Pro-Line

This was the first year in 20 that I missed the gun season. (My son was born the Sat. before)

On my farm the guys hunting saw a pathetic number of deer, and only killed one mildly decent buck. They did take a few does.

Was it this way all over the state? While bowhunting in Oct, I seemed to see a normal amount of deer. I even passed on 2 small bucks and missed a big-un.

I'm just wondering your opinion on the number of deer and if you think last winter is the culprit.

To be honest, I don't much mind the lower deer numbers. I actually like having to HUNT. However, I do like to see them also.

LightningTim

Pro-Line,

I hunted 4 days in Hampshire County just below the maryland line and we saw pathetic numbers of deer as well. there were 3 of us hunting and we got 4 does, and a small 8 pt. which i knew was frequenting the area around my stand and he came by at 7 a.m. on opening day and didnt make it past. i really was disappointed in the number of bucks, and the number of deer in general.

WVbucksnort

Pro.Line...Have hunted here for 45+ years,bow and gun,spend hours in the woods ,scouting etc........Things are getting bad from my veiwpoint,especially considering the last 15 years, numbers are down in most areas. I only big buck hunt, let the small ones walk.Many friends have said the same thing in the areas they hunt....I kinda like the smaller amount of deer, our herd was getting really out there........but , if you buy all the stamps, you can kill 9 per year,11 if you are a youth..way..way too many being killed.Last years winter kill must have had a huge impact, plus coyotes, bear numbers are way up.
Anad , yep, I was sucessful this year...what a great sport.kijnda hope my dying breath, is hunting, or trout fishing............but not too soon!!!!

Snort

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Pro-Line

Thanks for the response, guys.

Jim...I'm torn on the doe season. Our ratio is out of whack, as is the whole state's. That said, our numbers are down, and does have more deer. I am going down for the Christmas doe season, and may take one. Probably not any more.

If we could get some of these guys to stop shooting the damn button bucks, we'd be a lot better off.

royak

I agree the numbers are down I havent saw a big buck this year in fact I didnt even see a racked deer during gun season. The deer that are out of hand as the DNR says are all on private land and they are very plentyful but permission to hunt them is not. So on the remaining public land the deer aree falling like flies in the right spots you can shoot anything that is a deer any size or sex. It makes a lot of people thing there are more deer than there really is. I admit I have taken 3 deer this year I have been lucky all with a bow. But I havent saw nearly the deer that I did last year I hunt primarly in Mercer and some in Fayette. I cant hunt the bow only counties I am disabled and have no four wheeler. But in MHO we as hunters had better get together to help our deer herd and not believe all the DNR says.

LightningTim

I do not want to start any arguments here at all but I hope you aren't upset at those who shoot button bucks. Now if you definition of a button buck is what I call a spike, then I understand your point. This year we shot 2 button bucks on our property. My father had hunted all day and not seen anything, so he took a small one that came under his stand for the good "young" meat, and it turned out to be a button buck. You can't tell the difference when hunting them. I also shot a button buck at 75 yards as it started to get dark. It wasn't until I began to dress it that I noticed it was a male. You really can't blame hunters for shooting button bucks.

Again, no flame intended, don't take anything as an insult please.

Thank you and happy trails!

Pro-Line

Well..I take no offense at your post, Tim...but I'm about to give some. If you shot a button buck, then you need spanked.

First off, there ain't much meat on a 6 mo old deer. (an almost mature fawn) How could there be? They may weigh 55lbs at best dresses. (most in WV are closer to 35) Anybody who says different never owned a digital scale. (I've processed over 100 in WV)

Secondly...I hope you never killed a big buck. If you have, you better thank your lucky stars! Reason being that the big buck you shot may very well have been passed up by me or mine just a couple years before. If me or mine hadn't passed...you wouldn't have killed you big buck.

I don't mean to ruffle feathers, but you shot 2...COUNT THEM...2 potential bucks off your property this year. That's a shame. I've killed over 50 deer in my life, and have NEVER killed a button buck. (I have killed a couple little ones years ago that happened to be does) If you don't shoot FAWNS you don't shoot button bucks! If it's not mature..........go to KROGER'S!

I'm sorry sir, but your attitude is why management won't work on my 450+ acres. If I have 3 neighbors like you....that's 6 button bucks taken off me...

Sorry if I've vented towards you...but you hit a nerve.

tds777

I hunted in Kanawha & Dodridge Co. this year everyday. During buck season. I saw only 2 decent bucks and that was during the 2nd week. But saw spikes the 1st 3 days of the 1st week every day but did not see any after those 3 days. Saw does almost every day of the 2 weeks, but not nearly in numbers like a few years ago. I would not be afraid to say that next years season will be a whole lot worse than this years. And I'm afraid that before the WV DNR gets a handle on this anterless hunting, deer hunting will be like it was in the early 70's in the next couple of years. I hate their decision to whack the deer herd in WV, they'll be crying the blues when they kill off their cash cow or the goose that laid their gold eggs. With 3 weeks of anterless season we will be amazed to see deer tracks in the dirt' it will be like it was in the 60's. They do all this and go bonkers when you mention having a few days of a early muzzle loader season.What a joke. I'm still lookin for a decent buck for muzzle loader season if I can find where his foxhole is at.

X-LINY

Pro-Line,

I agree with you 100%!! If you can't see that the deer is due to the light situation, DON'T SHOOT IT!!

This 1/2 before sunrise and 1/2 after sunset is crazy. There is no way to tell what the animal is.

I moved here from Long Island, NY in May of 2000. All that was on my property were Doe's. It took 3 years to finally see bucks here. I now have more scraps and rubs then I can dream of.

I live in Elizabeth, and passed on 3 button bucks and 2-6" or so Spikes. Last year I had a Spike on the property that turned into a nice 7-point that I even passed by to let him go another year or so, it nobody takes him out.

All that I have taken here on my property since 2000, were 1 doe per year, up until this season, I got a nice 8-point that was chasing the does. The 7-point and the other spikes are still here along with all the button bucks that I keep track of.

I guess if the WV logic is, once a spike always a spike, the same logic for the button bucks. It must be some kind of MACHO thing in WV that you have to kill a buck.

Here is a little food for though. Just before firearm season, we had a flood here in Elizabeth that flooded the bottom field and my bridge access. Some one was on my POSTED PROPERY and shot a spike. The spike was left there, with the broadhead and broken shaft. I had no way of getting it out. The temps that day were in the upper 30's and we had a heavy frost that night.

The following morning I had access to retrieve the downed deer. The S.O.B. who calls him or herself an ethical bowhunter and sportsman, capped the deer took the broadhead, and left the rest of the carcass to rot.

Oh, did I mention the deer only had 2 1/2" spikes??

X-LINY