Good hunt this morning in Va

[DaveHawk]

this morning I was heading into the woods and drove up to the horse training circle and my head lights hit a big boy , nice 8. So I backed out got my gear and headed for my ground seat up on the hill past the pasture. I'm seated for about 30 minutes and it's getting light so I broke out the antlers 1st grunted a few times and then rattled. Few seconds later , crunch crunch crunch I look down the hill and here he comes. Big body 8 I give him a pass. Looking for doe's, but he had other ideas and out came 2 doe's from the pines. WOW that was quick. I then sat for another hour and decided to check the lower field. The dew was melted off so it made quite walking or stalking. I get the a dog leg and kneel down , 25 yards I see what looked to be a head, I do not shot unless I am 100 and 10% sure I was 99.9 % sure but I did not have my binoculars. I can see a head but no ears , I can see a neck but know body she laying down. She gives me about 15 seconds to look and she bolts. BIG DOE , O Well next time. Ya next time I will have my binoculars LOL

[blaze]

That is the great thing about hunting. Even when you come home with an unfilled tag, you still bring back great memories.

What part of VA are you in ? I just relocated to Loundon county

Mike

[DaveHawk]

I live in Rockville Md but hunt a farm down in Lousia County. I am growing more fond of big woods hunting, Getting away from back yards , kids and dogs and cars traffic.
There is a Bold Eagle nest on the Lake , lots of turkeys too. Worth the 2 hour drive.

[blaze]

DH,

I have been seeing alot of birds of prey in this area. I was recently living in South Carolina, and there were also many hawks in hte area. I think they are making a come back in general.

You must pass near Loudon County when you go to Rockville Maryland. You live in a very pretty part of Virginia. I am only in Ashburn since this summer, but so far I like it here a lot.

Mike

[DaveHawk]

I do not live in Va my son attends a Military Academy down there and I meet a man who owns a nice farm and we have become good friends. During hunting season I am down there a lot. Next year I will be able to help him with Food plots. There are some good deer there and with good food plots we will be able to keep the deer, turkeys and hopefully bring in some good upland birds. Already has the Goose on the property.

[blaze]

I am only up here since July, and I have seen a lot of deer. Even while driving on major highways, I have seen 4 - 6 deer at a time.. It is very different here than from what it was like in South Carolina. Down there I think I saw 2 deer from my car in the 3 years I was living there.

[DaveHawk]

You should drive around Montgomery county Md 250-350 deer per square mile. LOL
During the rut I see half a dozen deer on the side of the road dead on the way home from the shop which is only 6 miles.

[DaveP]

LOL, Saturday I had my daughter out and we had 3 eagles going crazy right over us, chasing and squaking, around 10:00 am.We're both looking straight up at them. I glance back in front, and a BIG doe is 30yds out, straight in front!
Daughter eases off safety, pulls trigger and a muffled CLICK results (Knight ML)
I look over, and her fold-back mitten has kept bolt from closing enough to strike cap!
I reach over, and recock it for her, but by then it was too late.

I killed a doe that dressed around 120# Sunday a few hundred yards away, so I'm guessing it was the same one. (kid killed one that went 144# a few years back, about 1/4 mile behind us!)

And no kidding about all the raptors around these days. Killed a hog right before Easter, and dumped the entrails out back.
Walked up to the house to wash up, look out the kitchen window while I was washing my hands and see 2 eagles on gutpile.

Grab camera and by the time I get there, EIGHT were on it!
Buzzards drove them off pretty quick.
Also ran a young red fox off of Sunday's pile on Monday morning.
But as soon as thee ground dries a little, I get some steel in the ground for the foxes.

Wife has daughter out now, so I'm listening for a shot.

[DaveHawk]

Cool Dave sounds like you have a great time. I was planning to head to Va early Saturday morning but then I heard the bad word , SNOW ! I love hunting it snow but my van tires and really not that great right now and the mountains would not be so good for them. I need new tires BAD. So I am staying in the shop and working this weekend. Hopefully I'l get a big job in or 2 or 3 or more.

[DaveP]

LOL, I JUST put new tires on my crewcab!

I also was in Va yesterday, before first light: Mangohick,Va.
Rain all day, turned to sleet around 2:00 pm.
We headed back home,and within 5 miles, we met cars coming the otherway COVERED with snow!
By the time we got to Frog Level (<10miles) the ground was covered.
We must've been JUST beyond the snowline!

Roads weren't too bad, but the stretch of 301 thru Ft AP Hill was slush covered, a couple inches.
Cars wrecked every 1/2 mile.
Time we got closer to MD it wasn't as bad.

You have that 4X4 van that you had at Assateague some years back right?
We were looking at a Quigley 4X4 conversion some year back, but they got $$$$!

And teh wife/daughter combo done some good!

[Bushman]

DaveHawk, Is that for real, 250-350 deer per square mile in Montgomery County VA.? I've hunted areas here where they figure there are 13 deer per square mile and when it gets upward of 30 psm, they mow them down with with additional doe tags. The deer there must be standing around like Holsteins are here. Actually I don't think that there are even 250 cows per square mile here. What do people do out there for recreation? It sure doesn't sound like they hunt deer.

[DaveHawk]

Montgomery county Md , not Va but I am seeing 30 - 60 deer in the evening on the 20 acre buck wheat plot at the farm in Va.

[venado]

Dave, out of curiosity how many antlered bucks would you likely find in that group and would you guess that looking at that plot is representative of the local herd ratio in general??

[DaveHawk]

there has been 6 nice bucks spotted that are resident. The 9 point I shot had not been seen before. The bucks in the back side of the lake do not get out to the front of the property till after dark usually. Next season will be turning point after the food plots and in.