FNG Virginia

G

Gbuilder

FNG
Joined
Jun 28, 2020
Long time lurker. Started out hunting in central NC, climbers in public woods and ladders in private bean and cornfields. Moved to NOVA fall 2018, been hunting GWNF. Seems similar in many respects to walk in western hunting, I am starting to shift towards backpack hunting from ground, and working up to multi day trips. Lots of good info and tips from this site!
 
Favorite hunting is spring turkey, followed closely by white tail. Dream hunt is diy elk bow hunt on public out west!
 
Welcome. Hunting public in VA is similar in the idea of western hunting, but it's a whole different ballgame when you get out west. Definitely good practice tho.

Sorry your stuck in NOVA. Hopefully you can get out a good bit.
 
Were moving to w loudon county in a few months, arlington/alexandria not for me. Yeah- I think highest places I've hunted here are maybe 2k ft, definitely not same as west - I just meant the idea of hiking in several miles to basically wilderness, camping and packing the meat out. Most places ive hunted previously i was never more than 1/2 mile from an access point. I mostly hunt massanutten between luray and front royal but do go across to WV and MD some - and PA within reasonable drive too but haven't bought a license for there yet to try.
 
Gbuilder said:
Were moving to w loudon county in a few months, arlington/alexandria not for me. Yeah- I think highest places I've hunted here are maybe 2k ft, definitely not same as west - I just meant the idea of hiking in several miles to basically wilderness, camping and packing the meat out. Most places ive hunted previously i was never more than 1/2 mile from an access point. I mostly hunt massanutten between luray and front royal but do go across to WV and MD some - and PA within reasonable drive too but haven't bought a license for there yet to try.
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That area isn't all that big but definitely some steep and nasty spots. Never hunted it, scouted it a few times but never went back.

Loudoun is definitely a bit better. Still high rent district tho.
 
Big is relative I guess - prob not big compared to other spots or out west - but that ridge is prob 20 miles of national forest - and I'm used to smaller gamelands and private that are a few hundred to few thousand acres at most. Lots of game there, but you have to earn it. Anything within half a mile of the road is pressured pretty hard, esp stuff outside front royal. Walking in even a mile will drastically reduce amount of other hunters you see - at least based on my limited exp, 2 turkey seasons and 1 deer. I think covid had an unusually high number of folks in woods this spring too. I looked at Thompson wma as well but it seemed wayyy too pressured so I never hunted it. If anyone knows any clubs out this way I'd be interested- saw NSA but not sure i like their model. I hunt some private outside Lynchburg with my uncle as well - but I know there's a lot of NF out that way too.
 
Gbuilder said:
Big is relative I guess - prob not big compared to other spots or out west - but that ridge is prob 20 miles of national forest - and I'm used to smaller gamelands and private that are a few hundred to few thousand acres at most. Lots of game there, but you have to earn it. Anything within half a mile of the road is pressured pretty hard, esp stuff outside front royal. Walking in even a mile will drastically reduce amount of other hunters you see - at least based on my limited exp, 2 turkey seasons and 1 deer. I think covid had an unusually high number of folks in woods this spring too. I looked at Thompson wma as well but it seemed wayyy too pressured so I never hunted it. If anyone knows any clubs out this way I'd be interested- saw NSA but not sure i like their model. I hunt some private outside Lynchburg with my uncle as well - but I know there's a lot of NF out that way too.
Click to expand...

About 55k acres I think in there. Long and narrow.

Public was definitely more crowded this spring, covid I assume as well.

Can't help you with any clubs. Loudoun you will find a lot of the ground is leased but I think it's private party, not clubs.
 
Gbuilder said:
Big is relative I guess - prob not big compared to other spots or out west - but that ridge is prob 20 miles of national forest - and I'm used to smaller gamelands and private that are a few hundred to few thousand acres at most. Lots of game there, but you have to earn it. Anything within half a mile of the road is pressured pretty hard, esp stuff outside front royal. Walking in even a mile will drastically reduce amount of other hunters you see - at least based on my limited exp, 2 turkey seasons and 1 deer. I think covid had an unusually high number of folks in woods this spring too. I looked at Thompson wma as well but it seemed wayyy too pressured so I never hunted it. If anyone knows any clubs out this way I'd be interested- saw NSA but not sure i like their model. I hunt some private outside Lynchburg with my uncle as well - but I know there's a lot of NF out that way too.
Click to expand...
I belong to Virginia Sports Club. We don’t have any properties in Loudon area however. We have various properties from Chester Gap area south to Buckingham County. I think our dues are reasonable and it’s a flat price not à la carte like NSA.
 
Like SW va? I'm mostly in GWNF in warren, page, shenadoah, and frederick. Those are extreme NW corner of state but I guess that's the "valley" vs "west"?
 
Montgomery County MD here (unfortunately), but I have hunted Loudoun for years, specifically HIllsboro/Purcellville area. Great potential if you get some private land locked up.

Also made it to GWNF in Warren this spring a few times - its an awesome place to chase turkeys.
 
I've hunted in Shenandoah CO some, down around the Tomahawk Pond area. Good hunting at one time, not sure now a days.

We hunt mostly the " valley" south western part of Augusta County. I've noticed a lot of guys come down from around Pennsylvania more the last several years.
 
I’ve hunted turkeys once in GW National Forest. Didn’t see anything, but great trout fishing
 
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