By Jamie Ziegler
News Editor
The arrows will fly Saturday as archery hunters take to the woods for opening day of the 2006 West Virginia deer hunting season.
The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources requires all hunters - residents and non-residents - to obtain hunting licenses and take hunter education safety courses. With a standard hunting license, a hunter may harvest one deer with a bow and muzzleloader and two deer during the firearms portion of the hunting season.
Additional tags may be purchased for all seasons. The deadline to purchase additional archery tags is today. The archery season runs through Dec. 31.
Last season, archery hunters killed more than 22,000 deer across the state, according to DNR statistics. This number was lower than previous years, but hunters have a positive outlook for this season.
DNR forecasts the season by measuring mast crop. Mast crop is all nut-baring trees and how they are producing. This year's mast crop is very heavy and above average, according to Curtis Taylor, chief of the wildlife resources section at the West Virginia DNR.
Taylor said this heavy mast crop will result in more deer remaining in the woods instead of cruising fields for food.
"A heavy mast crop tends to scatter deer. Bow hunters need to go deep in the woods and concentrate on finding white oak trees," he said.
Taylor also said DNR expects the 2006 deer harvest to be similar to last year's numbers.
Archery always opens the season for deer hunting. It is consid ered to be a more traditional approach to hunting. The sport presents a tougher challenge for hunters because they must come within 30 to 40 yards of the animal to attempt a shot.
Although technology has allowed hunters to maximize their chances of success by using equipment like compound bows, some hunters still favor the primitive longbows and recurves as their weapons of choice.
Dr. John Edwards is an associate professor in the forestry school at WVU and teaches the Traditions of Hunting class offered in the Wildlife Management Program. He has been bow hunting for 20 years.
"Bow hunting can be challenging and frustrating for both the novice and veteran; at the same time it can be very exciting and rewarding. Hunters should remember to enjoy all facets of the hunt; if you can do that, the rest of the puzzle will fall into place," he said.
Chris Zambito, a sophomore pre-dental major, is also an avid bow hunter. He, too, feels bow hunting presents more of a challenge than hunting with a firearm.
"It's a big adrenaline rush trying to get that deer to come into close range by calling or rattling, but at the same time, you can't let them know you're there or you will never get a shot," he said.
A unique aspect of bow hunting is that many choose to hunt from a tree stand. Hunting from a tree stand can be dangerous, and all hunters are urged to wear a safety harness.
There are many different safety harnesses on the market that offer great security for hunters if they happen to fall off the stand. Outdoor superstore Cabela's offers tree stand safety demonstrations to show hunters the proper procedure for hanging and using their stands.
Anticipation is high for Saturday, but hunters are reminded to always follow safety laws and guidelines to ensure the tradition will continue.
Hunters should not hunt on private property unless they have obtained permission from the landowner, and hunters should always know the area they are hunting.
It is important for hunters to know the WVDNR rules and regulations for the season in their county. For information about these rules, visit the WVDNR Web site at www.wvdnr.gov.
jamie.ziegler@mail.wvu.edu
News Editor
The arrows will fly Saturday as archery hunters take to the woods for opening day of the 2006 West Virginia deer hunting season.
The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources requires all hunters - residents and non-residents - to obtain hunting licenses and take hunter education safety courses. With a standard hunting license, a hunter may harvest one deer with a bow and muzzleloader and two deer during the firearms portion of the hunting season.
Additional tags may be purchased for all seasons. The deadline to purchase additional archery tags is today. The archery season runs through Dec. 31.
Last season, archery hunters killed more than 22,000 deer across the state, according to DNR statistics. This number was lower than previous years, but hunters have a positive outlook for this season.
DNR forecasts the season by measuring mast crop. Mast crop is all nut-baring trees and how they are producing. This year's mast crop is very heavy and above average, according to Curtis Taylor, chief of the wildlife resources section at the West Virginia DNR.
Taylor said this heavy mast crop will result in more deer remaining in the woods instead of cruising fields for food.
"A heavy mast crop tends to scatter deer. Bow hunters need to go deep in the woods and concentrate on finding white oak trees," he said.
Taylor also said DNR expects the 2006 deer harvest to be similar to last year's numbers.
Archery always opens the season for deer hunting. It is consid ered to be a more traditional approach to hunting. The sport presents a tougher challenge for hunters because they must come within 30 to 40 yards of the animal to attempt a shot.
Although technology has allowed hunters to maximize their chances of success by using equipment like compound bows, some hunters still favor the primitive longbows and recurves as their weapons of choice.
Dr. John Edwards is an associate professor in the forestry school at WVU and teaches the Traditions of Hunting class offered in the Wildlife Management Program. He has been bow hunting for 20 years.
"Bow hunting can be challenging and frustrating for both the novice and veteran; at the same time it can be very exciting and rewarding. Hunters should remember to enjoy all facets of the hunt; if you can do that, the rest of the puzzle will fall into place," he said.
Chris Zambito, a sophomore pre-dental major, is also an avid bow hunter. He, too, feels bow hunting presents more of a challenge than hunting with a firearm.
"It's a big adrenaline rush trying to get that deer to come into close range by calling or rattling, but at the same time, you can't let them know you're there or you will never get a shot," he said.
A unique aspect of bow hunting is that many choose to hunt from a tree stand. Hunting from a tree stand can be dangerous, and all hunters are urged to wear a safety harness.
There are many different safety harnesses on the market that offer great security for hunters if they happen to fall off the stand. Outdoor superstore Cabela's offers tree stand safety demonstrations to show hunters the proper procedure for hanging and using their stands.
Anticipation is high for Saturday, but hunters are reminded to always follow safety laws and guidelines to ensure the tradition will continue.
Hunters should not hunt on private property unless they have obtained permission from the landowner, and hunters should always know the area they are hunting.
It is important for hunters to know the WVDNR rules and regulations for the season in their county. For information about these rules, visit the WVDNR Web site at www.wvdnr.gov.
jamie.ziegler@mail.wvu.edu