New Va Group Hopefully!!!!!!
 

Its that time of year again... season is over for most of us , except for the lucky ones among us who have a place to hunt where they can participate in the Urban Archery Season!! For thos of us who dont have that luck we are left with small game and waterfowl for a couple more weeks. I do not know about you all but I am already starting to go stir crazy and drool at the thought of next season.
If you remember my post I made in here awhile back, it was Friends in Va or something close. Anyway I made a comment about looking for some leases of land for next year and there were a few of you that showed interest in it. Well I am going to be starting that project this weekend. I have some places already in mind to try to get into. Some I have hunted before with pretty good luck, and some I havent but the area around them is known to be pretty good. So I figure I would start with them and work from there.
I am going to try to get leases on a few different places. I will be looking first in the following areas : King George, Stafford, Spotsylvania, Caroline Counties. I will see what I come up with there and look outward if needed (Westmoreland, Essex, Loudon Etc...)
I am interested in seeing who all would be interested in forming a group or club how ever you wish to word it. If you are interested then let me know, I would like to know if these areas would interest you or do you have other areas in mind. I would also like to know if you want to keep it strictly bowhunting or follow the seasons or??? I am very open to any and all ideas on this. I feel that if we start early and everyone has an input and ideas are gone over by everyone this could be a awsome thing!!!! ALso if you know of any land that we might be able to rent then by all means lets talk.. I would love a mix of some farm land and some hardwoods and some swamp land to be able to change the style of hunting during the season and not be stuck in a swamp or in a farm (not that that would be a bad thing lol) all season. The wonderful thing about the area is that you can have all that either on one lease or several.
Please feel free to throw your hat into the ring and lets see what we can do with this..PLease voice any and all input both positive or negative so that we can work this out and get something going!! I was going to try to keep it a reasonable size group.. I already have me and my parents(yes mom hunts too!!!) and my brother, and probably a few friends.. depending on where it is. This would be a open invitation to all.. male and female... young and old..
One thing I would like to do is anyone with younger childeren who are teaching them to hunt or just want to bring them. they would be free ( the child) this would not be restrcited to actual childeren that are yours.. say you have a neighborhood kid or a nephew who wants ot hunt and no one to take them.. they would be the same.. I am for anything to get our youth hunting!!!

Sorry so long winded but figured I would lay this out there and see if we can run with it!!! I hope to hear from a good amount of you here in VA..

Justin

ps Taz I KNOW you will be one of the first to want in on this!!!! lol:D

RE: New Va Group Hopefully!!!!!!
 

hmmmm.. no one is interested??? I could have sworn there were some of you back during early season who showed an interest in this... just curious

RE: New Va Group Hopefully!!!!!!
 

It sounds like you have a good idea. Too bad you're located so far from where I live. I still might be able to join up if I can talk the wife into it :D You're idea to encourage kids to hunt would be a big selling point on her. I 've been looking at joining a club for a number of years. I'm growing more tired of hunting public land every year. In general, I would prefer a club that follows the seasons and supports QDM. If a few different properties can be leased then a property could be designated bow only or muzzleloader only or follow season.

How many acres are you currently thinking of leasing?
How many different properties?
The maximum number of hunters that you're considering?
And of course the big question. Cost. Do you have a estimate or limit per person that you don't want to exceed?

RE: New Va Group Hopefully!!!!!!
 

Hey there... I'm down here in Richmond, but let me tell you straight up:

I WANT IN!!!!! :D

Whatever it is, whoever is in charge, what amount $$$$ it costs, doesn't matter. I WANT IN!!!!

See, I got totally SKUNKED this year!! :( My season s*cked so bad, I was actually kind of thinking of saying "$*#& IT", and hocking all my stuff on Ebay. [:o] That's how disgusted and disappointed I got. Thank God, my wife talked me out of it and told me not to give up.

Butch

RE: New Va Group Hopefully!!!!!!
 

The idea appeals to me, but the distance from me is a limiting factor. :(

RE: New Va Group Hopefully!!!!!!
 

Don't give up Butch. I usually manage to get atleast one deer every year. This year I got three and passed on quite a few more. Next year we are going to team up and I am going to see to it that you get your deer!!! :D

RE: New Va Group Hopefully!!!!!!
 

