This outstanding trophy also boasts the second-highest score for that class's all-time rankings. It might come as no surprise then that Gene Thorn, the Division of Natural Resource's (DNR) long-standing site manager, is likewise chairman of the state's Annual Big Buck Contests. Thorn advises that with the bow kill numbers as indicated, the WMA receives its fair share of hunting pressure. Yet, there is still plenty of gated road access and food plots to greet prospective hunters.

Gated roads can be an advantage over some of the private lands where ATVs can be far more common. Nevertheless, Thorn advised that the WMA is a great place for visiting hunters to get started. He also opines that first-time hunters can be frustrated by the autumn's sign-covering leaf fall. The best times to scout are the January through April time slot. If you take a liking to the rough terrain, keep that in mind for next year.

Though ATVs are prohibited on the WMA, they are certainly welcome on the nearby Hatfield-McCoy Trail System. For a midday ride, visit the town of Gilbert just to the west of the WMA and you'll have more help than you can shake a stick at and a couple of hunting tips to boot. Friendly folks are the rule in these parts.

If the daytime heat calls for a hunting siesta, the lake is famous for its spotted bass and its tailwaters are slated for two fall stockings the weeks just before and after the archery opener! On a precautionary note, visiting hunters should be advised that the "R.D.," as the locals call it, is not very easy to get to.

Although, the tract is well marked on the various state and DeLorme maps, it's still a bit away from major four-lane highways like Interstate 77 and U.S. Route 119. With that qualifier, do enjoy the winding, climbing two-lane rides back through time that are steeped in coal history. Along those byways, some smaller non-franchise motels are available at the nearby towns of Gilbert, Oceana and Pineville.

Once in jeopardy, the Army Corps still provides camping at the lake site. That is with much thanks to the West Virginia Bowhunters Association (WVBA) that pitched in with some financial assistance. Site manager Gene Thorn thanks the WVBA, too. For local conditions, Thorn confesses that he is sometimes hard to get a hold of, but he can be reached at (304) 682-8633. The Army Corps lake personnel can be called at (304) 664-3229.

Even if the leaf litter makes the overall deer scouting tough, it shouldn't be too difficult to find some buck rubs, the eyebrow-lifting high-up-on-the-tree type.

NOVEMBER
Monongahela National Forest Bucks
West Virginia's gun buck hunting is deeply rooted in its nigh million-acre Monongahela National Forest. Exalted in status for holding some of the state's first huntable deer herds, its county turfs are forever basked in the terms of endearment ranging from "God's Country" and "Big Woods" to the "Traditional Deer Range" and "Mountains" with a capital M.

Thus, all others are Johnny-come-lately or non-traditional deer haunts. Though the late blooming counties currently harbor both mountains and deer, too, it's just not the same. Poor mast and Old Man Winter had been rather tough on the national forest's collective "green" on the maps and in particular their deer in the post-Y2K era. However, you may not want to stay married to that concept.

Without further ado, we're talking about the national forest holding counties with the lofty names of Greenbrier, Hardy, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Randolph and Tucker and to a lesser extent Grant, Nicholas, Preston and Webster. Yes, the "Mon" is a multi-county-sized plot!

What makes this year so special is the goings on of the past few seasons. Earlier in the decade, three consecutive mast failures as documented by the DNR, along with some stiff winter weather, has wreaked havoc on the deer population. But the return of good mast the past two autumns, along with more average winters, has breathed new life into those languishing herds.

What's more, conditions mandated that vast parcels of the Monongahela be closed during antlerless seasons or greatly reduced. In short, deer herds are rebounding nicely. Hunters who return to the Mon should be pleasantly surprised this fall. In fact, that could be an understatement. So, clear the mice from that idled deer camp and head for the Mon for the traditional gun buck hunt during the Thanksgiving week holiday.