SAMUEL: Eye position important for turkeys and deer

November 19, 2022

Years ago one of my graduate students was taking imprinted wild turkeys into the field to see what they ate. Often I’d tag along. Several times I noticed that the poults (about 10 weeks of age) would stop and look into the sky then seek cover. At first I thought they were spotting hawks in the air, but I never saw one. Then one day I realized they were seeing jet planes 30,000 feet up. Amazing. It turns out that turkeys have very good vision and detect movements really well. Their eyes are at the side of their head and each eye is constantly on the lookout for ...

COLUMN: WVU athletics in need of big money during tough times for “potential” changes

November 14, 2022

MORGANTOWN -- If anyone out there has about $40 or $50 million simply lying around, the WVU athletic department would like to speak with you very soon. That’s the projected amount it’s going to cost WVU as it moves forward with potential changes in the athletic department, beginning ...

SAMUEL: Drought and heat causing wildlife problems

November 12, 2022

MORGANTOWN -- The hot November days have really impacted the bow deer season. Bucks are rutting and does are ready, but the abnormal hot weather has impacted their movement in the day.  Harvests are being made, but those big bucks just aren’t moving much during the day. One rule of thumb: I always used the temperature at night. When the temperature got below 45 or so, I found that buck movements in November increased and sightings did, too.  I had friends in Kansas two weeks ago hunting on private land where big bucks are common, yet the hot weather really limited ...

COLUMN: What’s in a loss? In some cases greatness can be defined through setbacks

November 9, 2022

MORGANTOWN — It is said history is written by the winners, which in the world of sports, makes a lot of sense. Vince Lombardi, Bob Knight, Bill Belichick, Phil Jackson, Sparky Anderson — all of them legendary coaches based on the fact they won under different conditions over a long ...

COLUMN: James Okonkwo shows flashes of promised potential

November 7, 2022

The spark was unexpected and was one of those moments that if you blinked, you probably missed it. For the better part of 30 minutes, West Virginia’s 76-58 victory over Mount St. Mary’s was not exactly what you would call a thrill ride. That’s the moment James Okonkwo made his ...

SAMUEL: Elk lottery brings big money to Virginia         

November 5, 2022

MORGANTOWN -- Between 2012 and 2014, elk were reintroduced into Virginia in Buchanan County. Now there are an estimated 250 elk in that area, and six hunters had the opportunity to harvest a bull from October 8-14, 2022. Virginia’s wildlife agency established an Elk Management Zone in ...