Reprinted from Sept 30, 2007 column in Morgantown Dominion Post, and material from "Whitetail Advantage" found elsewhere in this website.
We know that big bucks are the result of three factors ... age, nutrition, and genetics. In our part of the world, the greatest limiting factor, the one that prevents bucks from reaching their full potential, is age. In West Virginia we’ve had a history of harvesting a high percentage of all living bucks each year, thus preventing them from reaching an old age.
That is changing a bit, but we still harvest a high percentage of yearling bucks. Since bucks reach their maximum antler potential when they are 4 1/2-years-old, we don’t get to see many because they were harvested when young. A few years ago our neighboring Pennsylvania went to an antler restriction of 3 or 4 points on a side (depending on whether you are in forested or agricultural areas. In agricultural areas the minimum is 4 points on a side, in forests it is 3 points on a side). Has the implementation of this restriction changed the size of bucks harvested in Pennsylvania?
Yes, it appears to be doing just that. I was reading the recent newsletter of the United Bowhunters of Pennsylvania and in there Pat Gonsman presented some data on how antler restrictions have affected the size of bucks harvested by bowhunters. He went to the 2005 Pope and Young record book that lists bow kills and counted all typical whitetails that were entered in the book. It takes 125 inches for a buck to count as Pope and Young and there were 167 listed in that book taken in Pennsylvania. (Note, this doesn’t include those bucks taken that were 125 inches or bigger that hunters chose not to put into the record book).
What about the number of big bucks taken from some of the historically good states for trophy bucks? Well, Illinois had 674 typical bucks entered in the Pope and Young record book. Iowa had 411, Ohio 309, and Kansas 218. What about some of our other neighbors. As mentioned, Pennsylvania had 167, Ohio 309, while Maryland has 48. Now let’s look at bucks scoring over 160 inches (really big bucks). Illinois had 46 entered in the bow record book, Iowa had 37, Kansas 21, and Ohio 19. Pennsylvania had five and Maryland had two.
Where does West Virginia fit into all this? I went to the record book and counted all the typical bow-harvested bucks that scored over 125 inches. We had 205 bucks listed in the typical whitetail buck category of the Pope and Young records. Not too bad when you consider that Pennsylvania is a bigger state with more bowhunters than we have. While on that point, let me note that one factor that impacts the number of big bucks each state harvests is the number of hunters. You put the number of bowhunters that Pennsylvania has into Kansas and the number of big bucks harvested there would double.
And if we look at the number of 160+ inch bucks taken with a bow in West Virginia, it is 13. Remember, Pennsylvania had five. Our biggest typical buck scored 170 7/8 inches and was listed in the record book in 1999 by Billy Bishop from Mercer County. At number two is a 169 6/8 inch buck taken in Wyoming County by Jim Blankenship. Number three was harvested in Wyoming County, and the next listed was from Boone County. The next big bucks were taken in Logan, Wyoming, Logan, Raleigh,, Clay, Wayne, Cabell, and Wayne Counties respectively.
As I tabulated the 205 typical big bucks from West Virginia, Wyoming and McDowell Counties clearly had the most. And the other southern West Virginia counties were also high on the list. My guess is that 90-95 percent of all record book bucks are taken from southern West Virginia counties. Even though we don’t have state-wide antler restrictions, we still harvest more big bucks than Pennsylvania, probably because of our bow-only regulations in some southern West Virginia counties.
How about bucks from Monongalia County? The biggest entered in the book was harvested by Nick Yokopovich in 2001 and scored 141 4/8. That was followed by Gary Church’s buck, T. J. Teter, Randy Eaglen, and Dean Bower. I know that there are more bucks that qualify for Pope and Young from this county, but these are the only ones listed. If I missed any, please forgive me. There are around 7000 bucks in the book, so after an hour, my eyes got a bit blurred and I began to wonder why I was doing this story.
Can we expect West Virginia and Pennsylvania to climb in the listings of big buck states? Almost assuredly Pennsylvania will continue a rather rapid increase in big bucks taken with the bow, simply because they have harvested a lot of does, and they have greatly reduced the harvest of yearling bucks. This means more 2 1/2's, then 3 1/2's, etc. In West Virginia, we have a fair harvest of does, though it could and probably should be higher. And we are seeing more and more bowhunters passing up small bucks while waiting for a larger buck. Would a four point on a side antler restriction help? Of course, but if hunters will accept the fact that the forests need more doe harvest to provide good browse, and if they will pass up small bucks, than we would see more trophy-sized bucks.
What about Coopers Rock, where an antler spread minimum is now entering it’s second year? Only time will tell. If the hunters on the Rock obey the antler spread regulation, then there is no question that older bucks will be there for them. But if they shoot 90 percent of the yearling bucks, as has happened in years past, then it won’t happen. However, it appears that hunters obeyed the new antler spread regulation to a high degree last year, so they should see some bigger bucks this year. But for those of you that hunt the Rock, be patient. It takes several years for an antler restriction regulation to work. Give it time and the Rock could become a great place to bowhunt and gun hunt for trophy bucks.
