West Virginia Governor’s One Shot Whitetail Hunt and Banquet
OutdoorHub 10.26.12
Invited guests will join West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Director Frank Jezioro for a special event designed to draw attention to hunting opportunities in the Mountain State and to the Hunters Helping the Hungry (HHH) program. WVDNR and the One Shot Committee are sponsoring the sixth annual “West Virginia Governor’s One Shot Whitetail Hunt” to be held October 26-27, 2012, at Stonewall Resort State Park near Roanoke in Lewis County, two miles off Interstate 79 at exit 91. Special guest for this event will be Brigadier General Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager, USAF, Retired.
Private individuals and businesses donate money for the opportunity to participate in guided antlerless deer hunts on private property near Stonewall Resort State Park in Lewis County and end the event with an auction and an award banquet. All venison from the hunt, along with profits from the sponsorships, goes to HHH.
Participants will sight in their firearms at the Stonewall Wildlife Management Area on Friday, October 26, and the next day will be taken for guided hunts. Awards will be presented during a banquet at Stonewall Resort State Park Saturday evening, October 27, 6:30 p.m.
This event began in 2007 when then-Gov. Joe Manchin and other state governors participated in a One Shot Antelope event in Lander, Wyoming. He decided to bring that experience to West Virginia, where white-tail deer hunting opportunities are among the best in the East. The first event in 2007 raised $17,000, the second in 2008 raised $35,000, the third in 2009 raised $50,000, the fourth in 2010 raised $75,000, and the fifth in 2011 raised $75,000.
The HHH program allows hunters to donate legally-harvested deer to certified processors so the meat can be distributed to soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters, senior centers, missions, churches and community centers around the state. The 2012 season marks the 21st consecutive year that WVDNR has sponsored the HHH program, which provides thousands of pounds of donated venison to hungry West Virginians each year. In addition to donated venison, the Hunters Helping the Hungry program is dependent entirely upon monetary donations. More information about HHH can be found at www.wvdnr.gov or by calling 304-558-2771.
