Virginia Bowhunters

[vortex]

My son committed to Virginia Tech to wrestle and pursue an engineering degree . He will start 2026-2027 season. We are both avid Bowhunters . We have hunted Illinois, Nebraska, Missouri , all over the Midwest but Virginia will be quite the new experience. Looking at some public north of Blacksburg in the mountains . Just wondering if you had any experience in that area. Thanks .


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[Undrcoverrednek]

No experience in that area, but don't rule out black bear. Check out Southern Sportsman podcast episode 186 from 2020 if you want to get a local approach.

 

[Cantshoot]

I used to live in Radford. There’s some good fishing in the new river plenty of smallmouth, walleye, striper, and musky. I can’t be much help for the deer hunting but had a buddy that hunted Jefferson national forest up towards Roanoke a good bit. You won’t see a lot of deer but there are some big ones.

 

[Cantshoot]

If you find an isolated water hole back in the woods it’s definitely worth setting up on. The deer and bears will use it.

 

[112Savage]

Public land around Blacksburg… go deep, find water close to agriculture fields. Otherwise hunt high on the north side of the top of the ridge finding trails funneling from one side to the other.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

My son committed to Virginia Tech to wrestle and pursue an engineering degree . He will start 2026-2027 season. We are both avid Bowhunters . We have hunted Illinois, Nebraska, Missouri , all over the Midwest but Virginia will be quite the new experience. Looking at some public north of Blacksburg in the mountains . Just wondering if you had any experience in that area. Thanks .


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Compared to what it was 30-40 years ago, Jefferson National Forest is deserted.


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[brancher147]

Not familiar with that area specifically but it’s mountain hunting. Mature forest not much browse lower deer numbers but there are pockets of decent deer hunting all over the National Forest in VA if you’re in shape for hiking mountains and you will probably have it to yourself during archery season. I think with VA’s long gun seasons many people have lost interest in bow hunting.

 

[Glendon Mullins]

In the mountains Scout and find where acorns are dropping, you will find the deer sign there or close by, national forest is gonna be mostly mature timber, learn what mountain laurel is and hunt next to it, they like to bed in the thick laurel and hopefully u can catch them coming out of the laurel to go feed.

Logging roads in old clear cuts can be productive to, learn what benches, saddles, low gaps and all that are and find them on a topo map

good luck!

 

[chanson_roland]

Look up podcasts of a guy named Nathan Killen.

 

[wildwilderness]

Where do you live now?

Virginia has lots of tradition in hunt clubs/deer camps for private, and some areas even run dogs for deer drives.

I'm sure he will meet people at school and sports that will possible get him onto some private or an opportunity to join a deer club.

I learned to whitetail hunt when stationed at Fort Lee, VA. They had lots of hunting on post and I met a number of others. The deer are smaller and more plentiful towards southern and eastern VA though than the mountain areas.

Good luck it will be fun figuring out anyway.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

There’s no running deer with dogs west of the Blue Ridge.


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