Wives all over Western Tidewater are welcoming their husbands back after deer-hunting season ended Sunday.

Mark Pope, who runs Southampton Outfitters hunting lodge in Drewryville, says he’s glad the season is over.

“It’s a lot of hard work for me because people come from all over and I have to accommodate all their needs,” Pope said.

Pope said this year around 80 hunters visited the lodge, the with the farthest hunter traveling from Washington state. The largest deer killed this year came in at 160 class and 13 points.

The visiting hunters “were really disappointed about leaving,” Pope said.

While the hunters may be gone, Pope is already preparing for next year’s season. “I’m already working on a couple of shows, and then there are crops to be planted. There is definitely plenty to do.”