WV hunters harvest 106,861 deer during fall, winter seasons
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. According to preliminary data collected by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, hunters in the Mountain State harvested 106,861 white-tailed deer during the 2020-2021 fall and winter seasons. The harvest was 7.5 percent higher than the 2019 harvest of 99,437 deer and 6 percent below the five-year average of 113,444. A breakdown of the combined 2020 deer seasons reveals a total of 38,785 bucks were harvested during the traditional buck firearm season, 31,255 antlerless deer were taken during all antlerless firearm hunting opportunities, 31,564 deer were harvested by bows and crossbows in urban and regular archery/crossbow seasons, 4,615 deer were taken in the muzzleloader season and 642 deer were taken with primitive bow and muzzleloader weapons during the Mountaineer Heritage season in January 2021.
WVDNR seeks wildlife paintings for 2022 calendar
Jackson Newspapers
The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources is requesting original color wildlife paintings for the 2022 edition of the award-winning West Virginia Wildlife Calendar. The deadline to submit artwork is Feb. 19.
Paintings may depict popular game and fish species, or feature other West Virginia wildlife, such as snakes, frogs, turtles, salamanders, bats, songbirds, small mammals and nongame fish.
“This calendar offers a wonderful opportunity for artists to feature their work,” WVDNR Wildlife Resources Section Chief Paul Johansen said. “Not only are our calendars popular here in West Virginia, they are enjoyed by people all over the United States.”
WVDNR continues to see walleye fishery improvement
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.VA. Anglers in West Virginia who want a good chance at catching a trophy walleye have the next two months to enjoy some of the best fishing in the state. “There’s never a bad time to go fishing when you’re in West Virginia, but if you want to target walleye, especially in rivers, you need to go in colder months, between November and March,” said Mark Scott, assistant chief of fish management for the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. West Virginia’s native walleye grow quickly and reach trophy sizes, which makes them a popular sport fish for anglers. These unique, large-eyed predators also have been part of a special management project to improve and diversify fishing opportunities in the Mountain State since the early 2000s.
Staff Writer
FRENCH CREEK Due to COVID-19 concerns, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources announced Tuesday that West Virginia’s Groundhog Day Celebration has been canceled.
The annual event that draws visitors from throughout the Mountain State is held annually on Feb. 2 at the state Wildlife Center in Upshur County. The state’s most famous animal and resident groundhog of the center, French Creek Freddie, traditionally makes a weather prediction for the upcoming months.
Early spring can be expected if Freddie doesn’t see his shadow, which is a result of overcast skies on Groundhog Day. If it is sunny, Freddie will see his shadow and return to his burrow for six more weeks of winter.