Virginia public land.

[willfrye027]

I have been mostly hunting the WMAs, seems like most are managed to some extent for habitat unlike the national forests.

 

[Glendon Mullins]

No i sure dont know Palo Alto area, I hunt mainly around mill gap, private and public, go over to mcdowell and hunt on my wife's grnadfather's farm on the bullpasture occassionally also

 

[AlleghenyMountain]

Palo Alto is on Cowpasture River Road North, right before you cross the state line. The P.O. was in the old mill there. I hunted up Spring Run Road for a long time. I've also got a good friend who lives on Botkin Hollow Road. I'm somewhat familiar with the Mill Gap area. Any time I spend in Highland County is a good time.

 

[Stan]

I hunt state land and NF in south west Va. That’s how I was raised to hunt. Only had one good piece of private land growing up to hunt. And we always saved it as a last resort to fill tags and the freezer. Anyone seem to notice that hunting public land is a dying tradition? I can go almost anywhere in the areas that I hunt and never see a soul! I’m not complaining because I love having it all to myself! Not much of a people person when it comes to hunting. And there is some damn good deer in these areas. You just have to earn them. Has everyone went soft and afraid to “get after it” or does everyone assume you have to have private land to kill a deer?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sounds like we hunt the same areas of Virginia. You're right on the quality being out here as long as your willing to work for it. I've hunted these mountains my whole life and it's definitely much less pressured than it was when I was a kid. Tons of National Forest that from early bow to late muzzleloader you pretty much have to yourself if you're willing to go in deep.

 

[Chordeiles]

I’ve hunted public land, in Va and WVa, pretty much exclusively for the past 35 years. Hunter numbers, on NF, have definitely gone down over the years. So have deer numbers.

I see more (and bigger) deer in one day, in my backyard, then I see in a week on NF.
I can’t blame people for not wanting to hunt public around here anymore.

I’ll keep hunting the mountains, as long as I’m able. Private land hunting is just not my gig. I like to walk and haven’t found a private tract big enough to keep me from feeling claustrophobic.

 

[Shupe88]

Sounds like we hunt the same areas of Virginia. You're right on the quality being out here as long as your willing to work for it. I've hunted these mountains my whole life and it's definitely much less pressured than it was when I was a kid. Tons of National Forest that from early bow to late muzzleloader you pretty much have to yourself if you're willing to go in deep.

You familiar with Grayson and Carrol counties?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[gargra03]

Another Virginian here, I hunt public land east of the blue ridge early in the season. I rarely see other hunters during bow season., Muzzle loader a few start to trickle in. Once gun season opens it gets very crowded and almost dangerous. But we are very blessed to have an abundance of public land to choose from .

 

[Mebe007]

I live east of the blue ridge and avoid public land due to too many people and dogs during firearms season. I have a couple little pieces of private property I enjoy to sit. However I really look forward to my week in bath county every year.

 

[traviswdalton]

I live east of the blue ridge and avoid public land due to too many people and dogs during firearms season. I have a couple little pieces of private property I enjoy to sit. However I really look forward to my week in bath county every year.

I hunted around millboro for years.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Mebe007]

That's the area we are. Small world

 

[VAHunter01]

Smyth and Washington County public land hunter here. May venture into Tazewell and Grayson occasionally too.

Don’t see near as many hunters as I used to, but they’re still there.

Seems most deer in my area have left the mountains and migrated to the farms.

 

[163bc]

Native Virginian here. Been hunting in and around the Blue Ridge for over 40 years. I haven’t hunted National Forrest in a few years. My last time hunting the George Washington NF it was over run w hunters. Way too many for a safe and enjoyable hunt. I hope it has changed.

 

[Bueltcm]

Another Virginian here. Recently moved to Rockingham and have hunted GW for turkey but was a little crowded.

Recently purchased some land in Augusta county and seeing a decent amount of bear and deer, but no big bucks. Lots of does tho, so should be good come rut.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Traveler]

This is an old thread but as someone moving from the west to VA it makes me feel a lot better about hunting opportunity. Thanks all for posting up here.

 

[willfrye027]

This is an old thread but as someone moving from the west to VA it makes me feel a lot better about hunting opportunity. Thanks all for posting up here.

Honestly I miss Virginia. I really fell in love with whitetail and the hunting culture out there. If it wasn’t for family ties, we would have stayed there for excellent hunting with long liberal seasons...and come out west once or twice a year for mule deer. Feel free to PM if you’re near central VA I’m happy to share my old spots and general tips for diving in to whitetail hunting out there

 

[OXN939]

We definitely have some cool stuff to do here. But, if you're coming here from somewhere else, just know that a lot of peoples' conception of hunting, especially on public, is probably going to be unfamiliar to you. Get your archery equipment dialed in, because once firearms season starts, it becomes a truly unadulterated circus. One of the most recent examples from the homefront. Happens every year.

10-year-old wounded while deer hunting in Westmoreland County

A 10-year-old hunter was shot in the forearm Saturday during a group hunt in Westmoreland County, according to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.

richmond.com

 

[AlleghenyMountain]

This is an old thread but as someone moving from the west to VA it makes me feel a lot better about hunting opportunity. Thanks all for posting up here.

Welcome to the Old Dominion! I hunt primarily public land with some time on a local farm too, let me know if I can be of assistance. All my hunting is West of the Blue Ridge.

 

[Traveler]

We definitely have some cool stuff to do here. But, if you're coming here from somewhere else, just know that a lot of peoples' conception of hunting, especially on public, is probably going to be unfamiliar to you. Get your archery equipment dialed in, because once firearms season starts, it becomes a truly unadulterated circus. One of the most recent examples from the homefront. Happens every year.

10-year-old wounded while deer hunting in Westmoreland County

A 10-year-old hunter was shot in the forearm Saturday during a group hunt in Westmoreland County, according to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.

richmond.com

Yikes! No worries there, I will be archery only.

 

[willfrye027]

We definitely have some cool stuff to do here. But, if you're coming here from somewhere else, just know that a lot of peoples' conception of hunting, especially on public, is probably going to be unfamiliar to you. Get your archery equipment dialed in, because once firearms season starts, it becomes a truly unadulterated circus. One of the most recent examples from the homefront. Happens every year.

10-year-old wounded while deer hunting in Westmoreland County

A 10-year-old hunter was shot in the forearm Saturday during a group hunt in Westmoreland County, according to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.

richmond.com

When I moved to Virginia I was afraid of stuff like that and actually didn’t rifle hunt for several years because I thought it would be terrible.

well turns out 99% of Virginians don’t get more than a few hundred yards from the road. Even hunting opening days I have not seen a single hunter actually out in the woods while I was out...

 

[540-Virginian]

I live in central Virginia and have been hunting GWNF last two years. There are deer out there but not in the large numbers like farmland. But there are nice bucks I’ve found but can be extremely hard to hunt thanks to mountains and thermals.

what a lot of old timers forget to mention is how so many people shot small bucks - does need/want studs to breed with. The forest service also did a poor job managing but that is not the case anymore. It’s so thick where I hunt from logging and fires now. There’s deer sign everywhere and little hunter sign. There is a lot of pressure close to the access gates/parking but go a few hundred yards and it’s 1000s of acres to yourself...

I have lots of spots in different sections and almost I feel spoiled. Kind of an odd feeling. If anyone bear hunts and lives nearby PM/ let me know if you ever wanna mentor in exchange for a spot where I’ve run into 7 bears in one week. I’ve never bear hunted but seems like I should now haha.