Yeah!!! Thank you! :D:)[8D]

Butch

RE: New Va Group Hopefully!!!!!!
 

I'm always open to connecting with local hunters, but land seems to be the largest problem from my perspective. I've been looking all over the Internet, but the majority of ads are lease-wanted. If someone can locate some decent land (I like the farm, timber, swamp mixture idea), I'd be willing to seriously consider co-signing a lease.

Even if we didn't do something along those lines, it's still nice to meet informally and shoot the breeze.

RE: New Va Group Hopefully!!!!!!
 

I am intrested too, although I am still hunting in Fairfax County until March. ~Ben

RE: New Va Group Hopefully!!!!!!
 

OK all... like I stated earlier I am going to get started this coming weekend!! I already have a few places I am looking at. I figured the way I would go about it is line some places up that we might have the chance to lease and then get with everyoen and pick a day when most if not all of us could go out and look it over together... If that doesnt work out I will use my judgement. I am going to be trying to places where we will be able to keep a long term lease.. that way we dont lease it for a year or two and loose it.. This way we can work on QDM.

As far as the questions that I am sure you all are wondering and that Popeye asked.. as far as the amount of land I am going to try to get a good amount depending upon what quality it is and what price it is coming down to for the land. I would like to try to get two or three leases once again it will depend on the quality of the land and prices. I feel that with a few idfferent we can use different QDM on each and like was mentioned by someone.. maybe one for bow only. As far as the number of memebers I would like enough where everyone is not paying a mint but not soo many that we cant enjoy it. That way we might be able to bring a guest in if a memeber wanted and not worry about crowding.. The BIg one $$$ well I am going to try to keep it very fair.. and I am one of those that feels everyone (except the young uns) should pay. That includes the president or the one doing the leg work or how ever you want to look at it. But keep in mind good land is not like it use to be even a few years ago it has gotten into a you have to pay to play most of the time.. but I have some thigns I am going to work on.. like helping farmers in exchange for leases etc....

I see a few are saying its a little far away.. like I said I am open to looking in other areas as well. DOwn toward Doswell up in northern Va.. down the northern neck... any ideas I am open......

RE: New Va Group Hopefully!!!!!!
 

How about this.... Look around Caroline country south of Bowling Green and around the Mattaponi? I know a guy at work who's hunted around there and has said it's a good area.

Maybe even west of 95 towards Spotsylvania and Lake Anna area, but it might be stiff competition with other clubs.

Butch

RE: New Va Group Hopefully!!!!!!
 

Butch... Caroline was one of the places I was going to be spending some time.... I know about the area you are talking about part of the area is called Supply... its right along the back side of the "Hill".. There are some huge deer there as well as plenty of them...

The Partlow area around Lake anna is good... I have a friend who runs a club down there... he said he would help me try to find land.. he knows most of the land owners since he has lived there all his life.. they have more land now than they usually hunt.. he said he would rather it go to a friend or good group rather than a group that wont respect it!!

RE: New Va Group Hopefully!!!!!!
 

Justin this sounds like a great idea, you say you will be going out this weekend, I should be free this Sunday if you want to hook up, I did give you my phone number didn't I? If not email me at [email protected] and I will give it to you.

There are several things we will need to do before we sign on the dotted line with any land owner.

1. We will need to know how many folks want in.

2. We will need to know how much money we will have to work with.

3. I am not sure but we may need to get some kind of insurance.

4. We will need a binding contract drawn up for the landowners.

5. We will need some binding agreement for those who want to join.

6. All members will need to get together and agree on all of the above and lay down some rules.


It would be a good idea to see if your friend who runs a club could sit down and talk with some of us to where we do it right the first time. The last thing we want to have happen is for 10 people to say "Oh yea I will pay that much and then later on after we have signed leases with the landowners and half of them decide to back out and the remainder is left holding the bag.

RE: New Va Group Hopefully!!!!!!
 

Taz.. I will try to address all your points!!

I was vice president of a club for a couple of years, then I became the "lease man" as they called it meaning I was the one knocking on doors lol!!

