West Virginia Wildlife from Eyewitness News

Hunting Forecast

Deer season begins this weekend, here's what hunters can expect.

October 14, 2009
Reporter: Patrick McMurtry
Videographer: Brad Rice

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Thousands of people will be hitting the woods over the next couple of months, deer hunting officially kicks off this weekend with the opening of bow season.
And while mast conditions are poor, things look great for those of you looking to harvest a nice buck this year. Scott Warner, a biologist with The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, says hunters should find plenty of game this year.

"The hunting forecast this year is looking pretty good. Biologists say we should find a lot more deer in the woods. Mast conditions this year are probably as poor as the`ve been, especially over the last 40 years, because of the healthy number of deer running around, and less food available for the deer, hunters are going to find more deer around fields, in higher concentrations in certain areas."

That should mean more people will have more success this year, and that means there should be a lot of venison winding up on tables across the state.

"Bow hunters coming up this weekend should find plenty of deer in the woods, muzzle loader season, probably getting close to a record year, buck hunters, especially with the concurrent season, should be able to fill a tag the first day of the season in more counties. It`s a win-win for everyone." says Warner.

But hunters shouldn`t be over confident and just expect to be able to show up on opening day and get a buck. You still need to do your homework. Warner explains,

"If you have the opportunity to go out and do some scouting, it`s really going to pay off this year. If you haven`t, I would focus my attention on places you know will have available food. There are trees out there with a few acorns still on them, that`s where I`d be spending most of my time."

Remember, spending a few hours scouting in October can mean more success in November.