West Virigina’s Mountaineer Food Bank Receives $75,000 Donation from 2011 One Shot Deer Hunt Event

West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Director Frank Jezioro has presented a check to the Mountaineer Food Bank representing $75,000 raised during the fifth annual Governor’s One Shot Deer Hunt, held in December 2011. The money will go to the Hunters Helping the Hungry Program (HHH), administered by WVDNR, to distribute venison to needy families across the state through the Mountaineer Food Bank and other agencies. The donation was made at the Food Bank’s headquarters in Gassaway, Braxton County, on May 10.

The Governor’s One Shot event is sponsored by WVDNR and the One Shot Committee. Private individuals and businesses donate money for the opportunity to participate in guided antlerless deer hunts on private property near Stonewall Resort State Park in Lewis County and end the event with an auction and an award banquet. All venison from the hunt, along with profits from the sponsorships, goes to HHH.

The first event in 2007 raised $17,000, the second in 2008 raised $35,000, the third in 2009 raised $50,000, and the fourth in 2010 raised $75,000.

The HHH program allows hunters to donate legally-harvested deer to certified processors so the meat can be distributed to soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters, senior centers, missions, churches and community centers around the state. The HHH program has been highly successful since it began in 1992, providing meals to the neediest of West Virginians. However, the program also requires cash donations to pay for processing and distribution costs to benefit these needy individuals. More information about the HHH program is available at wvdnr.gov/Hunting/HHH.shtm.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - West Virigina’s Mountaineer Food Bank Receives $75,000 Donation from 2011 One Shot Deer Hunt Event

Research Suggests Many West Virginia Coyotes Feed on Deer

A recent study conducted by West Virginia scientists has put forth evidence that as much as 60 percent of coyotes feed on deer. The conclusions come after a 20-month study that took samples of 969 coyotes’ stomach contents and manure samples across different regions of West Virginia.

Specifically, deer remains showed up in 59.9 percent of the samples examined. Grass and twigs were present in 39.7 percent of samples, small mammals (like mice and other rodents) were in 19.3 percent, fruits and seeds were in 18.4 percent, squirrels and chipmunks in 11.4 percent, birds in 4 percent and rabbits also in 4 percent. These percentages add up to more than 100 percent because samples frequently contained more than one grouping of items.

West Virginia University graduate student Geriann Albers coordinated the research along with Professor of Wildlife and Fisheries Resources John Edwards. Albers presented her findings at the 68th Annual Northeast Fish and Wildlife Conference on April 16.

The state’s Division of Natural Resources commissioned the study to determine whether coyotes might be having an impact on whitetail herds and to what degree. Research showed that coyotes were having an impact on whitetail herds, but it was impossible to conclude how the deer was taken. While Albers estimates that a good percentage of deer remains found in samples were the results of predation, it’s also likely that coyotes scavenged from the carcasses of deer that perished by other means.

The percentage of deer remains in coyotes’ stomach contents and stool samples dropped to just 38 percent between September and December, even though that period includes deer hunting season. Albers and her team speculate that drop is attributed to easier food source opportunities during that time when coyotes can scavenge for fruit, nuts, or squirrels which are easier to find than a gut pile left by a hunter.

The study’s results further implied that coyotes feed most heavily on deer between January to April. Deer showed up in more than 70 percent of coyotes’ stomach and stool contents then, possibly because snow is deep so coyotes have an easier time preying on deer and many deer die of winterkill during that time. The time between May and August contains the fawn birthing period during which 55 percent of samples contained deer remains.

The findings support the theory that coyotes are opportunistic feeders that will eat just about anything. Remains of skunk, oppossum, even remnants of trash like napkins and sandwich wrappers were found in a small percentage of samples. Additionally, deer remains were only half as abundant in coyotes in West Virginia’s southern coalfields because deer populations are sparse there.

It was also found that coyotes do not sustain themselves much with turkeys or turkey eggs as those remains did not often show up in samples. Only 4 percent of samples contained bird remains, half of which were from ground-nesting birds such as turkey and grouse.

