VA5326

I can tell you from my experience that there is quite a bit of skill in urban archery hunting. You still have to learn the land although it may be much smaller than 50,000 acres. What I've learned is that, in urban areas, deer and even more so mature bucks, still have the will to live and can still detect whether or not they're being hunted; whether it's winding you or busting you in a tree. If you hard spook them in an urban area, which I have done, you may not see deer for months. Another issue is overhunting. Most people in NoVa only have one or, if their lucky two places to hunt and, in turn, they hunt it.......ALOT. With more and more intrusion, the less deer you will see, especially if the deer know they're being hunted. I know and have witnessed that deer can tell the difference between nature strollers and hunters. Over time if they wind your scent enough they will associate your scent with a predator. In urban areas, such as NoVa, the wind plays an even greater roll than in big woods areas. With smaller tracts, parcels, or whatever you want to call them there is an even greater chance of being busted without even knowing about it which is why the wind plays such a critical roll.(i.e. DON'T HUNT IT IF THE WIND ISN'T RIGHT) I hear about people killing 25-50 deer a year while urban hunting but most of those people belong to an urban archery club who have access to several properties at any given time. Whether your hunting vast amounts of land or if you have a single 20 acre piece, big mature bucks are hard to get on no matter where you are. Heck, in some urban areas you may only see bucks a few weeks out of the year, (i.e. the rut). I hunt both styles(urban and big woods) and I think that each has their own crosses to bear. Neither is easier than the other.

VA