West Virginia’s Celebration of National Hunting and Fishing Days Set for Sept. 28-29; Trophy Fish, Big Bucks Sought for Display
Roanoke, W.VA (PRWEB) August 26, 2013 -- Stonewall Resort State Park in Lewis County, W.Va., will host West Virginia’s Celebration of National Hunting and Fishing Days on Sept. 28-29, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources has announced.
The event is the largest outdoor hunting and fishing show in the state, with more than 100 vendors exhibiting hunting, fishing and conservation related merchandise and information. Staff from the WVDNR Wildlife Resources, Law Enforcement and State Parks sections will be available throughout the weekend to answer any questions visitors may have.
Special guests this year include Curtis Fleming from the Outdoor Channel’s “Fly Rod Chronicles,” who will participate in a meet-and-greet session from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday. The Gould Brothers Exhibition Shooting – new this year –will perform one show each day, and archer Byron Ferguson – back by popular demand – will perform several shows each day.
The Outdoor Youth Challenge will take place both days. Children ages 6-18 may participate and will be eligible to win prizes such as a Lifetime Hunting and Fishing License, Conservation Camp Scholarships, and other hunting and fishing related items.
The event is 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday. Admission is $6 for adults, and free to children 15 and under. Complete schedules are on the website.
Wanted: Trophy fish and big bucks
Legally harvested and mounted West Virginia big buck trophies and trophy fish caught from West Virginia waters are wanted for the Big Buck/Trophy Fish Display at West Virginia’s Celebration of National Hunting and Fishing Days.
The West Virginia Wildlife Federation, WVDNR and Toyota are seeking hunters who own trophy white-tailed bucks that were legally taken in West Virginia with either bow or gun and have a Pope & Young or Boone and Crockett score of 150 or greater. They are also seeking fish that qualified for a trophy fish citation under the WVDNR guidelines.
“Each year, the West Virginia Wildlife Federation and the WVDNR showcase these animals that are legally caught and legally harvested at the National Hunting and Fishing Day event,” said display organizers James Walker and Gene Thorn, WVDNR wildlife biologists. “The display is a tremendous draw to West Virginia’s Celebration of National Hunting and Fishing Day attracting thousands of visitors annually.”
Participation for trophy bucks will be limited to the first 30 qualifying trophy entries received. As an incentive for participation, hunters who display their trophy deer at the two-day event will be entered into an exclusive drawing for several valuable prizes.
Participation for trophy fish will be limited to 25 qualifying trophy entries to be determined by the selection committee. No more than five individuals of any species will be accepted. As an incentive for participation, each angler who displays his or her trophy fish mount at the two-day event will be eligible to win one of five $100 gift certificates. Prizes will be picked randomly.
Interested hunters and anglers who have qualifying head, antler mounts and qualifying fish mounts should contact James Walker for fish or Gene Thorn for bucks at 304-924-6211 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., or email James(dot)A(dot)Walker(at)wv(dot)gov or Eugene(dot)R(dot)Thorn(at)wv(dot)gov for additional information. Registration forms also can be found at WVDNR. Look under "Special Opportunities, National Hunting & Fishing Days."
Andrea Bond, West Virginia Department of Commerce, http://www.wvcommerce.org, +1 (304) 957-9347, [email protected]
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