The 2002 archery harvest in Tables 3, 4, 8, and 9 includes 280 deer taken by hunters in the special urban deer season.  This special archery deer-hunting season is available to incorporated cities, which may open 14 days prior to the opening of archery season and close December 31.  During this special season two deer may be taken which do not count toward the regular archery deer season bag limit.  In 2002, four cities had an urban deer archery season.  For information regarding implementing a special season contact your local city government.

The 2002 antlerless deer harvest (Tables 5, 6, 8, and 9) includes 4,829 antlerless deer harvested in the special youth and Class Q deer season.  This season was open on private land in any county, or portion thereof, open to antlerless deer season and on 29 DNR Wildlife Management Areas across the state on October 26, 2002 and again December 23 and 24, 2002.  This was the fifth year this special season was held.  To participate hunters had to hold a Class Q license or be a youth at least 10 and no more than 14 years of age on the day of the season, and be accompanied by a licensed adult at least 21 years of age.  The daily bag limit was one antlerless deer, which did not count against the hunter’s annual antlerless deer season bag limit.  Youth and Class Q hunters harvested 3,990 deer on October 26^th and an additional 528 and 311 deer on December 23^rd and 24^th, respectively.  The reduced harvest in December was caused by the wariness of the deer, decreased participation because of the season falling on Christmas Eve, and colder weather in late December.

A special controlled deer hunt was held for the tenth year on the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) property located at Green Bank.  Fifty-two deer were taken in six days of hunting which are not included in this year’s harvest tables.  The hunt was held September 28, October 3, 4, 5, 10, and 11, 2002.  Again, as in the urban, Class Q, and youth hunts the deer taken on the NRAO did not count against the hunter’s annual bag limit.

In 1942, Watoga State Park became the first State Park to be opened for deer hunting.  This first season was archery only.  It was not until December 2, 1946 that Watoga State Park was opened for a one-day firearm deer season.  By 1952, Watoga and Holly River State Parks were open to an archery deer season from October 18 through December 7, 1952 and a deer firearms season ran for December 4 through 6, 1952.  In 1958, five state parks were open to archery only deer season, which ran from October 17 through January 3, 1959.

All hunting was stopped on West Virginia State Parks in the fall of 1959, until the year 2001. On November 5, 2001, Blennerhassett Island State Park became the first West Virginia State Park in 42 years to be open for deer hunting, and the first in 49 years to be open for firearms deer hunting. Deer are a keystone species in West Virginia’s natural world and proper stewardship of our State’s flora and fauna require that deer management be addressed on all lands.

The controlled deer hunt on Blennerhassett Island State Park in 2001 harvested 185 deer and the 2002 controlled deer hunt harvested 87 deer and are included in Tables 1 through 9.

Table 2. Antlered Buck Gun Harvest By Locality In West Virginia, 1998-2002.
(PDF format, 7.37KB)

Table 3. West Virginia White-Tailed Deer Bow Harvest, 1998-2002.
(PDF format, 5.85KB)

Table 4. Deer Bow Harvest By Locality In West Virginia, 1998-2002.
(PDF format, 7.21KB)

Table 5. West Virginia Anterless Gun Harvest, 1998-2002.
(PDF format, 6.00KB)

Table 6. Antlerless Deer Harvest By Locality In West Virginia, 1998-2002.
(PDF format, 6.96KB)

Table 7. Muzzleloader Deer Seasons In West Virginia, 1998-2002.
(PDF format, 6.33KB)

Table 8. Deer Mortality By Type of Season, 2002.
(PDF format, 6.19KB)