I do have 3 or 4 different versions of Landowner / Club lease contracts. I am also going to draw up a long term contract too to see if that will help with some landowners who are growing tired of the here this year gone the next clubs..

The insurance I have seen on Buckmasters web site and will go check it out..See what it is going to cost etc... I have never been with a club that has had it but have thought that it would be a great selling point to a landowner that we are willing to go that extra mile to show his and his land respect!

I have started working on a basic set of rules for the club this morning.... if it werent for all these damn contractors who keep coming in and buying supplies I would have more done on them.. dont the know its rude to bother a man trying to do personal buisness at work.LOL J/K:D I figured I would come up with a basic draft and then send copies to everyone who is interested in doing this. At that point I would want everyone to reply with any changes or imput good or bad so that they could be revised... then I would try to set up a time for everyone to meet up and meet everyone else and go over them in a group and iron them out.

For the number of people... at this point I am counting around 6 or so people from here that are interested and that is not counting any family or friends they may have... I also have a small handfull of family and friends who would like in.. I am going to try to keep the number of people at a level thats comfortable for the land.

If anyone has any suggestions please feel free to post them!!!!!

RE: New Va Group Hopefully!!!!!!
 

eng there is one place I have hunted a few years ago that would be a great lease if the guy would lease it, right now he lets some guys who work for him hunt it, but who knows, if we wave money in his face he may let us hunt it. The place is full of deer and at least 3 monster bucks as of 3 years ago which means there are a lot more, if I recall correctly he has around 600 acres right along the Rapidan river.

RE: New Va Group Hopefully!!!!!!
 

Taz I will try to get together with you this weekend and we can ride out there as well... I am not sure yet what day I will be going ... depends on a few things but if Sunday is the day I will let you know!!!

RE: New Va Group Hopefully!!!!!!
 

eng I am really surprised we have not gotten more folks interested in this. In a way I guess it is a good thing, a small group makes it easier to coordinate things.

RE: New Va Group Hopefully!!!!!!
 

Taz.... great minds think alike:D I have been watching this and thinking the same thing... I know there was more interest in it when I mentioned it back in the friends in va post I made..... Dont get me wrong I am excited about those that have shown interest. Being able to meet these fine folks and hopefully share some wonderful memories in the future with them!!!!!!!

ON that note, would everyone who is interested in this provide me with an email address so that I can start a contact list! Martin I already have yours just in case you forgot where some of those jokes you get come from LOL!!;)

RE: New Va Group Hopefully!!!!!!
 

taz and eng--i might be interested in this venture if you could find land within say a 90 minute drive from prince william county. right now(last deer season), i hunted around 8 different places. 1 place i paid $250 and only hunted it 1 time. that was in buckingham county. the other thing is that i only bow hunt during archery season. i like to bp and rifle hunt as well. right now, it is hard for me to look at any new land until tax season is over(april 15th)--so i guess i would have to rely on your knowledge of any new land. if you want to contact me you can email me at [email protected]

john

RE: New Va Group Hopefully!!!!!!
 

o2bebowhunting more than likely within 90 minutes of Prince William will be more than doable, but I can not speak for eng, he is taking the lead on this and I am a mere follower. I can see by your email addy why you might be busy! LOL

RE: New Va Group Hopefully!!!!!!
 

Just so you guys know, I live in PWC myself, so anything within 90 minutes would be great! I'm willing to go farther for good land and good hunting, but it's always nicer to spend more time in the woods than on the road. ;)

It looks like most of us are somewhere between DC and Richmond, so if we get something in the middle, no one will have to go very far. But, we'll just have to wait and see. Either way, I'm looking forward finding to some great oppurtunities for next season.

RE: New Va Group Hopefully!!!!!!
 

90 mins is not bad, I kinda like that idea of the property thats behind "the hill" plenty of deer down there. A decent QDM plan can do wonders, we have one in place at Belvoir and this years was the second year for it and I ended up with two real trophies. I am yet a follower also in this venture. I am excited to see what turns up. ~ Ben

RE: New Va Group Hopefully!!!!!!
 

I thought I would throw this in just as a "thought". I do not belong to any clubs, but I have been invited to be a member on several, and have witnessed several being incorporated, for lack of a better word.

