VA-Public Access to GW Forest in Fredrick County?
11-14-2005, 05:35 AM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Sterling VA USA
Posts: 55
VA-Public Access to GW Forest in Fredrick County?
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?
11-14-2005, 10:30 AM
#2
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Alexandria, VA
Posts: 173
RE: VA-Public Access to GW Forest in Fredrick County?
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
http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/hunting/wma/thompson.html
11-14-2005, 03:15 PM
#3
Spike
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 66
RE: VA-Public Access to GW Forest in Fredrick County?
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.
11-21-2005, 10:03 PM
#5
Fork Horn
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 182
RE: VA-Public Access to GW Forest in Fredrick County?
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).
01-08-2006, 04:18 PM
#6
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 295
RE: VA-Public Access to GW Forest in Fredrick County?
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:
I have heard mixed story about safety and over crowdedness.
01-09-2006, 06:43 PM
#7
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Alexandria, VA
Posts: 173
RE: VA-Public Access to GW Forest in Fredrick County?
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.
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.
02-03-2006, 05:21 AM
#9
Spike
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Frederick Co. virginia USA
Posts: 44
RE: VA-Public Access to GW Forest in Fredrick County?
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.