Further research may involve how much predation of specific species by coyotes is actually occurring.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Research Suggests Many West Virginia Coyotes Feed on Deer

West Virgina DNR Warns Residents About Feeding Bears

The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds all West Virginia residents that feeding black bears is a violation of state law, as well as a misguided disservice to the state animal, according to Colin Carpenter, black bear project leader for the DNR Wildlife Resources Section.

“Some people will illegally set out food so they can get a closer look at this often secretive animal,” Carpenter said.  “However, these actions often lead to the destruction of the bear. Bear movements are tied to food sources. Bears that roam in and around residential areas in search of food are less likely to stay if they do not find anything to eat.”

Capturing and moving bears that have become accustomed to humans is a costly and often ineffective way of addressing the problem, especially if it just moves the problem from one place to another.

Bear populations have increased in both number and distribution in the past 20 years.  Bears are now found in areas where they have been absent for decades and have been reported in all 55 counties.  Multiple reports of sows with cubs have been received from the northern and western portions of the state. “There is simply nowhere to move bears that have become a problem,” Carpenter said.

Human / bear interactions increase during the spring and summer for several reasons.  Natural food sources are at their lowest point when bears leave their dens in the spring.  Bears often spend several weeks feeding on green vegetation while continuing to lose weight.  High-energy foods such as serviceberries, blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries do not become available until later in the summer.

In addition, the bear breeding season, which peaks from late June through July, puts many bears on the move. During the breeding season, males will cover large areas while searching for females. This is also the time of year when adult female bears will chase off their yearlings so that they may breed again. Human-related food sources are higher in calories and easier to obtain than natural foods. All bears, especially yearlings that are on their own for the first time, will take advantage of easy food sources. Bears will continue on their way if they do not find easy food sources.

Bears quickly become habituated to handouts in the form of trash, bird seed, pet food and feed placed out for other animals, and lose their fear of humans. They then resort to raiding garbage, outdoor freezers, storage sheds, vehicles and other structures associated with people.  Unfortunately, when these activities are repeated, DNR personnel are forced to humanely destroy the offending animal for safety reasons.

“The unintentional feeding of black bears is something that can be prevented,” Carpenter says. “Garbage should be secured in a bear-proof facility and placed out for collection on the morning of pick-up, not the night before. Food scraps that produce large amounts of odor should be sealed in a plastic bag before being placed in the trash. Food scraps should not be placed in a compost pile during the summer months. Residents should remove all outside pet food at night, and bird feeders should be taken down, cleaned, and stored until late fall to further discourage bears from feeding around human habitation. If you do not remove food attractants until after a bear has become a nuisance, you may have caused the death of that animal”

Feeding of any wildlife should be avoided for numerous reasons, including, but not limited to, disease transmission, increased predation, habitat destruction around the feeding site, ethical concerns, and the animal’s overall health.  Following these practical and common sense recommendations will reduce human-bear conflicts and assure that more of the state’s animals remain wild.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - West Virgina DNR Warns Residents About Feeding Bears

2011 West Virginia Big Game Bulletins Available

The 2011 West Virginia Big Game Bulletin is available at Division of Natural Resources district offices, the Elkins operations center, and on the agency’s website, according to Curtis I. Taylor, Chief of the Wildlife Resources Section.

The Big Game Bulletin supplies the public with the annual white-tailed deer, wild turkey, black bear, and wild boar harvests.  In addition, harvests by season, county, and wildlife management area are displayed in the publication.

“The Big Game Bulletin equips hunters with a wealth of data and information that may help them plan their next hunt. The publication also has updates on current big game research and monitoring projects,” said Taylor.

To view the 2011 Big Game Bulletin, look under “Hunting” on the Division of Natural Resources website at www.wvdnr.gov.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - 2011 West Virginia Big Game Bulletins Available

QDMA Urges Hunters in Seven States to Oppose Deer-Breeding Legislation

The Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA) is urging hunters in seven states to oppose the expansion of the deer-breeding industry, which QDMA perceives as a growing threat to wild deer and the deer-hunting heritage. Legislation designed to loosen or dismantle regulatory barriers to white-tailed deer breeding and farming is being considered in Georgia, Indiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia.

