Sportsmen and conservation groups press DNR on CWD, domestic releases and youth outreach

Public commenters and conservation leaders used the April 30 meeting to press the Division of Natural Resources on disease monitoring, management priorities and youth outreach programs.

Speakers including Sean Butler, Jim Crumb, Ed McMahon, Brett Blaine and Don Radcliffe raised issues ranging from youth-season timing and disease surveillance to concerns about deliberate releases of domesticated wildlife and the commercialization of large-antler hunting. Jim Crumb described a phenomenon he called "antler religion," linking social-media monetization and trophy fixation to risky management decisions and illegal movement of animals; he urged commissioners to be cautious about decisions driven by short-lived social pressure.

Ed McMahon, president of the West Virginia Bow Hunter Association, told commissioners he does not "subscribe to the internet conspiracy" that CWD is a hoax and asked whether DNR had been informed of any state Department of Agriculture actions in investigations of illegal deer transport. Brett Blaine warned that deliberate release of domesticated species (quail, penned turkeys, farmed deer) can create predator sinks, introduce disease and defraud hunters; he also highlighted a new federal hunter-access/habitat incentive grant opportunity (reported at roughly $52 million nationally, application deadline June 8, 2026) and asked whether the DNR plans to apply.

Separately, Jared Harmon, president of the West Virginia Wildlife Federation, described a sportsmen's leadership summit held earlier in the week and said the federation will prioritize youth recruitment (R3: recruit, retain and reactivate), improved communications and a shared calendar for youth events. "We will advise with number one, science-based facts, and number two, with a focus on solutions," Harmon said, and offered the federation as a resource to the commission.

Why it matters: public comments signaled that sportsmen's groups want the DNR to remain a scientific steward on disease and season-setting, while also pushing for stronger youth outreach and coordinated event promotion. Commissioners acknowledged the concerns and heard DNR plans for enhanced surveillance, targeted outreach and monitoring that they said will inform future management steps.

The comments were recorded during the commission's public comment period; DNR staff addressed some procedural questions later in presentations and the commission accepted the federation's offer of continued coordination.