For any of you guys that need a place to hunt
08-29-2002, 07:42 PM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Hot Springs Va
Posts: 1,206
For any of you guys that need a place to hunt
As I was sitting on the patio tonight, drinking a beer, looking at a herd of eleven deer, It suddenly dawned on me that there are a few folks on here that love to hunt, but really have no "place" to hunt.
It's no secret on this board that I own a motel. So I would like to state up front that this is by no means a solicitation for business.
My offer is this; there is somewhere in the vicinity of three million acres of National Forest in my area. 1.9 million in the George Washington, 1.2 million in the Thomas Jefferson, and .8 million in the Manongahelia. plus a few more hundred thousand acres in the various wildlife preserves.
Any one that is looking for a place to hunt can come up here, and I will spend as much time as you would like showing you the various places to hunt.
There are litterally thousands of places to just simply pull up, pitch a tent, and hunt. As a matter of a fact, there are many places that you could drag a camper into.
If your from out of state, all the miscelanious liscences and tags will cost around a hundred and a quarter for a four day liscence. A little more for an extended liscence. If you decide to not stay in the woods, lodging and food would be more of course.
I've been hunting these woods for several years now, and there is plenty of "hunters etiquette" everywhere I've been. I've never stumbled upon another hunter once I park my truck. But by the same token, I don't hunt in an area where someone else has parked their truck either.
Like I stated, This offer is for anyone who just simply is looking for a place to hunt. I'm not guaranteeing any deer, bear or turkey. But anyone that hunts around here will attest to the fact that there are plenty of them in these mountains.
It's no secret on this board that I own a motel. So I would like to state up front that this is by no means a solicitation for business.
My offer is this; there is somewhere in the vicinity of three million acres of National Forest in my area. 1.9 million in the George Washington, 1.2 million in the Thomas Jefferson, and .8 million in the Manongahelia. plus a few more hundred thousand acres in the various wildlife preserves.
Any one that is looking for a place to hunt can come up here, and I will spend as much time as you would like showing you the various places to hunt.
There are litterally thousands of places to just simply pull up, pitch a tent, and hunt. As a matter of a fact, there are many places that you could drag a camper into.
If your from out of state, all the miscelanious liscences and tags will cost around a hundred and a quarter for a four day liscence. A little more for an extended liscence. If you decide to not stay in the woods, lodging and food would be more of course.
I've been hunting these woods for several years now, and there is plenty of "hunters etiquette" everywhere I've been. I've never stumbled upon another hunter once I park my truck. But by the same token, I don't hunt in an area where someone else has parked their truck either.
Like I stated, This offer is for anyone who just simply is looking for a place to hunt. I'm not guaranteeing any deer, bear or turkey. But anyone that hunts around here will attest to the fact that there are plenty of them in these mountains.
08-30-2002, 11:04 PM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Hot Springs Va
Posts: 1,206
RE: For any of you guys that need a place to hunt
Tim, sorry about that. I am located in Hot springs (Bath County) Virginia....Elevation 2745, population 4900.
If you break out a map, look to the central west side of Virginia. You should see a chain of mountains running in a north easterly/ south westerly line. Those are the Alleghany Mountains. Some folks just lump the whole mountain chain together and call them the Appalachian mountains.
Look for a blue spot, Thats lake Moomaw. Juat a few miles east is Hot Springs, Healing springs, and Warm springs. I'm in Hot Springs.
Just about all the land for miles and miles in every direction surrounding lake Moomaw is National forest. If your map is color coded, that big chunk of dark green is all the various national forests. Millions of acres.
I'm pretty much in the middle of it.
If you break out a map, look to the central west side of Virginia. You should see a chain of mountains running in a north easterly/ south westerly line. Those are the Alleghany Mountains. Some folks just lump the whole mountain chain together and call them the Appalachian mountains.
Look for a blue spot, Thats lake Moomaw. Juat a few miles east is Hot Springs, Healing springs, and Warm springs. I'm in Hot Springs.
