DOE HUNT WILL BE RESTRICTED IN 30 COUNTIES - Calhoun Facing Limitations

(02/21/2006)
Calhoun, Barbour, Doddridge, eastern Grant, Lewis, Putnam and Ritchie counties will be facing restrictions on the killing of doe deer this season.

While the local season will be open to unlimited numbers of hunters, there will be a shortened season and a one-doe bag limit.

The final plan is yet to be approved.

State wildlife officials have asked for more conservative regulations on antlerless-deer hunting, closing doe hunting in 17 counties and reducing season lengths and bag limits in 16 others.

Dick Hall, game-management supervisor for the Division of Natural Resources, said the DNR is only doing what's called for in their deer-management plan.

"Where the population has dropped below our recommended levels, we're proposing conservative doe-hunting seasons and limits," he said.

Only 21 counties will remain open under the most liberal regulations — a 22-day antlerless-deer season and a three-doe bag limit.

The counties targeted for doe-season closure include Boone, Braxton, Clay, Fayette, Greenbrier, Lincoln, eastern Kanawha, Mercer, Nicholas, western Pendleton, Pocahontas, Randolph, Raleigh, Summers, Tucker, southern Wayne and Webster.

Nine other counties — Cabell, Gilmer, western Grant, western Kanawha, Monroe, eastern Pendleton, Roane, Upshur and Wayne — will allow doe hunting only by state-resident hunters who qualify for a limited number of lottery-drawn permits.