| Division of Natural Resources officials are reporting that 25 percent fewer deer
were killed during West Virginia's bucks-only gun season.
Calhoun's buck kill was down 457 from 2002, according to DNR game biologist J. R.
Hill of Parkersburg. The Calhoun kill was 1,154 for the past two weeks, compared
to 1,611 last year.
Hunters killed 72,693 bucks during the two-week season. In 2002, there were
96,555 bucks killed.
Fewer does were killed during the antler-less deer season -- 47,064 compared to
54,379 the previous year. The antler-less season was held concurrently with the
bucks-only gun season in 51 counties.
The DNR said they anticipated a lower kill this year because of the agency's efforts
to reduce the deer population in some counties.
Agency Director Ed Hamrick said reports indicate that some fawn deer died last
winter because of a lack of food.
Another factor was a winter storm that hit West Virginia on opening day, keeping
many hunters out of the woods. Hamrick said the first day of the season accounts
for 38 percent of the total number of bucks killed.
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