Having hunted this area a number of times over the past 35 years, the genetics of the deer in this area and just across the river is good. I have seen several bucks killed in the 130- to 145-inch size class. By going to this minimum spread requirement, a few more of these bucks should now make it to the prime rack growing age spectrum of 3 to 6 years old.

Gary Foster, a District 1 biologist, said that even though last year was just the second season since implementing the 14-inch minimum requirement, they are already seeing some benefits. Foster recently mentioned that a number of 8- and 10-point bucks with excellent racks were checked in this past season.

He said hunting participation in the area was up among bowhunters and down a little with the gun hunters. Foster said the Division of Natural Resources (DNR) is trying to get populations down a little from the present 35 to 40 deer per square mile. If the DNR succeeds, the overall quality of bucks should continue to improve. In addition, the state is trying to implement some timber management in the form of a few small timber sales on this segment of the forest, which has had little cutting on it for the past 30 to 40 years. This should help provide some early successional stage cover, which is critical for a healthy deer herd.

McCLINTIC WMA
On the other end of the topography spectrum from Coopers Rock State Forest is McClintic WMA. This WMA encompasses 3,655 acres, with 600 acres in farmland, 400 acres in brushy areas and 1,775 acres in mixed hardwood forests with a terrain that is just slightly rolling. McClintic is located five miles north of Point Pleasant or eight miles south of Mason, just off state Route 62 via Fairgrounds Road.

This WMA also can produce some fairly decent bucks. Not too surprisingly, bowhunters have found this area to be much to their liking. Access to this WMA is good as well.

Jeff Harnsbarger, an assistant wildlife biologist for District 5, said that the program has been fairly well received by the folks in his region, but that in order to provide some top quality wildlife habitat for deer and other edge species, there would have to be some active timber management in the form of some timber cutting on this WMA.

He added that the DNR was trying to get some timber cuts implemented on this WMA to provide some higher quality protective cover and edge-type areas that deer prefer. Harnsbarger mentioned that National Forest coordinator and staff forester Terry Jones was trying to get a few timber harvests started here for that very reason; however, the general public had been lukewarm to these suggestions. Not too surprisingly, most of the biologists I interviewed all wanted to see some active timber management occur on their areas, as much of the acreage on these areas is older hardwood stands with a minimal amount of acreage in early successional stage stands that quality deer habitat has to have.