Looks a little dead here

[FindmeOutside]

Any good ole' VA boys still kicking in here? Let me know if so.

[oletimer]

Yep...still alive and kicking in western Fauquier

Somewhat disappointing around here. Hemmoragic desease got into the herd last year. We seemed to have lost ALL our up and coming bucks. Still just getting trail pics of small bucks. Looks like it will take a couple of more years to get back to where we were.

[jetjock15]

Howdy guys,

I am military of 12 years, working at Pentagon, living in Loudon county by the Dulles. Any recomendations on where to hunt? Plenty of deer around here but propery is scarce. I have signed up for the Loudon county population control drawings, held in Nov, I also went out and Scouted in the GWNF for a day. The NF was pretty thin as far as deer sign, and it was quite a drive. Anybody know of any farm land or anything closer for mature, experianced hunter? Could bargan with beverages, work around the farm, or old military aviator talk, not really looking to pay cash to hunt though. Any recomendations?

I have a 7mm, 12 gauge, and bow, but prefer to use in that order since practice time is few and far between. If I get selected for the population control hunt (shotgun) - i will put some range time into the shotgun.

I enjoy getting outdoors and would love to include my 8 yr old daughter, would love to get at least one deer in the freezer, not to concerned with size or spread.

Let me know if you have any suggestions! thanks for the time.

[oletimer]

Jetjock.....good luck. Private land hunting permission is hard to get in Loudoun. I used to hunt some farms over that way in Middleburg and Upperville but due to changing circumstances I do not hunt there any more. Most of the land owners there do not allow hunting and thus the deer population is out of control. You could try the Thompson Wildlife Area located near Markham. Not too far out Rt 66 from you. It is hunted fairly heavily but there is a good deer/turkey population in the area.
Hope you have success.

[jetjock15]

Thanks Sir,

I read up some on the WMAs previously and will probably check them out at least one time. From what I read there is a ton of hunters in those small areas. Im more the type to hike 20 miles in a day if I can avoid other hunters. I doubt those areas will provide a place I can take the daughter our for the first time, but I will go out and check for sure one day. I will take a weekday off work, maybe that will help with less hunters. Thanks for the response, good luck to you this season.

[oletimer]

Yes...I would definately stay away on opening day. I used to go right past Thompson's on the way to Upperville. Weekends are surely more crowded but weekdays seem to have very few vehicles there. As the season progresses there are less vehicles there too. Mid season most of the not so serious hunters seem to sleep in rather than go hunting. But they show up again at the end. With our long seasons there is a large midseason time where the woods are very quiet. You can also access the area from the top of the blue ridge off Freezeland Rd. Only thing is if you are successfull it will be all uphill to your vehicle. I have mushroom hunted up there but never hunted the area.
I have seen an add in the local paper advertising openings in a hunt club. I have also seen people posting adds looking for hunting land too. .
Hope you have a great season.

[FindmeOutside]

Yep...still alive and kicking in western Fauquier

Somewhat disappointing around here. Hemmoragic desease got into the herd last year. We seemed to have lost ALL our up and coming bucks. Still just getting trail pics of small bucks. Looks like it will take a couple of more years to get back to where we were.

Sorry to hear that, they are monitoring several deer in my area now,(Nelson, Albemarle) to try and stay on top of it, luckily we have already pretty much bounced back in terms of population but not yet in size completely IMO. The problem around here wasn't any disease though it was in fact the rather large snow a few years back, food wasn't available and loads of deer did not make it through the winter. Glad to see a few of us from VA still on here, keep me posted with how the season goes this year. After watching the Northern Rut Prediction show recently I understand that the doe and buck population will peak together this year, should be intense! Check the VA section for a few deer I've been watching lately inspired by Deer and Deer Hunting, getting up close and personal!