Many A Deer Will Die Today [View All]

The following is written simply for your information and makes no attempt to sway your opinion about anything at all.

In West Virginia, and other eastern states, hunting season for white tail deer with a gun is in full swing right now. Thanks Giving day is the hottest hunting day here. In our county the public schools are closed for the entire week and the woods have been crawling with young folk since very early monday morning. This will be a good year for them too even though the number harvested annually has been dropping for years. Last winter was mild and so few died from starvation and fewer died from predation than would be normal. Our summer was mild with adequate rainfall; the mast is heavy. It rained most of last week which soaked the leaf fall; the woods are quiet. The winds are blowing and the temperature came way up yesterday and is holding at about 60; anyone would enjoy a day like this in the woods.

The bullets for a high powered rifle cost less than $0.50 each. Good rifles cost a considerable amount of money and evoke pride in their owners. There are other ways to hunt too of course. Bows and arrows and pistols each have their own seasons. There are seasons for other game as well. Small game; squirrel, rabbit, and various game birds can be hunted from mid October until early spring. Bear and Wild Boar are hunted by people who are lucky enough to draw a winning number in the state's lottery for the appropriate permits. Turkey, almost the national bird, are hunted during two short seasons, one in the fall when hunting for either sex is difficult and one in the spring during which only Toms can be hunted and only until 10:00am. The dates and times are regulated such as to protect the females and the nests. The setting of the seasons is not haphazard; much thought and sime science goes into it,

About 175,000 deer will be killed in this state this year. Probably half of those will die today.