Moving out East (VA or WV) and I need a pep talk…

Lowg08

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Aug 31, 2019
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You’ll likely retire before you draw an elk here in PA. Unless your insanely lucky…… or game commission….. but that’s none of my business 🐸☕
You are correct. I’ve bought points and I’m not lucky or nothing like that.
 

prm

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Mar 31, 2017
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No. VA
If you end up in No VA you can archery hunt whitetails from Sept through Mar or April. Pretty much as many does as you want. It is expensive, but it’s cheaper than Denver right now!

I‘m from mountains southwest of Denver and have considered moving back. Honestly though, its more crowded and expensive on the CO front range than No VA. You can easily be within 1.5 hours of Dulles and be away from crowds.
 

morten

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Feb 16, 2020
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Michigan
I moved from Idaho to West Virginia several years ago. Of course, West Virginia is nothing like Idaho but I imagine it is way better than Texas. There are several wilderness areas here. I do, however, have to acknowledge that it is difficult to get a wilderness experience in the Dolly Sods Wilderness due to its proximity to urban areas of DC/northern VA/MD. As @Poser alluded, it is quite an experience to cross a laurel or rhododendron thicket.

There is quite a bit of deer and bear hunting that starts as early as late August and goes through mid January. People get some really nice deer in the bow hunting only counties each year but some of the other counties give up some good bucks each year, too. Squirrel hunting is also pretty fun. There is a boar season in the southern part of the state, and while I have gone a couple of times, I have yet to see one. Turkey hunting is a big thing with lots of hunters (but not for me).

The cost of living in some parts of West Virginia is quite a bit lower than a lot of other places (Martinsburg is not one of the lower cost of living areas in WV). Feel free to pm me if you want more info (no honey holes though 😀).
Hey Bakpaker. My son and I are planning a deer hunting trip this year to the bow only areas. Looking at Tomblin WMA in Logan county. Any tips or suggestions. We are planning a scouting trip for the middle of March.
 

BAKPAKR

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Appalachia
Hey Bakpaker. My son and I are planning a deer hunting trip this year to the bow only areas. Looking at Tomblin WMA in Logan county. Any tips or suggestions. We are planning a scouting trip for the middle of March.
Sent you a pm.
 

Wvroach

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Nov 23, 2020
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To everyone who has offered their thoughts, thank you. This has been a tough decision for us, especially for me. It sounds like there are some good opportunities to get out and play in the dirt - it’s just different than what I am used to. My wife is going to let me go back west a couple of times a year to hunt, so that helps. For those of you who have offered PMs or a phone call - thank you. I’ll touch base this spring, once we get out there. I’ll happily buy you beer and learn about the area and ways to maximize our time out there.
Good luck with the move, I've lived in WV most of my life, Martinsburg isn't what I'd consider quintessential WV, drugs are rough through the 81 corridor, (and everywhere else I know) Hagerstown MD is one of the biggest heroin trafficking points on the east coast as it comes in from the port of Baltimore and gets distributed and split from there a majority of that splits at the I 70-81 interchange. So I'd stay away from the city area of Martinsburg. The politics of that area are also changing, could be good or bad depending on your views just keep in mind a lot of Marylanders are fleeing into WV that area specifically..

If you look a bit more west, Morgan or Hampshire county in WV you will also get twice the house for half the money, you can be to Winchester or Martinsburg from either one in about 30 mins depending on the part of the county you'd be in.

If you end up coming out and want to check out that area or more info pm me. Good luck with whatever you area you decide on, sounds like enough people are willing to show you around it should make your decision a bit easier.
 

Gwchem

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Dec 27, 2021
Messages
128
I live in Maryland but hunt a farm in Hampshire county. Deer aren't as huge as the southern part of the state, but we see some nice ones. Lots of turkeys and a few bear. Great fishing. Housing is going nuts out there since Covid. We're looking for property and a second house or cabin, but haven't found it yet.

I'd recommend staying within a half hour of Winchester, if you like to do anything other than hunt. West Virginia will get you more for your money, but the schools are terrible.
 
Joined
Dec 22, 2017
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538
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Maryland
I grew up in NOVA. Fairfax was an absolutely beautiful county. It is un-livable now. You can't even drive through it.

Don't waste one second of your life there. Go to WV, or southern Maryland, or find another job.
 

Gwchem

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Dec 27, 2021
Messages
128
I'd recommend against southern Maryland if you like hunting, with a caveat.