“There are no benefits for deer hunters in the growth of the captive deer-breeding industry – only risks,” said Kip Adams, QDMA’s Director of Education & Outreach and a certified wildlife biologist. “It is QDMA’s mission to protect the future of white-tailed deer and our hunting heritage, and we oppose anything that puts those at risk.”

In opposing the proliferation of “deer breeding,” QDMA is referring to captive deer facilities where controlled, artificial breeding technology is used primarily to produce whitetail bucks with enormous, often grotesque antlers – an industry that includes sales of semen, artificially impregnated does, and live bucks to other breeders or to captive deer shooting facilities. Current estimates suggest there are nearly 10,000 deer breeding operations in North America, and the number is growing as the industry pushes to expand into areas where it was historically not legal.

“Some argue this is an innocent endeavor with no negative impacts to wild deer or the everyday deer hunter. As CEO of North America’s leading whitetail conservation organization, I emphatically and unapologetically disagree,” said Brian Murphy, QDMA’s Chief Executive Officer. “Not only does this industry undermine the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation in which wildlife is a public resource, it also threatens the health of wild deer and the public’s perception of hunting.”

The distribution map of chronic wasting disease (CWD) – a fatal disease of deer and elk – suggests the disease likely arrived in several new states through transportation of live deer, either legally or illegally, and not through natural deer movements. Legalizing deer breeding in new areas increases the incentive for illegal transportation of untested animals at a time when these human-aided movements must be stopped. Transporting any captive whitetails is risky, as there is no acceptable and practical live-animal test  for CWD. Once CWD appears in wild deer in a new area, slowing the spread of the disease requires costly investigation, testing and surveillance efforts for many years and often requires drastic reductions in deer populations. There is currently no known way to decontaminate an environment once CWD is present.

In more than 40 states, regulatory authority over captive deer facilities is held by state agriculture agencies, or shared between agriculture and wildlife agencies. QDMA recommends that wildlife agencies have sole responsibility because they have more experience with wildlife species and wildlife disease issues, and they fully understand what is at stake with regard to transmission of diseases like CWD to free-ranging deer.

“QDMA’s current effort is to halt expansion of the deer-breeding industry,” said Adams. “We also want sole jurisdiction for existing facilities to remain with or be reassigned to state wildlife agencies. Considering the implications for our hunting heritage, we can’t afford to allow this industry to expand. The ramifications of being wrong are simply too great.”

QDMA is currently urging resident hunters to oppose existing or potential legislation in the following states:

• Georgia: House Bill 1043 – Legalizes the importation of live whitetails into Georgia for breeding purposes and creates a permitting system for deer-breeding operations, all under the jurisdiction of the state Department of Agriculture. Current status: House second-readers as of February 22.
• Indiana – House Bill 1265 – Provides for the licensing and operations of hunting preserves on which farm-bred, captive deer and elk will be hunted. Current Status – Senator David Long (President Pro Tempore) refused to hear the bill. It remains in committee.
• Mississippi – Senate Bills 2554 and 2555 – Legalizes importation of captive deer, semen and embryos and authorizes deer breeding facilities, under the jurisdiction of the state agriculture department. Current Status – Both bills referred to Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Committee on February 20.
• Missouri – House Bill 1375 – Adds deer to the definition of “livestock” for the purposes of the state sales and use tax law, meat inspection law, Missouri Livestock Disease Control and Eradication Law, and the Missouri Livestock Marketing Law. Current Status – House second-readers as of February 22.
• North Carolina – Currently at the proposal stage; no bill number yet.  The spoken intent is to loosen regulations to allow for expansion of the captive deer industry. A QDMA staff member will attend a board meeting with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission in Raleigh on March 7 on this topic.
• Tennessee – House Bill 3164 – Present law classifies white-tailed deer as Class IV wildlife, which may only be possessed by zoos, temporary exhibitors, and rehabilitation facilities. This bill adds authorization for possession of white-tailed deer by breeding facilities that receive a permit from the Department of Agriculture to breed or ranch such livestock for purposes determined by the Department. Current Status – Placed on calendar for Agriculture Committee for March 6.
• West Virginia – Senate Bill 421 – Captive Cervid Farming Act – Transfers regulatory authority over captive white-tailed deer facilities from the Division of Natural Resources (DNR) to the Department of Agriculture.  Current Status – referred to Rules Committee on February 17.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - QDMA Urges Hunters in Seven States to Oppose Deer-Breeding Legislation

