White oaks galore greeted Mountain State hunters on a rainy weekend. The West Virginia season opens on the last Saturday of September, a time when white oaks disperse their tasty acorns to eager whitetail deer and bears, who gobble up the tasty protein source. “In places you can hardly stand on a hill,” said Bruce, my host. “It’s a bumper crop this season, which is great for the animals, but makes hunting more difficult. With food scattered throughout the forest, deer don’t have to move far to feed.”
Blinds or Mega- Forest
Bruce owns a mountain home near Elkins, West Virginia, which borders the Monongahela National Forest, a behemoth of mountain land totaling nearly a million acres. The forecast for opening day was steady rain, and our choice was to sit in the rain on the Big Mo or use ground blinds that Bruce had positioned strategically over the years. We met at Bruce’s house at 5:30 with the heaviins dumping, and my partner, Ed, and I agreed that we would give the blinds a try.
Buck or Doe
The West Virginia license allows a hunter to take two bucks with a bonus stamp and multiple does over several seasons, and Ed and I weren’t being greedy. Our freezers were empty, and we’d take a buck or doe, whichever presented an opportunity. Ed had a spike buck pass his blind at 10 feet, so close that the experienced hunter chose to pass it, despite its chunky frame. We would hunt through the weekend and perhaps a larger animal would come by.
Lethal Set-Up
As daylight arrived at my blind, a steady rain fell and a mild fog blanketed the ground. I had a chair to sit in and used my Final Rest clasping tripod to hold the Barnett Hyper Raptor, shooting a Headhunter arrow tipped with a Grim Reaper Whitetail Special broadhead. Since bear season opened on this day as well, I turned on the illuminated reticle for precise aiming with the scope. In low light, the “blackness” of a bear would absorb the same-color reticle, I feared, and the highlighted marking eliminated that possibility.
Early Action
A yearling doe first caught my attention, followed by two adult deer, one of which was a buck. The range was 22 yards when I switched off the Barnett’s safety and the deer stopped with its vitals precisely behind a small tree trunk. The rest kept the aim solid, and the slight green image was distinct in the gloomy light. All I needed was the much-cursed “one more step.” Fortunately, the deer passed beyond the tree obstruction, and I squeezed the trigger. The arrow flew at more than 400 feet per second and impacted with a solid sound. The buck instantly whirled and raced down the mountain, and I saw a flash of white at 75 yards.
Perfect Broadhead Performance
The large Grim Reaper Whitetail Special dispatched the large buck in seconds, leaving large triangular wounds on both sides of the animal. Although the 6-point rack was modest, my host believed this was a 3 1/2-year-old deer, judging by the size. Many expandable broadheads make a small entrance hole and expand once inside the animal. The Grim Reaper image clearly shows how it impacts a complete pass-through shot—a triangle-shaped cut on the entrance and exit.
Wild and Wonderful
Ed and I have hunted the West Virginia opener the last two seasons and love the experience. Most hunters can’t wait until the steamy sweat of summer changes to crisp fall temperatures, and the late September season is a celebration of a hunter’s senses. White oaks fall like rain, the leaves begin to turn, and bears and bucks roam the forests. Summer tourists are gone, creating ample availability at motels and cabin rentals, mixing an atmosphere of vacation and outdoor adventure. Hunting information is available online at one of the easiest websites to remember: WVDNR.gov, and West Virginia Tourism offers a host of great side trips that the family will enjoy. Check WVTourism.com