Will Reedy
Leading up to the Mountain State’s annual free fishing weekend June 13-14, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources is stocking nearly 6,000 pounds of channel catfish in 41 ponds and lakes around the state. Division Director Stephen McDaniel says the catfish stockings have become extremely popular across the state as trout-fishing season winds down. … Read more
In an effort to understand declining firefly populations, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources has launched a citizen-science project to track lightning bug sightings in the Mountain State. West Virginia’s 40 species of fireflies have declined in number due to habitat loss, pesticide use, and other environmental causes such as light pollution, according to … Read more
West Virginia fields and forests teem with young wildlife in spring, and state biologists are reminding residents and visitors that disturbing young wildlife is unsafe, illegal, and often detrimental to the animal’s chance of survival. Tyler Evans, a wildlife biologist at the West Virginia State Wildlife Center near Buckhannon, West Virginia, says it’s a blessing … Read more
Turkey hunters in West Virginia can anticipate increased harvest opportunities during the 2020 spring gobbler season, which is scheduled to open Monday, April 20, according to the W.Va. Division of Natural Resources. Predictions are based on brood reports from two years earlier, as the average harvested gobbler is a two-year-old bird, and in 2018, brood … Read more
Thirteen species of turtle live in West Virginia, though the best known may be the eastern box turtle, which will be on the move this spring. The turtles are a familiar sight in backyards and along hiking trails—and on country roads, where motorists are often at a loss as to how to manage the situation. … Read more
Two gray wolves escaped their enclosure at the West Virginia Wildlife Center, near French Creek, West Virginia, according to a spokesperson for the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. The two were euthanized in the interest of public safely after attempts to safely recapture them failed, according to Andy Malinoski. Once common across the eastern … Read more
A West Virginia angler recently caught a state record grass carp in Hardy County—the second record grass carp caught in the last two months. John Miller of Lost City, West Virginia, caught a 54.75-inch, 67.4-pound grass carp on February 18 at Warden Lake, breaking the previous record for length of 53.1 inches recorded by Zach … Read more
Students in West Virginia are learning about environmental stewardship by raising trout in their classroom and releasing them into the wild. The interactive program, called Trout in the Classroom, is sponsored by Trout Unlimited and the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources and is being funded by local supporters. The program was designed to teach … Read more
To encourage families and would-be anglers to take up fishing, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources has announced the dates and locations of more than 70 spring trout stockings at participating state parks and forests. The stockings are scheduled on Fridays and Saturdays in March, April, and May and start on March 13 and … Read more
Electrofishing is proving to be an effective way to collect data about walleye, a popular sport fish, the population of which the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources has been managing in the New River for nearly 20 years. Mark Scott, assistant chief of fish management for the division, says electrofishing is a common method … Read more
