Deer Harvest 2004
White-Tailed Deer

The following Tables 1 through 9 contains the 2004 white-tailed deer hunter harvest information for each of West Virginia 's 55 counties and the various public lands scattered across the state. In 2004, deer hunters harvested a total of 179,066 deer in the combined deer seasons. This is a 14% decrease from the 2003 harvest and 19% less than the previous five-year harvest average of 221,038. The combined deer season harvest for 2004 is the eleventh largest total deer harvest on record for West Virginia . The 2004 total deer harvest represents one deer killed for every 82 acres of deer habitat in the state (Table 9), and a 21% harvest increase from that of 10 years ago. From 1945 through 2004, 4,627,963 deer have been recorded as harvested in West Virginia . Sixty-four percent (2,973,828) of the total recorded deer harvest of the past 60 years has occurred in the last 15 years.

In 2004, the traditional bucks-only firearm season harvest of antlered bucks was 63,873, a decrease of 13% from the 2003 harvest (Table 1). This is 29% less than the five-year average harvest of 89,568, and ranks nineteenth among all past years. The 2004 antlerless season deer harvest decreased by 17% from 2003 and was down 29% from the record harvest of 104,199 recorded in 2002. A total of 73,862 antlerless deer (Table 5) were taken in the second most liberal antlerless season since 1909. The antlerless season was open in 2004 for 21 days on private land in 48 counties plus portions of an additional three counties, 6 days on most public land, and qualifying youth and Class Q License (physically challenged) holders had an additional three-day antlerless-only season. The 2004 antlerless season harvest was the seventh highest on record and 12% less than the five-year average antlerless harvest of 84,042. The 2004 archery season harvest of 26,227 recorded deer decreased 12% from that of the 2003 archery season. This year's archery harvest was thirteenth highest on record and 21% below the five-year average of 33,279 (Table 3). The 2004 muzzleloader season harvest was 15,104, a decrease of seven percent from 2003, seven percent above the five-year average harvest of 14,148, and the fifth highest harvest recorded for this season (Table 7).

In 2004, hunting on Sunday was permissible in West Virginia for the forth year since 1956. In 2001 all counties were open to hunting on Sunday. In 2002, 20 of 55 counties were open to hunting on Sunday. In 2003 and 2004, 14 of 55 counties were open to hunting on Sunday. These 14 counties had six additional days available for deer hunting. All six days were open for archery hunters who recorded taking 764 deer on Sundays, or three percent of the total 2004 archery harvest. One Sunday was open for firearms deer hunting, the Sunday after Thanksgiving November 28, and 520 deer were recorded as harvested.

In the 2004 deer season, of the 51 counties open to the two-week bucks-only season, the desired buck harvest per square mile was exceeded in 21 counties, or 24% of the deer habitat in the state, indicating the deer population needs to be reduced. Of the remaining 30 counties, 28 were lower than the desired harvest and two were at the desired buck harvest per square mile. In contrast to 2003, 27 counties, or 40% of deer habitat in the state, were above the desired buck harvest per square mile and of the remaining 24 counties, 23 were lower than the desired harvest and one was at the desired buck harvest per square mile. The success of past antlerless deer harvests has helped lower the number of counties in 2004 that exceed the desired buck harvest per square mile and further progress toward lower deer populations will eventually lead to the deer habitat in the state being better able to provide food for the deer population.

The harvest of antlerless deer is the key to healthier, heavier, and more productive deer herds. This is because there are natural limits to the number of deer the land can support. When these natural limits are exceeded deer body weights, reproductive rates, antler development, and herd health declines, including an increased likelihood that deer will die over winter. If deer exceed natural limits long enough habitat quality is reduced which produces a long-term reduction in the natural limit of deer the land can support. To avoid these problems a minimum of 70 females for every 100 bucks is generally required just to stabilize a deer herd. If a decrease in the herd is warranted the percentage of females needs to be above 40%. Prior to the 2000 deer season, West Virginia 's deer herd was on track for a better healthier herd. Decreases in antlerless harvest in the 2000 and 2001 deer seasons temporarily slowed progress toward a better deer herd but, with landowners and hunters in the 2002, 2003, and 2004 deer season recognizing the need to harvest antlerless deer, the pace toward a better deer herd has quickened. The 2004 deer season marked the third year in a row that the recorded antlerless deer harvest exceeded the traditional firearm antlered buck harvest. The percentage of does in the statewide harvest has been above 40% for the 2002, 2003 and 2004 seasons even though the total harvest in 2003 and 2004 declined. Hunter and landowner efforts to manage the state's deer herd by participating and encouraging antlerless deer harvest where needed will benefit not only the deer herd, but all wildlife dependent on our state's woodland habitat.

Written by James M. Crum

Click On Links Below For PDF Versions of Tables 1-9.

Table 1. West Virginia Antlered Buck Harvest, 2000-2004.
(PDF format, 8.21KB)

Table 2. Antlered Buck Gun Harvest By Locality In West Virginia, 2000-2004.
(PDF format, 9.29KB)

Table 3. West Virginia White-Tailed Deer Bow Harvest, 2000-2004.
(PDF format, 8.10KB)

Table 4. Deer Bow Harvest By Locality In West Virginia, 2000-2004.
(PDF format, 9.15KB)

Table 5. West Virginia Anterless Gun Harvest, 2000-2004.
(PDF format, 8.13KB)

Table 6. Antlerless Deer Harvest By Locality In West Virginia, 2000-2004.
(PDF format, 9KB)

Table 7. Muzzleloader Deer Seasons In West Virginia, 2000-2004.
(PDF format, 7.98KB)

Table 8. Deer Mortality By Type of Season, 2004.
(PDF format, 8.29KB)

Table 9. West Virginia 2004 Deer Kill Per Square Mile of Habitat By Season
(PDF format, 8.41KB)

(You will need Acrobat Reader to view these files)

Return to top of page