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

[TheCougar]

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

perhaps. I’m not a whitetail guy, so I am pretty ignorant. I will sit for hours behind glass and hike my face off, but I have an exceptionally low tolerance for sitting in a tree stand and watching a trail.

 

[Lowg08]

It is in and around the mountains. The AT crosses about 20 miles to the east of where I live.

I hate to hear you’re not a whitetail guy. It’s allot of fun but different strokes for different folks. Sounds like the duck hunting is pretty much by who you know or if grandpa has had that spot for 50 years.

 

[TheCougar]

I’d love to find one thing to focus on and enjoy with my kids. It may be fishing, because the hunting hasn’t panned out yet. I took my son and nephew to NM for hunting this year, rather than spin my wheels out here.

 

[Lowg08]

perhaps. I’m not a whitetail guy, so I am pretty ignorant. I will sit for hours behind glass and hike my face off, but I have an exceptionally low tolerance for sitting in a tree stand and watching a trail.

I know allot of guys that slip hunt for whitetail. Pretty successful. It keeps you moving and not static for hours. Might be a thought.

 

[TheCougar]

I hate to hear you’re not a whitetail guy. It’s allot of fun but different strokes for different folks. Sounds like the duck hunting is pretty much by who you know or if grandpa has had that spot for 50 years.

If I could hunt WT like I hunt mule deer, I would be all over it.

 

[TheCougar]

I know allot of guys that slip hunt for whitetail. Pretty successful. It keeps you moving and not static for hours. Might be a thought.

You mean still hunt?

 

[Lowg08]

I’d love to find one thing to focus on and enjoy with my kids. It may be fishing, because the hunting hasn’t panned out yet. I took my son and nephew to NM for hunting this year, rather than spin my wheels out here.

Sounds like fun either way. Being outside is fun.

 

[Lowg08]

If I could hunt WT like I hunt mule deer, I would be all over it.

You mean still hunt?

Yes. Still hunt. We have places here that we can glass and stalk whitetail and it’s a blast. High mountain balds. We do it a couple times a year. I don’t know enough about it in Virginia.

 

[TheCougar]

Yes. Still hunt. We have places here that we can glass and stalk whitetail and it’s a blast. High mountain balds. We do it a couple times a year. I don’t know enough about it in Virginia.

Where is “here”?

 

[TheCougar]

@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.

You already have roots in DEN… I would stay there. You could also live in southern Wisconsin and fly out of ORD. We can chat offline, but hindsight being 20/20, I would have chosen DEN. I would be closer to everything I enjoy, and actually be more senior, unbelievably. We do love it here, despite the hunting challenges, and I imagine I’ll still be here a decade from now.

 

[Lowg08]

Where is “here”?

Western North Carolina. About 6.5 hours south. The balds we hunt are about 5.5 hours south of you. We camp in there and hunt the balds like you would out west

 

[TheCougar]

Western North Carolina. About 6.5 hours south. The balds we hunt are about 5.5 hours south of you. We camp in there and hunt the balds like you would out west

Beautiful country. I fly over it all the time.

 

[Lowg08]

Beautiful country. I fly over it all the time.

Yes it is. I couldn’t imagine being any where else. Probably sick in the head hunting here full time. .46 bucks per square mile but it’s a blast. I hope you find some kind of hunting opportunity that you and your family enjoy. I know I love making it a family affair. This week my dad, myself and my son having been deer hunting. Three generations walking in together. Pretty cool

 

[woods89]

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

I don't know how like the Ozarks it is, but we have big chunks of hilly timbered country with lower densities.

At first I was kind of frustrated by it, but hunting those areas has developed into a really rewarding thing for me. I've killed 2 mature bucks out of wilderness areas here, and they bring me a lot of joy to look at on the wall. It's a really cool game of chess.......

 

[iddi53]

Used to live SW VA. Knowing landowners was crucial to having separation from a dozen other hunters. I imagine NOVA is even worse.
Best of luck

 

[JMasson]

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.

There is a ton of geese in that area. I was stationed in DC for four years and managed to luck/ work my way into a couple really productive fields between Marshal and Delaplane. I also had 1,000 acres of corn on a farm towards Culpeper that I could hunt anytime I wanted. You are correct that the blind laws are ridiculous. Don’t waste your time hunting ducks in VA. The guys that do are absurd. Who wants to shoot two bufflehead and a couple blue bills anyway…and pay thousands of dollars to do it? Not my idea of fun at least. If you can manage to get a couple fields that geese use regularly, you can have yourself a good time.

 

[TheCougar]

I’m glad

There is a ton of geese in that area. I was stationed in DC for four years and managed to luck/ work my way into a couple really productive fields between Marshal and Delaplane. I also had 1,000 acres of corn on a farm towards Culpeper that I could hunt anytime I wanted. You are correct that the blind laws are ridiculous. Don’t waste your time hunting ducks in VA. The guys that do are absurd. Who wants to shoot two bufflehead and a couple blue bills anyway…and pay thousands of dollars to do it? Not my idea of fun at least. If you can manage to get a couple fields that geese use regularly, you can have yourself a good time.

Basically… I'm going to ask my breeder in PA for some places to work my dog on ducks. I see the geese in the corn fields all the time, but no luck so far on access.

 

[willfrye027]

@TheCougar i would not throw in the towel on those mountain whitetail just yet! I also prefer to hunt out west but we made some incredible memories in your neck of the woods while living in Virginia. There are some big whitetails and you do not need or really want a treestand to hunt them. Best time to be out there is this week actually. PM me if you want some ideas.

 

[Mattman215]

I was stationed in VA and the hunting is pretty bad unless you have a hook up. I was very fortunate to have a hook up to private land, and I was the only one hunting it for 4 years, bow only. Wv has a lot of public land and you could easily drive to do long weekend trips there. I wouldn’t even bother with any public
Land in VA.

 

[Glendon Mullins]

I was stationed in VA and the hunting is pretty bad unless you have a hook up. I was very fortunate to have a hook up to private land, and I was the only one hunting it for 4 years, bow only. Wv has a lot of public land and you could easily drive to do long weekend trips there. I wouldn’t even bother with any public
Land in VA.

your missing out then lol