Should you be rich enough to buy land, it's a great place to be. Otherwise, the state parks are overrun with people and leases are completely unavailable at any cost.
 
Joined
Nov 23, 2023
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Hi Cougar…
I’m an IAH 737 guy. In the next 12-18 months wife and I are considering the move to IAD for the wide body but more importantly the hunting and fishing potential. Kids will be done with college by then so no care about schools. I hunt public in IAH area and do pretty well…the Texas deer lease/feeder mentality is a joke in my opinion. I grew up in WI and the fishing in TX isn’t for me either. Assuming you made the jump to IAD, how is it? My wife and I are thinking about Front Royal area. How’s the hunting, flyfishing been since you moved there? This threads pretty old…just joined when I saw your post tonight, hope ya see it!
 

Tahoe1305

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Jun 9, 2019
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CO
@TheCougar To the above……knowing what you know now would you have stayed in Denver?

We are between Denver and Dulles……but will take a lot to make us leave. Hoping 40% pay increase will allow us what we want in CO.
 
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TheCougar

TheCougar

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Hi Cougar…
I’m an IAH 737 guy. In the next 12-18 months wife and I are considering the move to IAD for the wide body but more importantly the hunting and fishing potential. Kids will be done with college by then so no care about schools. I hunt public in IAH area and do pretty well…the Texas deer lease/feeder mentality is a joke in my opinion. I grew up in WI and the fishing in TX isn’t for me either. Assuming you made the jump to IAD, how is it? My wife and I are thinking about Front Royal area. How’s the hunting, flyfishing been since you moved there? This threads pretty old…just joined when I saw your post tonight, hope ya see it!
I wish I had better news for you. I love VA, but I’ve pretty much thrown in the towel on hunting out here. I invest my time elsewhere and get much better results by hunting outside VA.
 

Lowg08

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Aug 31, 2019
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I wish I had better news for you. I love VA, but I’ve pretty much thrown in the towel on hunting out here. I invest my time elsewhere and get much better results by hunting outside VA.
Which part of Virginia to you move too
 

gabenzeke

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Oct 28, 2015
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I have a buddy that lives on the east coast and although he talks about the insane hunting pressure it sure seems to me there is abundant opportunity. Duck hunts on salt, brackish, and fresh water. Same for fishing. He shoots tons of whitetails every year. Sika deer. Turkeys. I dunno. Seems like as much as the pressure sucks, there's an awful lot of stuff to pursue.

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk
 

Lowg08

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Winchester
Oh you’re in the mountains. Those Appalachian mountain chain deer are another beast. If you sit down and try to figure them out it’s quite addicting just not like hunting other places. Less deer density harder terrain and an animal that doesn’t act like a normal deer does
 

Lowg08

WKR
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Messages
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Oh you’re in the mountains. Those Appalachian mountain chain deer are another beast. If you sit down and try to figure them out it’s quite addicting just not like hunting other places. Less deer density harder terrain and an animal that doesn’t act like a normal deer does
If im not mistaken it’s mountains. I thought the Appalachian trail went close to there.
 
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TheCougar

TheCougar

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I have a buddy that lives on the east coast and although he talks about the insane hunting pressure it sure seems to me there is abundant opportunity. Duck hunts on salt, brackish, and fresh water. Same for fishing. He shoots tons of whitetails every year. Sika deer. Turkeys. I dunno. Seems like as much as the pressure sucks, there's an awful lot of stuff to pursue.

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk
Perhaps…. But the east coast is pretty big, so his area may be better than mine. Duck hunting in particular seems to be bad out here. In VA, salt water ducks are completely controlled by private duck blinds and the regs are very unfavorable to public water duck hunters. I didn’t know this until I started to research it. Basically you can’t duck hunt within 400 yards of a private duck blinds and guess what - the coast is lined with private duck blinds spaced 400 yards apart, so unless you pay for a blind, you are SOL. There are only a few lakes out where I am, and several of them don’t allow duck hunting. There are probably river ducks, if you can find a place to put in/take out and just float the river. Geese are everywhere on private land, but so far I haven’t been able to get private access. I am getting a Lab pup this winter and I’m trying to find a place to work him, so far unsuccessfully. My next step is to start showing up a Ducks Unlimited events and just ask guys for advice. So far my internet searches have come up empty.

There are deer out here, but I’m not a whitetail guy and I don’t have a whole lot of interest in spending a metric crap ton of time to shoot some does or a small buck on public land. I will keep trying turkey hunting, though. My kids enjoy it because they can hike around and hear the gobbles, if not birds.
 
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