Just about all the land for miles and miles in every direction surrounding lake Moomaw is National forest. If your map is color coded, that big chunk of dark green is all the various national forests. Millions of acres.
I'm pretty much in the middle of it.
09-01-2002, 03:23 AM
#4
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: manassas va USA
Posts: 614
RE: For any of you guys that need a place to hunt
Dave:
I've wanted to hunt in Bath co. fer the past few yrs. heard that bath produces some pretty big bucks. if you could hit me with an email,id love to come out there for a weekend and do some scouting (pre-season) then maybe stay at your place in season on weekends(hotel) im in the manassas area & i currently hunt the G.W. Natl forest in the front royal area & i've had nothin but good hunting there. I go in before everyone else does & stay until dark so like you i never run into anyone there.
thanx Mike
I've wanted to hunt in Bath co. fer the past few yrs. heard that bath produces some pretty big bucks. if you could hit me with an email,id love to come out there for a weekend and do some scouting (pre-season) then maybe stay at your place in season on weekends(hotel) im in the manassas area & i currently hunt the G.W. Natl forest in the front royal area & i've had nothin but good hunting there. I go in before everyone else does & stay until dark so like you i never run into anyone there.
thanx Mike
09-01-2002, 06:46 AM
#5
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Hickory NC USA
Posts: 964
RE: For any of you guys that need a place to hunt
Dave you sure do live in paradise,I hunted up there a couple of years
many years ago,it was the second and third year that the refuge opened around lake Moomaw,what ever year that was.I sure would like to hunt there again but I doubt that will happen because I am getting up in age and my wife is disabled.
I limited out on deer both years I hunted there,with bow,black powder and rifle.
Just wanted to comment on you're hunting paradise,I loved every minute of my experience there.
http://www.hunting-pictures.com/memb...sby/encore.jpg
many years ago,it was the second and third year that the refuge opened around lake Moomaw,what ever year that was.I sure would like to hunt there again but I doubt that will happen because I am getting up in age and my wife is disabled.
I limited out on deer both years I hunted there,with bow,black powder and rifle.
Just wanted to comment on you're hunting paradise,I loved every minute of my experience there.
http://www.hunting-pictures.com/memb...sby/encore.jpg
09-02-2002, 08:04 AM
#6
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Dec 1969
Location: Townsend, DE US
Posts: 6,429
RE: For any of you guys that need a place to hunt
Dave I assume this is rifle country, what are the hunting dates, are you booked up for those dates? I have hunted W.Va. a few times never hunted Va.,
09-03-2002, 12:57 PM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Hot Springs Va
Posts: 1,206
RE: For any of you guys that need a place to hunt
Sorry about the slow response...I've been camping out on the Jackson river for the last few days, and I came home just long enough to take a long hot shower and re-stock the beer and bait supply. I'm going back out in a few minutes and should be back around saturday or sunday.
Ron, it is rifle country. but we also have an extended black powder and bow season. I'll post the dates in a few days when I get back.
Herman, I'm about twenty minutes from lake Moomaw. It's beautifull...I don't hunt it much,,I hang around Back creek Mountain mostly, but I do fish it quite a bit.
rem700, I'll e-mail you when I get back.
I'll try to have a better response when I get back...The fish and beer are calling.<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>
Ron, it is rifle country. but we also have an extended black powder and bow season. I'll post the dates in a few days when I get back.
Herman, I'm about twenty minutes from lake Moomaw. It's beautifull...I don't hunt it much,,I hang around Back creek Mountain mostly, but I do fish it quite a bit.
rem700, I'll e-mail you when I get back.
I'll try to have a better response when I get back...The fish and beer are calling.<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>
09-07-2002, 01:05 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Hot Springs Va
Posts: 1,206
RE: For any of you guys that need a place to hunt
herman, Thanks for the kind praise of the area here. I still have a hard time believing I live in the middle of it. I guess thats why I like to brag about it so much. I've been here for a little over two years and I have not explored a tenth of it all yet.
