Will Reedy
Fisheries biologists with the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources are using old Christmas trees to improve habitat at popular fishing locations around the Mountain State. Aaron Yeager, an assistant fisheries biologist, said the program is very beneficial. “Most of our reservoirs are lacking in complex woody cover, so any type of structure we can … Read more
Preliminary counts indicate hunters harvested 99,437 white-tailed deer in West Virginia during the 2019-20 seasons, according to the state Division of Natural Resources. The harvest was nine percent below the 2018 harvest of 108,856 deer and 13 percent below the five-year average of 114,520. A breakdown of the combined 2019-20 deer seasons reveals 36,472 bucks … Read more
Thanks to West Virginia’s year-round trout stocking program, fishing opportunities abound across the state, and officials are looking toward a new employment program to help stock in spring. Fisheries biologists have been stocking trout in lakes and streams around the state since the beginning of the year, according to Jim Hedrick, hatchery program manager for … Read more
The Glenville State College Department of Land Resources will offer a Wildlife Management major within their Bachelor of Science in Natural Resource Management Program beginning fall 2020. The major is designed for students who want to pursue a career in wildlife management or pursue an advanced degree in wildlife, according to Dr. Brian Perkins, associate … Read more
Hunters harvested 3,099 black bears during the combined archery and firearms seasons in West Virginia in 2019—the third-highest harvest ever recorded in the Mountain State. The preliminary harvest for the combined seasons is 19 percent above the 2,606 bears killed in 2018, and the harvest has exceeded 3,000 kills in four of the last five … Read more
No other U.S. state may be as strongly associated with hunting as West Virginia, says a Canadian writer who’s fallen in love with the Mountain State. Years ago, while writing for hunting and fishing magazines, Larry Oakley became aware of the state’s unique relationship with hunting and has been writing about the outdoor experience in … Read more
Two West Virginia record fish have been caught so far this January. Length records for grass carp and blue catfish were broken by two West Virginia anglers, the state Division of Natural Resources announced on Thursday. Zachary Adkins, of Cabins, caught a 53.1-inch, 59-pound grass carp at Warden Lake in Hardy County on January 3. … Read more
Preliminary data collected from the electronic game checking system indicates hunters in West Virginia harvested 36,796 antlered deer during the two-week buck firearms season, which ran from Nov. 25 through Dec. 7, 2019. The 2019 harvest was 17 percent below that of the 2018 harvest, according to Gary Foster, assistant chief of game management for … Read more
West Virginia hunting and fishing license applications now include the option to register as an organ donor. The Mountain State is one of the first states to offer the option. Senate Bill 613, passed during the 2019 legislative session and signed into law by Governor Jim Justice, permitted the state Division of Natural Resources to … Read more
The W.Va. Division of Natural Resources is offering gift ideas for outdoor enthusiasts, including wildlife calendars, state park gift cards, and lifetime and 2020 hunting and fishing licenses. “If you know someone that loves the wonderful things West Virginia has to offer, we have gifts they will enjoy,” says Stephen McDaniel, division director. “Hunters, anglers, … Read more
