11/05/02

Field Notes
by DAVE PAYNE SR.
Staff Writer

While wildlife biologists won't yet say whether Blennerhassett Island will see another special hunt next year, a third one seems unlikely.
There's not much of a deer herd left to thin. 
Before the special six-day hunt was implemented last year, biologists counted about 500 deer on the island, almost 640 per square mile. A healthy concentration is about 60 to 70 deer per square mile. 
Monday, a Division of Natural Resources drive count found only 23 deer (29.44 per square mile) still living on the island. 
It took two years, but it looks like the division finally achieved its goal of restoring the island's herd to a healthy size. Deer had been so thick on the island there wasn't enough food to feed them all, officials said.
I saw that first-hand when I spent a day on the island, watching biologists check in half-starved deer, that looked like malnourished characters from a Dickens novel. Some 6-year-old does weighed less than 50 pounds, 2-and-half-year-old does weighed as little as 20 pounds and a 16-point buck weighed a measly 137 pounds.  
Most of the work was done last year. Before this year's  hunt, biologists counted 157 deer on the island. Hunters killed 96 of those this year and the remaining 38 likely swam away during the hunt.
Now, with only 23 deer left, that land of famine has become a land of milk and honey, which for a deer, would be a land of soft mast and acorns. 
Blennerhassett deer should be far healthier, less prone to disease and fewer will starve to death over the winter.
But only 23 deer? Doesn't seem like a lot.
"It doesn't matter how low the count gets," said Jeff McCrady, Parkersburg-based wildlife biologist. "Deer will come back."
The herd will quickly rebuild itself as most of the 38 deer who swam away will likely return and other pioneering deer will emigrate from both sides of the river to live on the island, said Lt. Terry Dunn, conservation officer.

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A few months ago, I mailed off my application for a Blennerhassett Island hunting permit and waited.
Like a kid expecting IVY League admissions letter, I checked my mailbox often, hoping some Division of Natural Resources genie would grant my Blennerhassett hunting wish.
I was one of nearly a thousand unsuccessful applicants for the 318 special Blennerhassett Island hunt permits issued this year, but nobody bothered to let us know. Only the successful applicants were notified by mail. 
Maybe sending out 1,300 letters isnát the answer, I'm sure the divisionás time would be better spent conserving our national resources or getting kids hooked on fishing instead of drugs than licking envelopes.
For the next special hunt the division offers, perhaps posting a list of successful applicants on the division's Web Site might give our unlucky souls some a chance for some closure.
ó
 While interviewing Bernie Dowler, deputy director of the division a few weeks ago, I lamented that I am  0-2 for Blennerhassett permit drawings.
"Well, my name wasn't drawn either," Bernie said.
Turns out Blennerhassett is the latest in a string of  special hunts for which Bernie has unsuccessfully applied. The fact that its second in command can't get a simple permit speaks well of the division's fairness. 
Applicants, including Bernie and I, were assigned numbers and a computer randomly selected the winners.
Dave Payne Sr. can be reached via email at dpayne@newsandsentinel.com.