Community Bulletin
Women's health care is available close to home at four central West Virginia clinics through Vandalia Health — the not-for-profit founded by the Davis family more than a century ago, whose Foundation still funds local scholarships and programs. Read more →
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West Virginia hunters who donate a deer to Hunters Helping the Hungry this season will be entered in a drawing for a prize package that includes a $1,300 compound bow, hunting gear and gift cards.
The state’s bow season opened Saturday, September 26, and runs through December 31.
Under a new contest sponsored by Whitetail Frenzy, every hunter who takes a deer and gives it to the program through a participating meat processor, at no cost, goes into a drawing automatically. The winner will be picked and announced at the 2027 West Virginia Hunting and Fishing Show in Charleston. Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced the contest Thursday.
Donated venison goes to food banks and other charities that serve West Virginians in need. My Buckhannon reported in 2024 that the program was seeking donations.
“By participating in Hunters Helping the Hungry, you can turn your harvest into nourishing meals for some of the more than 300,000 families, children, seniors, and veterans across West Virginia who experience the challenge of hunger,” said Chad Morrison, executive director of Mountaineer Food Bank.
The prize package includes:
- A Martin compound bow valued at $1,300
- A Spartan cellular trail camera
- Vortex 10×42 Diamondback binoculars
- A Trophy Treestands hunting blind
- A $500 Leonard Truck Accessories gift card and a $500 Blocker Outdoors/Scent Blocker gift card
- Whitetail Trail Mix and Lethally Addicting Minerals
- A Tudor’s Biscuit World gift basket and a $100 gift card
Nearly 100,000 hunters in the state use a bow or crossbow, and they took 32% of West Virginia’s whitetail harvest in 2025, according to the Archery Trade Association. The state’s more than 256,000 hunters spent $867 million in 2024 on purchases tied to hunting, which supported 7,420 jobs, according to the Sportsmen’s Alliance. Because the archery seasons last for months, the governor’s office said, they keep business steady for outfitters, lodges, gas stations and other small businesses.