This years hunting dates are as follows;
Early bow season (deer) Oct. 5th
Turkey starts Oct. 28th
Early Muzzleloading (deer) Nov. 11th
Rifle (deer) Nov. 18th -30th
Late muzzleloading (deer) Dec. 16th -Jan. 4th
Rifle (bear) Second week of rifle deer season- into most of the month of Dec.
The local chamber of commerce sells detailed 1;24,000 scale topographical maps of all the George Washington National Forest. They are seven dollars each. What I do is try and concentrate on just a small section of the forest. There are more than fifty maps covering the entire thing.
Most of the forestry service roads are gated off untill the end of september. Then they are open untill the end of spring gobbler. You can go in to the forest any time you want to before then...You just have to walk. A four wheel drive is a must. Most are little more than old logging roads, with a little gravel thrown down.
Last year was pretty slow because it was so hot, but when it finally snowed at the end of rifle season things really picked up...Late muzzleloading was prime pickins. Early bow is always good because the deer are not spooked yet, and I believe that you can take does most every day with a bow.
The year before last I took a 300lb plus bear, and one of the folks staying here took a sixteen point buck.
The last week of rifle season is a hoot because just about anything goes...deer bear and turkey.
As I stated in my first post, This is not meant to be an endorsement for my place...I'm pretty well sold out anyway. I have a few holes open here and there, but thats it. I would simply like to open the doors to Bath county for anyone who would like to explore it.
This years hunting dates are as follows;
Early bow season (deer) Oct. 5th
Turkey starts Oct. 28th
Early Muzzleloading (deer) Nov. 11th
Rifle (deer) Nov. 18th -30th
Late muzzleloading (deer) Dec. 16th -Jan. 4th
Rifle (bear) Second week of rifle deer season- into most of the month of Dec.
The local chamber of commerce sells detailed 1;24,000 scale topographical maps of all the George Washington National Forest. They are seven dollars each. What I do is try and concentrate on just a small section of the forest. There are more than fifty maps covering the entire thing.
Most of the forestry service roads are gated off untill the end of september. Then they are open untill the end of spring gobbler. You can go in to the forest any time you want to before then...You just have to walk. A four wheel drive is a must. Most are little more than old logging roads, with a little gravel thrown down.
Last year was pretty slow because it was so hot, but when it finally snowed at the end of rifle season things really picked up...Late muzzleloading was prime pickins. Early bow is always good because the deer are not spooked yet, and I believe that you can take does most every day with a bow.
The year before last I took a 300lb plus bear, and one of the folks staying here took a sixteen point buck.
The last week of rifle season is a hoot because just about anything goes...deer bear and turkey.
As I stated in my first post, This is not meant to be an endorsement for my place...I'm pretty well sold out anyway. I have a few holes open here and there, but thats it. I would simply like to open the doors to Bath county for anyone who would like to explore it.
09-10-2002, 07:48 PM
#10
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Hot Springs Va
Posts: 1,206
RE: For any of you guys that need a place to hunt
txbowhntr, the offer is always open. These mountains offer a little bit to everyone for every season. From trout fishing in mountain streams to catfishing in the big lake. From squirrel hunting to bear hunting.
Or, if your like me, you can just go goof off in the woods for a few days.
I have found that I almost prefer going out alone for a week or so during the OFF season than I do during the hunting season. I have been out and not seen another human for days at a time.
Anytime you want, just give me a holler and we will set it up.
Edited by - Dave590 on 09/10/2002 20:49:43
Or, if your like me, you can just go goof off in the woods for a few days.
I have found that I almost prefer going out alone for a week or so during the OFF season than I do during the hunting season. I have been out and not seen another human for days at a time.
Anytime you want, just give me a holler and we will set it up.
Edited by - Dave590 on 09/10/2002 20:49:43