ROMNEY, W.Va. — A couple of key factors led West Virginia Division of Natural Resources wildlife staffers to predict the 2025 whitetail deer harvest will be down. As the archery hunting season opens this weekend statewide, the first pattern hunters will follow for deer will be food sources.

The 2025 Mast Survey produced by the DNR revealed, hard mast, which is a preferred staple of the whitetail diet, will be abundant.

“The oak did do really well, in fact all hard mast did really well overall. Combined all hard and soft mast, we’re about two percent above our long-term statewide average and about 16 percent above what we were seeing in 2024,” said Avery Korns who coordinates the annual mast survey for the agency.

The increased acorn production was dramatic. White oak was up 46 percent f

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