FAYETTE COUNTY, WV (WVNS) — Outdoor enthusiasts gathered for a weekend of fun during the annual Game and Fish Days celebration, hosted by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources ( WVDNR).
WVDNR invited the public to visit vendors who provide education about the natural world and try a variety of activities related to hunting and fishing.
The event is the largest of its kind in the state. The hunting and fishing extravaganza attracts a wide range of vendors, all related to the outdoors. Visitors to the show hiked, fished, visited an owl exhibit and witnessed electroshock fishing, with state workers sending mild electric shocks into the water to temporarily paralyze the fish and make them stand up.
WVDNR officials reported that no fish were harmed in the process.
Ronnie Snedegar attended the show to show off his award-winning dogs, which hunt squirrels. The dogs have won multiple shows, with one bringing the Squirrel Master Classic title to the Mountain State in 2020, Snedegar said.
“I’m a squirrel dog, I have squirrel dogs,” Snedegar said. “I love going out there and having these dogs do squirrel dog demonstrations for the crowd. We’ve had a very, very good response from everyone who came and watched,” he added. “The dogs have put on a good show. Just great to see so many people here.”
WVDNR hosted a series of prize drawings and offered visitors the opportunity to learn about natural resource management.
“We had two kayaks to go. We had hunting and fishing (licenses) for life,” reported WVDNR Event Coordinator Chris Scraggs. “We had so many happy children. This is also a great opportunity to show demos, from deer skinning to squirrel skinning to archery, and everyone loved our fly fishing and shock fishing.”
Activities were positioned throughout The Summit. Those who got tired visited a Parkersburg-based Fission Cycles booth to rent an electric bike, an electric bike that provided extra help to those who needed to get around the grounds.
Scraggs said the 2023 show will be the second weekend in September, which is reserved for hunting and fishing days.