Sniggle

I am heading out to the orientation on Tuesday, and wondering if anyone has any insight into which are the better areas to hunt? They do assign you a stand, but I am guessing that, atleast for bow season, they have more stands than bow hunters signed up and qualified.

(I applied for 5 hunts, 2 bow and 3 gun, and got 4 of the 5. The only one I did not get was the day after Thanksgiving gun hunt...the first gun hunt day on the property)

boonecountybowhunter

To be honest I'm not quite sure what NCTC is. Care to elaborate? It sounds nice from what you're saying.

Sniggle

It is the National Conservation Training Center in Sheperdstown, WV.

hillbillyhunter1

I live in Martinsburg and know that area around the NCTC pretty well....some very nice bucks in the general vicinity, but I'm afraid I cant speak to the actual fws land. I heard they make you take a couple of doe(s) first, is that true???

are these one day only hunts???

Sniggle

There are some downsides. They do make you earn a buck, although they let you carry your earned buck over many seasons.

The hunts are either a morning or evening hunt, with 2 archery only days, 2 shotgun days and 1 muzzleloader day.

The thing I like least about it is that deer taken count against your regular tag limits...they really should use their federal standing and make these 'free' deer, especially since you must earn a buck.

I am going to hunt archery opening morning there, and I will update on Sunday. I also have a slot for a morning shotgun hunt on Dec 3, which I am looking forward to because I will bring my 9 year old son who can sit next to me in the big 2 person stands they have installed.