Most "clubs" around here involve a limited amount of private property that is linked by boundaries to the national forest. Eight or ten acres and a beat up old cabin routinely goes for fifteen to twenty thousand dollars in the local papers, occasionally a "Nice cabin" and twenty to thirty acres will pop up in the thirty thousand dollar range.

That generally gives you a singular access to over a million acres of forest, with the option of doing anything you want to with your own land. A "good" thirty acre chunk of land divided by about a half dozen folks would make it about $1500-$2000 dollars a head, with year long access to the cabin.

When purchasing the property, the "owners" sign a sort of pre-nuptual agreement that if they don't tend to get along, they can buy each other out at the original price.

In the mean time, an annual "due" goes toward fixing it up and making it habitable. The members can all take a week or two during the year to come up with their families and just goof-off and do a few fix-its...Kind of like a "time share".

Again, I'm not personally interested in becoming a member, but it is a "thought" to consider.:D

RE: New Va Group Hopefully!!!!!!
 

Hey Eng did you get a chance to go out this weekend?

RE: New Va Group Hopefully!!!!!!
 

I'm located in Fairfax and I'm interested. My e-mail address is [email protected]

RE: New Va Group Hopefully!!!!!!
 

Eng,

Good luck with any land surrounding "THE HILL". Especially around Sparta, Supply and any orther land on the back side of the impact area. I can tell you right now that all of that land is leased out to a couple of BIG hunt clubs. One is the Cat hunt club and the other is the Sparta hunt club. They have been hunting it for years and the owners aren't willing to turn it over.

RE: New Va Group Hopefully!!!!!!
 

Hey guys.... SOrry I havent been on in a few days!! I ended up spending around 10 hours at the hospital Sunday.. I woke up sat with some lower chest/ upper stomache pains... well the got worse over the following day. I was not able to sleep Saturday night and as Sunday progressed I felt worse.. bad enough I asked to go to the hopsital (and I never ask to go to the DR I usually just let it run its course) Well after doing blood work and making me drink nasty tasting meds... and sitting in a chair for ear/nose and throat injuries since they did not have a bed available they finally told me I was having spasms of my esophagus and also some acid refulx.. they gave me some pain killers, muscle relaxers and a prescription for Nexium.. I was out of it yesterday, but stumbled into the office late today... Good news is I dont feel like I have fire poker in my chest trying to get out anymore!!

No on to news... I have finished up the draft of the rules and will be getting ready to send them out to everyone this evening or tomorrow morning. I also have spoken with one landowner on Saturday while I was cutting firewood (yes I was some pain, but gotta have that wood to keep warm.. the heat pump just isnt the same as a good wood stove!!). He said that he would be interested in leasing to a group, he had leased a few times before and enjoyed meeting and talking with the hunters but had run into a few bad apples so he stopped doing it. He was letting a neighbor hunt it but he moved this year so no one hunted it. I am going to go look at it either Wed or Thur evening. I will keep everyone posted..

O2bhntn.. I know CAT as well as Sparta and I know Cooks Mill also has some property in that area.. I also know there are a few other smaller clubs or groups that lease around there.. I also happen to know someone who owns land back there and he knows a few folks that wont let the big clubs on there.. too many people they say... so he is going to be doing some feeling around for me!!!

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It all sounds nice ,But you boys are to far north for me.:DI might just have to come up and pay to be Taz's guest.[:-]

RE: New Va Group Hopefully!!!!!!
 

Eng, looking forward to the rules and if you need or want someone to come along to check things out let me know.

swampdog if we have guest you are more than welcome to come, but I will pay your way!

RE: New Va Group Hopefully!!!!!!
 

I hope I'm still on the mailing list. I haven't received anything yet.

Taz - Do you drive a Toyota pickup w/ license plates Tazzman? I saw it Sat. in Fauquier Co. on my way back from rabbit hunting and thought of you right away.

RE: New Va Group Hopefully!!!!!!
 

coolbrze eng should be sending out some stuff fairly soon in regards to this.

I drive a white 2000 chevy silverado extended cab with a full size bed. I tried to get any type of custom plate with Taz and finally gave up. I have seen that guy before, but he was to fast for me to run him off the road and take his tags![8D]

RE: New Va Group Hopefully!!!!!!
 