West Virginia DNR Announces Winter Waterfowl Survey Results

Wildlife biologists counted 3,716 ducks and 3,904 Canada geese during the annual mid-winter waterfowl survey in early January, according to Steve Wilson, waterfowl biologist for the Wildlife Resources Section of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. Compared to 2011, the number of ducks and geese counted decreased 26 percent and 36 percent, respectively, for the 2012 survey.

“These numbers are actually higher than I expected considering the extremely mild weather before and during the survey,” Wilson said. “When the ground is not snow covered and small streams and ponds are not frozen over, waterfowl are scattered across the landscape instead of being congregated on large water bodies where they are easily surveyed. The 2012 numbers are actually above the 10-year average for ducks by 23 percent, and goose numbers were only 10 percent below the 10-year average.”

Canada geese, mallards and black ducks, as usual, were the most commonly observed species in the 2012 survey.  Other waterfowl observed include:  scoters, scaup, ring-necked duck, redhead, bufflehead, mergansers and snow geese. Twenty-one bald eagles and one golden eagle were also observed.

The survey was conducted on January 4, 6 and 10, 2012, and included portions of the Kanawha, Ohio, Shenandoah and New rivers as well as Tygart and Bluestone lakes.

Area	2012		2011		2010		2009		2008
	Ducks	Geese	Ducks	Geese	Ducks	Geese	Ducks	Geese	Ducks	Geese
Kanawha River (Upper	243	421	121	673	160	465	253	326	299	683
Kanawha River (Lower)	245	59	102	182	66	483	123	304	74	151
Ohio River (Lower)	1,342	1,017	1,195	764	849	1,321	290	501	318	824
Ohio River (Middle)	1,134	2,067	2,712	3,536	1,424	4,915	975	1,365	808	1,514
Tygart Lake/Pleasant Creek	254	16	82	15	212	170	72	128	37	70
Shenandoah River	81	57	136	588	18	154	102	422	68	180
Bluestone Lake/New River	417	267	696	389	139	281	218	229	110	44
Total	3,716	3,904	5,044	6,147	2,868	7,789	2,033	3,275	1,714	3,466
10-Year Average	3,036	4,352	3,333	4,729	4,905	5,154	5,012	4,764	5,505	4,881

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - West Virginia DNR Announces Winter Waterfowl Survey Results

West Virginia Trapping Seasons End Soon for Mink, Raccoon, Fox, Muskrat, and Others

West Virginia trappers are reminded that the various trapping seasons for affected species will be ending soon, according to the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources.

• Trapping season for fisher ends on January 31, 2012.
• The hunting and trapping seasons for red and gray fox, bobcat and raccoon will end on February 29, 2012.
• The trapping seasons for coyote, otter, mink and muskrat will also end on February 29, 2012.
• Trapping season for beaver will be in until March 31, 2012. Beaver trappers are reminded that it is illegal to set traps other than water sets during March.

All beaver, bobcat, otter and fisher pelts are required to be checked at an official game checking station within 30 days of the close of their respective season. Hunters and trappers are required to field tag bobcats before removing the carcass from where it was harvested.

Trappers, hunters and fur dealers are reminded that furs shipped out of West Virginia must have a fur shipping tag, which is available at WVDNR district offices and most game checking stations. Also, anyone who plans to sell an otter or bobcat pelt outside of the state of West Virginia should obtain a CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) seal for each pelt. All otter and bobcat pelts, usually exported from the United States by licensed fur buyers, must have a CITES seal from the state where the animal was harvested.

