VA Hunters: I'm going to Cumberland SF tomorrow
10-05-2004, 07:08 PM
#1
VA Hunters: I'm going to Cumberland SF tomorrow
Hey guys...
I took tomorrow off from work (since I have a bunch of vacation days to use up). I am going to hunt Cumberland State Forest tomorrow morning. I'll post up later on tomorrow after I get back on how I did, what I saw, etc....
Butch A.
I took tomorrow off from work (since I have a bunch of vacation days to use up). I am going to hunt Cumberland State Forest tomorrow morning. I'll post up later on tomorrow after I get back on how I did, what I saw, etc....
Butch A.
10-06-2004, 02:53 PM
#3
RE: VA Hunters: I'm going to Cumberland SF tomorrow
Thanks....
Well, I didn't stick one, but I could have (unethically though). I saw one small, tiny, doe this morning around 8:30am. Cute little thing walked within 20 yards of my stand. I woke up from a short snooze to the snapping of twigs, and remained still but alert. I watched the doe and realized that she is just a little thing and was probably last seasons newborn fawn. I mean, she couldn't have been any bigger than a Great Dane or a Mastiff or something. Like, did somebody's little pet goat get loose? [:-]
I let her walk on by and said under my breath, "that's right honey, go on and find your daddy and bring him back here".
Anyway, I woke up this morning at 4:30am. I had everything all set, and ready to roll out this morning. It was a brisk morning and felt good. I parked my truck in my er, uh, um, well... you know my "special spot" in Cumberland SF. I sat in the truck for a good 15 minutes and drank more coffee from the thermos - to give things time to quiet back down. It was still pitch black outside and surprisingly, I got the seat 'o the pants harness on in the dark, my new Summit Viper X4 on my back in the dark, and grabbed my bow from inside the truck. I quietly, cautiously, hiked up the trail in the dark and remembered my favorite tree. Long story short, I had to sit there for about 5 minutes, just staring into the darkness of the woods to get my eyes better adjusted. I was able to unpack the Viper X4, get it setup, and was able to climb the tree in the dark. What a beautiful morning and beautiful sunrise. It couldn't get any better than that! Nobody around, nothing going on in the woods yet, and it was just perfect for a weekday hunt. Just me, the awakening animals, and God above. [8D]
Once I got to around 18 feet, I settled in and got comfortable. So comfortable in fact, that the seat/backrest on the Summit Viper X4 was so nice and cozy, that I started dozing on and off! Wow, what a treestand!
The only issue I have with the morning hunt was, after sunrise, and the forest was awake and starting to rummage around, I saw dozens and dozens of tree rats all over the place! They were everywhere! One of them actually climbed a nearby tree and started barking at me! [:@] ....what I would have given, to have my Marlin .22 with me!
Anyway, it was a nice morning, nice hunt, and even though I didn't get a buck, I did see the tiny doe. Even though I could have taken her (early bow season is either sex), I chose to let her walk, because it would have been like shooting somebody's Saint Bernard.... I'll take an adult doe or buck, please! 
Butch A.
Well, I didn't stick one, but I could have (unethically though). I saw one small, tiny, doe this morning around 8:30am. Cute little thing walked within 20 yards of my stand. I woke up from a short snooze to the snapping of twigs, and remained still but alert. I watched the doe and realized that she is just a little thing and was probably last seasons newborn fawn. I mean, she couldn't have been any bigger than a Great Dane or a Mastiff or something. Like, did somebody's little pet goat get loose? [:-]
I let her walk on by and said under my breath, "that's right honey, go on and find your daddy and bring him back here".Anyway, I woke up this morning at 4:30am. I had everything all set, and ready to roll out this morning. It was a brisk morning and felt good. I parked my truck in my er, uh, um, well... you know my "special spot" in Cumberland SF. I sat in the truck for a good 15 minutes and drank more coffee from the thermos - to give things time to quiet back down. It was still pitch black outside and surprisingly, I got the seat 'o the pants harness on in the dark, my new Summit Viper X4 on my back in the dark, and grabbed my bow from inside the truck. I quietly, cautiously, hiked up the trail in the dark and remembered my favorite tree. Long story short, I had to sit there for about 5 minutes, just staring into the darkness of the woods to get my eyes better adjusted. I was able to unpack the Viper X4, get it setup, and was able to climb the tree in the dark. What a beautiful morning and beautiful sunrise. It couldn't get any better than that! Nobody around, nothing going on in the woods yet, and it was just perfect for a weekday hunt. Just me, the awakening animals, and God above. [8D]
Once I got to around 18 feet, I settled in and got comfortable. So comfortable in fact, that the seat/backrest on the Summit Viper X4 was so nice and cozy, that I started dozing on and off! Wow, what a treestand!
