Eastern VA public land (Chickahominy)

[Vail26]

Anyone hunt this? Never been, just drove through it today for the rifle range. Curious if anyone has any info, areas that are good to check out. I rifle and how I hunt so I'm curious about where to start in this area. Didn't see a lot of hunting traffic in there.

 

[OXN939]

Anyone hunt this? Never been, just drove through it today for the rifle range. Curious if anyone has any info, areas that are good to check out. I rifle and how I hunt so I'm curious about where to start in this area. Didn't see a lot of hunting traffic in there.

Hunted there a few times and used the range. During archery, you have a decent chance at finding a doe or small buck... but man, the mosquitoes are other worldly. Comparable to the North Slope of the Brooks range where they kill juvenile Caribou.

And then there is general firearms season once it has cooled down enough to kill the bugs. Very unlikely to see anything if you're hunting fair chase... once the dog hunters get started, it's few and far between for anyone other than them.

 

[willfrye027]

Get in a canoe or other kind of boat and then walk in from there. There are better and worse places to hunt..if it’s close enough to home then in my opinion it’s worth trying to figure it out.

 

[Grisha]

Probably not what you have in mind, but I've talked with some woodcock hunters that do well in that area, if I recall correctly.

 

[Headwaters]

Get high in a tree overlooking very thick or swampy areas. Use the dog hunters and the pressure they provide to move deer to you. Or you can drive the area on a Saturday and make note of where the hunters are taking stands along the road. This will give you an idea of where the deer run when the dogs are on them. Use ON-X or Google Earth to look for ridges, bottoms or other terrain features that the deer use as escape routes. Post up in a tree or on the ground and wait. Unless you're with the group of hound hunters then you won't know where the dogs are being turned loose. Be prepared to sit all day and let the deer get pushed to you. PM me and I'll try to attach a couple spots to a map for you.

 

[Vail26]

Appreciate y'alls replies. I'll definitely check it out, it's only an hour and some change away from me. I definitely do not dog hunt, and can't stand people who do on public land frankly. I will do a bit of work and scout it and see what I can't come up with in doing that and take y'alls advice

 

[Jfish]

10 or so yrs ago hunting buddy and I thought we would boat in from southern remote launch. Scouted prior to bow season, located a remote camp spot. Went up evening before bow season and motored up the river to camp location. Surprise! Tent/canoe already there but no one around? Set up near by and settled I for night. Hour after dark guy walks in w his bow. Opening day was the following morning? Long before sunrise we boat further up the creek to spot found during scouting. Hiked in several hundred yds and climbed a tree. Sun up you could hear voices as others were walking in after sun up. Came out at lunch and found five other boats along same creek we were in. PM hunt went about the same w hunters walking around, yelling to one another etc…. Needless to say that was our last trip there. Good luck.