Photo by Neal & MJ Mishler

Waterfowlers in West Virginia have a paradoxical situation. On one side of the equation, they have it good because there is not much hunting pressure and finding a place to hunt is not as difficult as in some other states. West Virginia is more dominated by deer and turkey hunters than waterfowl enthusiasts. However, the downside is that waterfowl hunting in the state cannot be considered one of the better locations in the country.

Most of West Virginia is not blessed to be located directly in the heart of the flyway. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t still enjoy some good hunting opportunities with a little extra effort. There are numerous locations throughout the state that provide waterfowlers with some terrific duck and goose hunting each season.

West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (DNR) waterfowl biologist Steve Wilson said last season was fairly typical for waterfowlers. Hunting was about average, but the harvest was down a little. Mostly, that slight decline is related to the way the weather patterns affected bird movement during last season.

There were not many migrant ducks until the last couple of weeks of the season. Waterfowl hunters saw some good weather in early December, but then things turned really mild. The warmer weather continued into early January and really messed up waterfowl hunting in the state. There were not as many birds pushed into West Virginia from farther north. The ducks and geese that were here did not have to move much to find food and open water. Late January did finally become cold again and hunters enjoyed a little better success during the second segment of the season.

With some good weather, this season should be much improved. Both ducks and geese were reported as doing well back when breeding surveys were conducted. Duck numbers were up and many populations of migrant geese were improved as well.

Most of the geese harvested in West Virginia are resident birds. Of course, this is becoming true in many states across this eastern half of the country. Around 90 percent of our goose harvest is composed of resident geese. We also see resident geese from other states, such as Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Ohio.

This year should see a better goose harvest. Biologist Wilson said there was good goose production in the state and the numbers should be up some. Of course, he said that much depends on the weather -- especially weather to the north of our state, which will determine whether other birds are pushed down or not.

Although West Virginia doesn’t sit in the heart of the migration path, there are still a good many areas that provide excellent waterfowling. While public access areas are in high demand and overcrowded in many states, Mountain State hunters are fortunate to be able to choose where they will do their public-land waterfowling. Here is a look at a few locations to consider for the second segment of the season.

BLUESTONE LAKE WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA (WMA)
According to biologist Colin Carpenter, Bluestone Lake WMA is underutilized for waterfowl hunting. It is a popular destination for both deer and turkey hunters, but waterfowlers tend to overlook it somewhat. However, it can offer some prime shooting at times.