample opportunity to get out and hunt when there wasn't much else to do because of COVID-19.
Each year the two-week season generates millions of dollars to the state's economy and provides a healthy meat alternative for many to enjoy.
"Hunters should enjoy a great 2021 buck season this year," said Paul Johansen, chief of WVDNR's Wildlife Resources Section. "West Virginia's deer seasons provide quality outdoor recreation for hunters and at the same time boosts the state's economy by millions of dollars."
Nearly 80 percent of the deer taken during bucks season are killed during the first three days of the hunt. Most hunters these days go online to check in the deer they harvest, but there are still many who stop at the local hunting shops for hunting necessities and food, or to just brag.
Middle Mountain Sporting Goods, located on Route 33 at the bottom of Kelly Mountain, saw a number of harvested deer of deer pass through the business on the first day of the season.
"We've had our fair share come through here today," employee Beverly Amos said. "We had several nice bucks come in and get weighed for our Trophy Contest. We also saw several other deer people had with them but didn't want to enter into the contest. All together we probably saw around 15 or more deer at the store here today."
Most counties are also open to concurrent antlerless deer hunting with Class N or Class NN permits. Antlerless deer season permits can be purchased at any time. Hunters should consult the 2021-2022 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Summary available at wvdnr.gov.