VA-Public Access to GW Forest in Fredrick County?

cruiser · 11-14-2005, 05:35 AM

Just camb back from scouting new (for me) area to hunt. Maps show peice of GW forest off stat route 55, just shy of WVA border. Tried but could not find ANY public access to the land, off 55 or on the adjoining roads. peice along 55 is about 100 feet long, sheer rock wall, with no place to park. Aof course, all the adjoining land is posted. anyone have an insight?

whitewolf393 · 11-14-2005, 10:30 AM

Wish I did, but I haven't broke into that area of the state yet. I'm hitting the Thompson WMA area next Saturday morning for opening day of rifle deer. It's not too far from Northern Virginia where we are:

http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/hunting/wma/thompson.html

coachsteve · 11-14-2005, 03:15 PM

do you have a National Forest map? I hunt in southern part of the N.F. and there are some areas that are totally surronded by private land , you can see it on the maps but you have no way to get to it.

whitewolf393 · 11-14-2005, 03:17 PM

I guess it would help to have a helicopter, then

countertop · 11-21-2005, 10:03 PM

Hunted there this weekend (I assume you are talking about the Vance Cove area just south of 55 - the FS road is about 1 mile east of the WV border and it heads down into the cove about 6 miles) lots of Does (I saw 4 and others saw bunches) but not many bucks (only know of 1 taken).

vadeer · 01-08-2006, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Wish I did, but I haven't broke into that area of the state yet. I'm hitting the Thompson WMA area next Saturday morning for opening day of rifle deer. It's not too far from Northern Virginia where we are:

whitewolf393-How did your venture at Thompsons WMA go?
I have heard mixed story about safety and over crowdedness.

whitewolf393 · 01-09-2006, 06:43 PM

Vadeer,

I went to the Amelia instead, about 25 miles west of Richmond, or about 2 hours from me here in Alexandria. About 30 minutes into my hunt for rabbit and whatever quail there might be in the area, I heard a crashing noise, and knew that it wasn't a man or dog, and three does came tearing out of the woods in front of me. Now, story of my life, but I had the wrong weapon in my hand, which was my Browning 12GA with no.6 shot. If I'd had my rifle instead, I might have been eating venison, but no....I did see a rabbit - one rabbit - and didn't get the drop on him in time. Not a very exciting trip, to the say the least.

coolbrze0 · 01-10-2006, 04:24 AM

That area is only accessible via private land. There's been lots of talk about that over the years.

brn2bow · 02-03-2006, 05:21 AM

I have a friend that put quite a bit of time bear hunting at Vance's Cove. He had many encounters and got him a nice one. I believe he hunted the left side as you drive into Vance's Cove. I also believe that the left side is Shenandoah Co, but I'm not totally sure. I myself squirrel hunted it a couple of years ago.