Southern WV hunt . . .

[Frogman]

Left the house at 4:30 AM 11/4/09 to head down to southern WV where we have heard there are lots of coyotes and some bears.  There is lots of coal company lands in this area that is open for hunting.  Bear bow season is in.  Two of the guys took bows.  I'm more interested in the coyotes so I took the rifle.  We had never been to these areas before so most of the morning was spent scouting.   When I graduated form college my first teaching job was in the Whitesville, WV which is not too far from where we went.  It has been a long time since I was back in this area.  We had been hearing about lots of coyotes and bears in this area so we decided to drive down and check it out.  The terrain was very similar to the Redbird area of Kentucky.  Here are a few photos . . .

Our first stand was here . . .



One of the guys hoping for a bear . . .



There are numerous areas on the mountain where sulpherous smelling smoke comes out of the ground.  When they close deep mines they sometimes catch fire and the coal burns underground and the smoke rises up through the ground.  Kind of unusual . . .





Some of the terrain and a big flat rock . . .



We found several piles of bear scat . . .





Mostly along these haul roads . . .



We had a fun day but saw no coyotes or bears???


Jim

[HuntnCarve]

Looks like you had a pleasant day afield!  Watch yourself near those steaming mine sites.  If you ever notice the trees and land all bare, like a bomb hit..Do not walk there!  The mine fires are close to the surface, and the ground will collapse underneath you.  Be like falling into Hell's fire!  If the carbon monoxide does not get you first!  -The Pennsylvania town of Centralia (40 miles north of here) underground mine fires are still burning.  They started in the late 60's.  The town was Federally "force evacuated", except for a few hardy souls.  The town is sort of a ghost town.  They condemned the homes and bull dozed them.  The church cemetary still remains...with steam and smoke rising up through it.  Pretty creepy when you drive past.

Dave