Thousands of hunters venture into W.Va. woods on first day of buck gun season

MASON COUNTY, W.Va. (WCHS) — Thousands of hunters hit the West Virginia woods on a foggy Monday morning as the two-week buck gun season got underway.

According to 2022 numbers, hunting is an $850 million business in West Virginia and buck hunting is its big game.

State officials predict a downtick in bucks taken between now and the Dec. 7 end-of-season due in part to abundant acorns that make it less likely deer will be spotted in the open.

Portions of the Mid-Ohio Valley have seen from herd losses due to deaths from epizootic hemorrhagic disease.

Successful hunt or not, it’s a tradition in the Mountain State.

“It’s just a family tradition. We’ve been doing it since we were little,” Wyoming County hunter Steven Lovins said. “A tradition for some where the outdoors has generated some of the best memories of a lifetime.”

There’s still enough hunting interest in West Virginia to support about 7,400 jobs.

The weather is a factor, but typically most of the deer are killed during the first three days of the buck gun season.

To share memories of your hunt, visit the Chime In portion of our webpage.