JeepHntr

If anybody has any info on hunting West Virginia, especially in the Hardy co. area
(Mathias) PLEASE let me know. If there are any certain at patterns or anykind of certain attractants that work better than others? Please help, I have the distinct pleasure of taking the grandfather hunting so I am going to need some extra help. Thanks

wvdeerhunter22

JeepHntr

I dont hunt hardy county, i hunt Ohio, Marshall, and Jackson counties some if im not mistaken the terriain is similar especially in ohio cty. I like using treestands, occasionally ill hit the ground if the situation calls for it. Use the terrain to you advantage, find features that force the deer into a small area. I have found both evening and morning hunting is equally productive. In my opinion, this may be different in different areas, but scent control (scent waffers, spray, even a scent suit) is a must b/c the wind swirls and shifts alot. I assume this is due to the terrain, but for me it is not feesable to position enogh stands for every possible wind. I have been successful w/ scent waffers and scent killer spray. I love to use grunt calls and the can type calls. Have had great luck w/them. I have had absolutely no luck with rattling. you may though. If you hunt big woods look for acorns, if every oak is producing well in the whole woods you may need to try somthing different, but if there are a few areas with lots of acorns compared to other areas, try them. Look for edges, thick cover meets more open = good travel corridors. Also try to get an idea where bedding areas are. If you are hunting an area with mostly feild and just a little woods, be careful not to spook deer going in and out. watch you scent controll. you should be in good shape b/c they will want to stay in cover. Again, set up your stands based on the terrain and/or the sign if the terrain is uniform. Hunt in all weather if you can. I have had great luck in rain.

Im sure others will be able to give better advice but this is just based on my experiances. Ive only hunted in WV but it cant be that different from many other places. Good luck and enjoy the time w/your grandfather i wish i had that opportunity.

WVbackwoods

I hunt in Fayette and Nicholas counties mostly but in times past have hunted the national forest near Watoga state park. Most of the terrain in WV is basically the same. I would suggest first and foremost a popup blind, considering you will have your grandfather with you. It will be more comfortable for both of you and will help contain scent and movement. Once these 2 obstacles are overcome all that's left is to find a level spot with some mast and wait for the deer to come to you. Hope both of you get a wall hanger!

FiremanWV

I hunt Pocahontas county mainly and Greenbrier some, saddles and benches have seemed to work best for me. I have had luck on field edges but I find that hunting pressure usually eleminates this.

hillbillyhunter1

Jeep
I am originally from Hardy Co (Moorefield) and still go back there to hunt and see family around thanksgiving. One thing to remember, especially during the first few days of rifle season if you are looking for success is plan to stay out the entire day--pack a lunch-- and take it with you. Traditionally, in that area, almost all hunters come out of the woods at lunch time and head to the trucks or the house--this is a great time to be at a good vantage point to watch for deer they jump as they start to move out. Another is if you are hunting a heavily pressured area, The deer go into hunting season mode--usually by noon on the first day, that is they know what's up so after the first couple of days look for places that have thick cover and offer some security and get to these early in the morning and wait. These places are not always grandiose--a little patch of heavy cover anywhere that is neglected by hunters could easily hold deer. Look for extremely fresh sign during rifle season and be delicate with your presence in those areas. Use scent control and Don't be afraid to use calls and attractant scents as many of the old time hunters still don't and the deer in some areas have not been exposed to much of it. Deer in less pressured areas will act more naturally with activity strongest at both ends of the day. the Mathias area is a checkerboard of lower lying agricultural fields and rolling woodlands with some steeper terrain. There is lots of deer but not a lot of big ones. Have fun and cherish the time with your grandfather--hunt right together when possible so you can have the most interaction because the shared experiences will make the whole thing richer for both of you--good luck

BeltedMag

I live and hunt Hardy county and sometimes Hampshire. I havent hunted around Mathias much though, i mostly hunt around my hometown. If you are planning on hunting National Forest land, try to hunt the places that most of the other guys wont go. We have a good bit of out of staters hunt here, especially on the government. Ive found that most of them though wont walk too far from the roads or trails. Alot of times they will find the biggest piece of wide open woods and set side by side. So the best bet is to find the thickest, nastiest spot close to where all the other guys are piled up and hunt there. The deer are getting pushed by so many people that they try to find the heaviest cover they can. When i hunt national forest i usually walk as far back in as i can, usually thats where you start really seeing sign. Since you are with your grandfather you may not want to walk to far, but the key to the heavily hunted government lands is good cover. So wherever you can find heavy cover that would be a good place to go. I killed my biggest buck ever in a spot on the government that was so over grown that the farthest you could see was like 20 yards, i had one shooting lane about 5 feet wide. Luckily the buck was chasing a doe and she stopped there in the opening and so did he.

Hopefully i helped a little bit, good luck and have fun with your grandfather.