Charlottesville, VA?

[dwm4375]

I'm a Pennsylvania hunter with a girlfriend who travels for work to Charlottesville. Thinking about a road trip to get some late season muzzleloader hunting in. Looking for any help - could be tips where to go or trade some hunting at your place for some hunting at mine. I've got about 300 acres (between my farm and my dad's) in western PA.

https://imgur.com/lzYyUIr

https://imgur.com/PDNTSAD

https://imgur.com/IzT2dEt

Three of the bucks we took this year on our property.

 

[oxn939]

There are some late season muzzleloader hunts worth doing in VA, but you'd really have to pick your opportunities. One thing to eliminate is basically anywhere "east of the Blue Ridge" as shown on the DWR map- guys will have been running dogs there for several months by the time late muzzleloader seasons come around, and anything larger than a spike or doe will have a similar demeanor to Tom Hanks at the end of "Saving Private Ryan" and be completely nocturnal. Washington Jefferson National Forest would be a good place to start.

 

[elevatorman]

I agree. Best way to go is get on Onyx so you can see all the national forest. VA has a ton of national forest public land to hunt on. And the pressures probably died down alot too. Most folks hunting public like rifle season/early muzzleloader. And I'd Also agree with staying west of the blue ridge. Your going to be coming down 81 anyhow I'd imagine. That 81 stretch has a plethora of national forest close to it.

 

[elevatorman]

The hardest part with public in VA is they are arse holes and don't let you shoot does on public land during gun season except one "doe day". Problem is once the ruts over seeing a buck on publics like seeing Bigfoot. Which means If you want the best chance of a successful hunt you gotta be able to shoot does. Which means either hunt the doe Day for muzzleloader, or use archery equipment because it's a doe day everyday if your bow hunting (during archery season, which overlaps). Only doe day is for muzzleloader on national forest is January 6th. However bow is either sex right now through Jan 6th. Personally I'd rather take the limited range of a bow over a muzzleloader because you have a much higher chance of getting a deer at all. Muzzleloader won't help if you can't shoot any of the deer you see.

I personally prefer private land to avoid all that nonsense but I don't currently have any private to hunt. If you don't find any private land opportunities or can't figure out where to go message me on here. I'm in shenandoah county. I'm trying to get back out for late bow season to try to get one, my dog got sick a week and a half ago putting a pause on hunting. He's starting to improve so I'm hoping in a few days or week to get back out. If I can get out I'd gladly take you hunting with me to my spot, I've been consistently on deer and had a real nice small 8 point in front of me this rut. Due to my mistakes I haven't been able to put an arrow in one yet.

 

[Scott85]

Tons of National Forest around. I would drive up to Shenandoah and head just a little west.

 

[VAspeedgoat]

Id hit some of the WMAs near Charlottesville. Though be careful some are in shotgun only areas. The late muzzleloader stuff is west of the blue ridge. It's still rifle season east of the blue ridge.

Dogs were mentioned but you have your choice of bear dogs or deer dogs. Personally don't mind hunting around either one. Bear dogs will stir up deer too.

 

[brownbear932008]

Dogs were mentioned but you have your choice of bear dogs or deer dogs. Personally don't mind hunting around either one. Bear dogs will stir up deer too.

This expect lots of dogs in the woods either way. Bear hunting if you're not familiar will with it here will draw hunt groups of 5-15 guys running large areas trying to strike a bear from now until the end of the season. They favor the large public land areas.

 

[.270Rem]

Does your girlfriend have any work connections with land/access? If yes, I would consider asking her to see if someone could get private access for you. Charlottesville is in Albemarle County and it's got high deer density in most of the county. Lots of horse farms and grape ranchers inside its borders and the landowners are affluent all through that area.

Public land options exist within an hour's ride of Cville with National Forest to the South in Nelson and Amherst Counties. Several WMA's are close to with the Rapidan N (Madison/Greene) and James and Tye River to the S in Nelson. Without the regs in front of me I don't have the exact dates, but there are either sex days, some open turkey seasons, and bear is open too if you spend the extra for a tag.

Feel free to shoot a PM if you like, I wander through that area regularly and my work area is nearby.