Joined:
Dec 2022
Posts:
350
EE: 0% (0)
VA, USA
Posted: 11/16/2024 10:49:01 PM EDT
@DCPhoenix is in Arkansas and had trouble trying to lay the smackdown on a deer, and (as per his post) finally succeeded! CONGRATS!!!   I am/was/probably still am, in the same boat as you... Nobody to hunt with, no clubs, no buddies, etc... I mean, I used to belong to a fantastic deer camp here in Virginia out in the George Washington National Forest, way out in Augusta Co (I-64, I-81 area). But, pfffffftttt... that was 15-20 years ago! To this day, I have no idea what happened, who did what, who said what, who ticked off the landowner with in-laws arguing, cousins arguing (they're related to the landowner). It darn near turned into a Hatfields & McCoys type of situation!   Then everyone got a phonecall... "It's over. No, no, stop. No arguing. Everyone needs to come back to the cabin and get whatever you might still have there and leave your front door key on the livingroom table. Sorry, it is the way it is. *click*"Sh** man.... I reflected back on that mess. That was back in 2007!!! Holy crap... Anyway, if you get to know me better or check my profile on ARCOM, I am here in Richmond, Virginia (west end surburbs - Henrico Co). I will purposely drive 2 hours west out I-64 out into the mountains to get away from the crowds. If you look up Google Maps or whatever and zoom in on Virginia, look a little west from Richmond, on the other side of the James River. You'll see Amelia. You'll see Powhatan. Both of those counties have WMA's (Wildlife Management Area) - public land. I used to hunt those places over and over and over, until I could get to know every single tree! LOL... But with ZERO success. I "spun my wheels" for probably 10 years -- NEVER -- seeing a deer. . That's when I made a comment on an old internet hunting forum, and one of the VA guys knew another VA guy, and I assume that's how they got me in and introduced me to the landowner and the rest of the guys in that deer camp. I shot my first deer in 2005 at that camp and they all showed me field dressing, and everyone took a part doing this, doing that, and it was a blast! So sad to see it come to an end.So, here I am almost 20 years later, a retired gray-haired grandpa, and got back into hunting again. I returned to the George Washington National Forest, but not to the old deer camp that was technically on private land that butted up against the GWNF. It's tough... It is really tough... Deer are naturally nocturnal creatures, and trying to draw one in around 2:30pm with a grunt tube just ain't gonna happen. The GWNF is massive when you look at Google Maps and look at Virginia. Like, 1.8 million acres!!! It's beautiful country, but you have to hike way up in there to find the deer. You might see only 1 other hunter on a trail and that's it. But deer are hard to find in the GWNF and are most likely way way up where you have to be part mountain goat to reach them! It's a far cry from the local metro WMA's around here. Those places are a disaster waiting to happen, as there is so much blaze orange, those WMA's look like a freakin pumpkin patch come sunrise! Hunting is hunting. You might get one, you might not. I got so bummed out one time, I actually looked into those outfitter companies, and was horrified that they wanted $600/day to hunt along with guaranteed success (i.e. you know what I'm talking about --- "high fence" hunting. That's not hunting to me... That is shooting... Thanks for letting me get this off my chest. |
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I’m actually on my second deer now! Got him the second day of rifle season. Still only small but man, I was sore for a LONG time after dragging him out. Vehicle access is prohibited where I’ve been hunting and it was pushing 70° when I got him to where I could part him out. I’d have happily shot does both times but kind of lucked out with this second guy.Attached File Hunting after opening rifle weekend - deer sightings have fallen off dramatically. I think that pressure on the deer, dwindling acorns and starting to move back to night time movement all contribute. Neighbor of mine saw hardly anything on his lease for October and now is passing up 10’s of deer everyday waiting on “the one”. Completely opposite to me and we’re only 20 miles apart. I’m obviously not experienced when it comes to hunting but from last year being a complete flop to this year getting 2, seeing lots and even getting two shots off with my bow (I missed both times) here’s what I’m doing different. Last year I just aimlessly walked around trying to find somewhere to sit. I expected a deer to just walk in front of me at some point. This year I’ve hunted (aside from some early bow hunting) a parcel of public land intensely. I know it like the back of my hand. I also SAT STILL for a really long time and watched, listened and learned what the forest does. Going in blind to a spot that you know nothing about is a waste of time in my opinion. Learn what deer are doing. Last year I judged my success on killing a deer. This year I went in wanting to get close to one. Both my deer were shot at less than 30 yards. I could smell my second. I’ve been within 10ft of deer this year and even though they knew something was close, they didn’t freak out. Movement is what gives you away. Attached File The left marker is where I got my second. The right is my first. Notice how they’re both on hills. I noticed that I kept seeing deer run across the road on a morning and evening. Well now I’ve figured out that they’re bedding up on top of those hills and sometimes down in the real thick piney mess in that lease to the bottom left. They’d move from there into the oak tree filled areas to feed and drink. My second one - that slope is actually really steep and they were always about 3/4 of the way up it. I spooked several walking in too fast along the road on different days so knew I had to try get up there. Buck came walking out from my right, from the thick pines on the neighboring lease. Like us they won’t climb a mountain if they don’t have to. But they want to be close enough to the top that if they see a guy carrying a camping chair and a rifle they can be up over the top in 3 seconds lol. |
Joined:
Dec 2022
Posts:
353
EE: 0% (0)
VA, USA
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That's a great looking buck! Reminds me of the one I got up at my oldest sister & brother-in-law's farm in upstate NY back in 2010. He was a 6 pointer, but had a busted tine making him into a 5 pointer. Word has it from the locals, this guy must have gotten his a$$ kicked by the monster 10 pointer that's been spotted up at the top of the ridge. I rode the ATV up to the upper pasture and parked beside the barn. The deer up there are what they call "farm deer" and are wary of humans, but won't bolt and head for the hills. Anyway, I gently blew a grunt tube and waited. Sure enough, I see this "5 pointer" coming down from the small pines looking around. I go inside the barn and brace myself up against the outer doorway. The buck, sees the ATV, sees the barn, and doesn't think of anything else, but another buck must be around there. He came closer, closer, roughly 100 yards, 110 yards. I raised up my Savage .308 and put him in the crosshairs, held still, and BAM... Lights out. DOA, right there. My brother-in-law heard the shot, and knew I got one, so as hilarious as this sounds, he came up to the upper pasture with a large Backhoe! We hung the deer off the end of the backhoe, and field dressed him like that! LOL... I came back home to Virginia with two coolers full of venison steaks, sausage, roasts, etc...  |