By james art 
The Natural Resources Division in West Virginia (WVDNR) has announced the winners of the fourth annual Big Buck photo contest of the state during the opening and fishing exhibition ceremony of the Western Virginia in the Colosseum and the Congress Center in Charleston.
“The traditions of Western Virginia hunting are a large part of what our country makes so special, and the Big Buck photo contest is just one of the ways we celebrate this heritage,” said WVDNR Director Brett McMilion. “I want to thank everyone who has participated in the competition, because your contributions not only help us show the excellent hunting opportunities in our country, but will help us keep our tradition of outdoors alive for the next generations.”
The Big Buck photo contest, which was re -sponsored this year by the WVDNR and West Virginia Tourism Division, was open to residents and non -resident adults and adult hunters. In order to enter, the hunters were obliged to send a photo with a dollar they gathered during a hunting hunt in 2024, along with a short story about their hunting. Each participant was obliged to show proof of a valid hunting license of 2024 Western Virginia and had to include his or her personal 13-digit number for checking the game issued by DNR.
The finalists were selected with arbitrary drawing from all eligible records, and the winners were selected by a judge committee. The won photos were selected based on the composition of the photo, the size of the horn of the Buck, the number of horns and how well the hunting is described. The finalist photos can be viewed here.
The 16 winners included five adults from the residents, five residents young people, one non-resident young man and five adults in Nestember, who were selected from a list of more than 320 finalists. A winner of a large adult prize has been selected and will receive a license for hunting life or stay in the cabin of the State Park in West Virginia. The other residents and winners of non-resident adults will receive a stay in the cabin of the State Park or a prize cable package. All youth winners will receive a cable prize package.
The winner of the grand prize
- Katie Brooks – Cool Ridge, W.VA.
Winners in an adult department from residents
- Sandy Blake – New Martinsville, W.VA.
- Jeromy Hauser – Walker, W.VA.
- Gary Riley – Inwood, W.VA.
- Stephanie Tinell – Nettie, W.VA.
Winners in the Resident’s Youth Division
- Lilly Diule – Elkins, W.VA.
- Cambrie Legg – Winfield, W.VA.
- Leevi Martin – Sutton, W.VA.
- Rayden Meade – Kermit, W.VA.
- Michael Miller – Normancen, W.VA.
Winner in the Non -Division Youth Division
- Jose Chobe – Gallipolis, Ohio
Winners in the Non -Resident Adult Division
- Xavier Aya-Nay-Lutz, FLA.
- Dzhevon Miller – Millersburg, Ohio
- David Patton – Linclatton, North Carolina
- Dylan Shaffer – Belpre, Ohio
- Wyat Whitfield – Bedford, Pennsylvania.
For more information on hunting and fishing in West Virginia and for the purchase of license and seals 2025, visit WVDNR.GOV.