Hunt Smart, Fish Hard: Bear-Deer-Turkey Harvest Data

From the DGIF web page, here is the Harvest info for Bear, Deer, and Turkey.

Wildlife biologists with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) have compiled preliminary figures for the 2022–2023 hunting season. Not unexpectedly, bear, deer, and fall turkey harvests all decreased from the previous season. According to Dr. Gray Anderson, Wildlife Division Chief, “In addition to recent hunting seasons designed to reduce populations in some areas, harvest decreases observed this past season could be related to several factors outside of managers’ control: hunter participation, weather, and particularly, food conditions. This past fall saw an abundant acorn crop that was widespread across much of the state, likely leading game to move less in search of food and making them less visible and vulnerable to hunters.”

Harvest reporting by successful bear, deer, and turkey hunters is an important component of DWR’s management programs as harvest data are used to monitor game populations and inform future regulatory decisions.

There’s more to this in the current issue of the Times Virginian newspaper. Support local journalism by purchasing the issue at a local newsstand or subscribing at www.timesvirginian.com/subscriber_services to receive the print edition or view the full article in the e-edition version.