All right that's good to hear.

You've got good taste in trucks, I have a '02 Z71. Hopefully we'll be able to get in a good lease fairly close by. Let me know if you need anything from me. I'm willing to meet w/ you all and do the necessary scouting/walking to locate land.

RE: New Va Group Hopefully!!!!!!
 

hey Tazman,
I live in Madison county and my dad works for the department of forestry. Where is that 600 acre piece and who owns it on the Rapidan River? Also, for looking at land/landowners, try the onlinegis.net website. It's basically taxmaps and aerial photography.

RE: New Va Group Hopefully!!!!!!
 

coolbrze don't need anything right now, things are still very early in the works.

hammer the property is north of rt.3 right on the rapidan.

For all that are wondering what is going on and why you haven't heard from Eng yet here is the answer. Eng pushes snow on the side so basically all he has been doing lately is pushing snow! I got an email from him and he said that he is still working on stuff right now but he hasn't had much time due to the snow. Just hang tight, we still have a long time.

RE: New Va Group Hopefully!!!!!!
 

I live in Manassas & id be interested if ya'll are still looking for people. I too was skunked this year due to allowing my 12 yr old son to shoot the only buck i saw all year while hunting in 2 different states. (but it was worth every second due to it being his 1st deer). I hope ya'll are still looking for people because im really tired of hunting public land. My email address is [email protected]
thanx
Mike

RE: New Va Group Hopefully!!!!!!
 

rem with all the snow things are running a little behind. Eng is heading up the effort and he pushs snow part time so I am sure you know he has been VERY busy lately. We do not have any confirmed # of people yet, to be honest it could be awhile before we do, but it will all come together if possible.

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Taz:
I just started a trucking co. back in Oct of 2003,,(only reason i got skunked this past season) I have been plowin as well ,as much as i hate it,,,but im glad to see ya'll are still watching this message, Im hopin for a long season this year if every thing goes right & id love for it to be on private land.
thanx for letting me know ya'll are still working on it
Mike

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Taz... thank you for keeping the guys informed for me!!

Rem.. I will add your name to the list so when I get a chance to send this stuff out you will be in on it as well.

Everyone... like mr Taz has said... I have been too busy last week with snow removal.. but its worth it because the money is going in my 4 wheeler found lol. I have been workign on them to finish them out and get them out as soon as possible. Although I have not been able to sepdn as much time as I like on them due to some restructuring here at work that has kept me working into the wee hours everyday. Taz has been helping me go through them so I can rough them out and send them out.

I have actually talked to one landowner who was interested in leasing..however the property does not appear to be worth what he is asking at this point... I am keeping him on the line so as not to cut ourselves out of anything but he is a tad high for the area he is in. I know of his property and while it has deer on it its not worth the $ I will try to work with him as far as maybe providing some improvments to the land or helping him with things he needs done to see if he will drop the price down.

If anyone has any questions or input at anytime such as a lead you would like us to follow up on the feel free to not only post it here but to send it to me via email. You can also send it to Taz as well since we usually bounce a few emails back and forth during the day!

I just figured I would let everyone know whats going on with this... its still moving forward just not as fast as I woudl ike right this moment. But as Taz reminded me we are gettign an early jump so we still have time to get things done..

Justin

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Eng & Taz:
theres a farm in nokesville (pw county) that may be accessible,,he allows dove & goose huntin for a daily fee but he keeps the deer hunting for himself & i heard that he has been too busy with farm work to hunt it the past 2 seasons.Why i hav'nt jumped on this already is beyond me other than the fact that in the past i have been kinda shy when it comes to asking permission to hunt. The farm is BIG,,,and im pretty sure for the right price he would lease it out. I have been spending alot of time doing nothing this week so i will get the address & shoot ya'll an email. I will let ya'll do the talking since im sure you'll be more professional about it. I used to do concrete work & last year we did the floors in his new barns,,so i kinda know him a little?,,very nice guy also

thanx
Mike

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Oh & i grew up on a farm in Pa. so if ya find that a landowner needs some help with daily chores ,,,keep me in mind