The only issue I have with the morning hunt was, after sunrise, and the forest was awake and starting to rummage around, I saw dozens and dozens of tree rats all over the place! They were everywhere! One of them actually climbed a nearby tree and started barking at me! [:@] ....what I would have given, to have my Marlin .22 with me!
Anyway, it was a nice morning, nice hunt, and even though I didn't get a buck, I did see the tiny doe. Even though I could have taken her (early bow season is either sex), I chose to let her walk, because it would have been like shooting somebody's Saint Bernard....
I'll take an adult doe or buck, please! Butch A.
10-06-2004, 04:51 PM
#5
RE: VA Hunters: I'm going to Cumberland SF tomorrow
ORIGINAL: o2bebowhunting
was the deer over 70 lbs?
just curious, thats all..
was the deer over 70 lbs?
just curious, thats all..
Butch A.
10-07-2004, 08:51 AM
#7
RE: VA Hunters: I'm going to Cumberland SF tomorrow
That's cool, Dave....
I really REALLY had to wrestle with my decision yesterday morning.... Now that I had a chance to think back and run through everything, that doe was all legs. It reminded me of that breed of dog smaller than a greyhound. ....A whippet, that's it. The doe was about that size. I mean, I sat there thinking, "Ooooo, should I reach for the bow? Hmmm... She's a little thing.... doesn't even know I'm here.... Ah, let her pass, hopefully a buck is nearby or a bigger doe".
Oh yeah, guys.... Cumberland SF in the middle of the week? Beautiful.... I mean there was nobody around! It was like I had the entire state forest to myself! [8D]
Butch A.
I really REALLY had to wrestle with my decision yesterday morning.... Now that I had a chance to think back and run through everything, that doe was all legs. It reminded me of that breed of dog smaller than a greyhound. ....A whippet, that's it. The doe was about that size. I mean, I sat there thinking, "Ooooo, should I reach for the bow? Hmmm... She's a little thing.... doesn't even know I'm here.... Ah, let her pass, hopefully a buck is nearby or a bigger doe".
Oh yeah, guys.... Cumberland SF in the middle of the week? Beautiful.... I mean there was nobody around! It was like I had the entire state forest to myself! [8D]
Butch A.
10-11-2004, 10:03 AM
#8
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 21
RE: VA Hunters: I'm going to Cumberland SF tomorrow
ButchA,
Small world...I was raised in Buckingham County and hunted in the Cumberland SF often...25 years ago anyway. Always had pretty good luck there. At the time they didn't allow dogs so the deer hunting was fairly predictable. They weren't doing any food plots or anything so it was pretty much just as mother nature intended. What's it like there now?
I'm living in middle GA now...often wish I was back in that part of the country.
REX
Small world...I was raised in Buckingham County and hunted in the Cumberland SF often...25 years ago anyway. Always had pretty good luck there. At the time they didn't allow dogs so the deer hunting was fairly predictable. They weren't doing any food plots or anything so it was pretty much just as mother nature intended. What's it like there now?
I'm living in middle GA now...often wish I was back in that part of the country.
REX
10-11-2004, 02:01 PM
#9
RE: VA Hunters: I'm going to Cumberland SF tomorrow
Hey there....
That's neat that you've hunted Cumberland years ago. Small world indeed! [8D] There aren't any food plots that I know of, but mother nature providing for the deer (and a few farmer's cut corn fields, I guess). Cumberland has probably really grown dramatically in 25 years. There are a lot of logging roads and clear cutting done in a few areas that I see. I have only been hunting it for about a year or two, as I just started a few years ago. I moved to Virginia in 1996 after I retired from the Coast Guard. It's great down here (being that I am a transplanted Yankee from upstate NY!)
Butch A.
That's neat that you've hunted Cumberland years ago. Small world indeed! [8D] There aren't any food plots that I know of, but mother nature providing for the deer (and a few farmer's cut corn fields, I guess). Cumberland has probably really grown dramatically in 25 years. There are a lot of logging roads and clear cutting done in a few areas that I see. I have only been hunting it for about a year or two, as I just started a few years ago. I moved to Virginia in 1996 after I retired from the Coast Guard. It's great down here (being that I am a transplanted Yankee from upstate NY!)
Butch A.
10-12-2004, 02:57 PM
#10
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Baltimore, MD USA
Posts: 383
RE: VA Hunters: I'm going to Cumberland SF tomorrow
LMAO what's that Butch Retired Knee High Navy!... hehehe
How are you coming along with that assignment.. we don't want to hunt your honey hole where ya seen that Deerasuarus...lol
How are you coming along with that assignment.. we don't want to hunt your honey hole where ya seen that Deerasuarus...lol