The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources maintains state records for white-tailed deer harvested, which are broken down into two categories: 1. Rifle harvest (typical antlers and non-typical antlers) and 2. Archery harvest (typical antlers and non-typical antlers).
In partnership with other organizations, WVDNR annually holds the Big Buck Certification program. This program keeps track of white-tailed deer harvested in the state and is broken down into four categories: 1. Archery harvest (typical antlers and non-typical antlers), 2. Rifle harvest (typical antlers and non-typical antlers), 3. Crossbow harvest (typical antlers and non-typical antlers) and 4. Muzzleloader harvest (typical antlers and non-typical antlers).
The West Virginia Big Buck Certification Program was established in 1964 to recognize hunters who harvested extraordinarily large-antlered bucks. Although the official contest was discontinued in 2013, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) continues to officially score deer as part of this program.