The general public is reminded that now, before the trapping season ends, would be a good time to deal with nuisance muskrat or beaver problems.  Trappers may be more likely to assist landowners with nuisance problems while their gear is in working order and pelts are prime.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - West Virginia Trapping Seasons End Soon for Mink, Raccoon, Fox, Muskrat, and Others

Late Season Hunting Opportunities in West Virginia

The late part of winter presents an often overlooked opportunity for hunting in the Mountain State, according to Jeff McCrady, district wildlife biologist for the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources office in Parkersburg. Rabbits, grouse, foxes, bobcats and raccoons are in season through the end of February.

For many hunters, this is the most enjoyable time to be afield. “The holidays are long past, and people just seem to have more time to get out,” McCrady said.

February can be a preferred time for serious rabbit hunters. There is less vegetation to obscure their vision, the ground is always damp enough to hold scent well and the weather is generally cool enough to keep the beagles from getting over heated.

Grouse hunters like late season outings for the same reasons. The final weeks of February will be the last chance to hunt with the dogs until next fall.

Raccoons are generally not very active during cold winter nights; however, a warm spell can change everything. As the winter begins to weaken and the days become longer, raccoons will become more active. Hunters should be vigilant through the end of the season.

With prey being scarce in late winter, predators are generally more susceptible to varmint calls. The imitated distress cries of a rabbit or a mouse work well for foxes, bobcats and coyotes this time of year. Predators might be a little easier to call in during February, but hunters still need to be mindful of the wind and be well hidden in order to be successful.

“With all of West Virginia’s late season hunting opportunities, there is no reason for a case of cabin fever,” McCrady said. “Success can’t be guaranteed, but fresh air and exercise can.”

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Late Season Hunting Opportunities in West Virginia

West Virginia Hunters Harvest 2,007 Black Bears in 2011

West Virginia hunters harvested 2,007 black bears during the combined 2011 archery and firearms seasons, according to Paul Johansen, assistant chief in charge of game management for the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. The preliminary harvest data for the combined 2011 seasons was 16 percent lower than the record harvest of 2,392 established in 2010. The 2011 black bear harvest is the third highest in West Virginia history. 

“As predicted in the 2011 Mast Survey and Hunting Outlook brochure, mast conditions had a tremendous influence on the distribution of this year’s bear harvest,” said Johansen. “Lower mast availability in 2011 allowed archers to pattern bears more effectively and led to an increased archery harvest.  However, a shortage of fall foods drives bears to den earlier, which leads to a lower firearms harvest in the traditional December season. The firearm harvest for bears remained steady compared to previous years because of the early firearms seasons. These early seasons are designed to ensure that counties remain at their management goal.”

Hunters took 619 bears during the 2011 archery season. The top five counties were Randolph (70), Preston (56), Nicholas (44), Webster (41) and Wyoming (34).

Firearm hunters harvested 1,388 bears during 2011. Hunters took 631 bears in September, 76 during the concurrent buck/bear season, and 681 during the traditional December season.  Top five counties were Randolph (148), Greenbrier (141), Pendleton (132), Pocahontas (112) and Webster (110).

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - West Virginia Hunters Harvest 2,007 Black Bears in 2011

West Virginia Hunters Harvest 1,172 Fall Turkeys in 2011

Preliminary figures for the 2011 fall turkey hunting season show a harvest of 1,172 turkeys, according to Paul Johansen, assistant chief in charge of game management for the Wildlife Resources Section of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. The 2011 harvest was four percent higher than the 1,126 birds checked in during the 2010 fall season.

“Fall wild turkey harvests are highly influenced by annual reproduction and hard mast conditions,” stated Johansen.  “The reduced acorn crop of 2011 had birds more concentrated around specific food sources and easier to harvest than in 2010.  Although there were six fewer counties open to fall hunting in 2011, the harvest was slightly above the 2010 tally. Biologists had predicted that the harvest would be similar to higher because of the mast conditions and brood production and these predictions held true in 2011.”

Top counties for 2011 were Randolph (142), Greenbrier (91), Preston (76), Pocahontas (68) and Monroe (63).

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - West Virginia Hunters Harvest 1,172 Fall Turkeys in 2011

Next Page »