Kem Shaw (left), an assistant district wildlife biologist for the DNR, spent most of opening day recording data on bucks checked in by hunters like David Hobba of Buffalo. Hobba (right) bagged a nice 8-pointer shortly after sunrise.

For Steven Gibson of Leon (left), the opening day of West Virginia's firearm season for buck deer turned out better than expected. Gibson killed a 10-point trophy whitetail in northern Kanawha County. DNR game manager Heath Miles (right) determined that the buck was 4 1/2 years old.