Possibly relocating to western Virginia for work

[Pmringer]

I may have to relocate to the western part of Virginia for work before the end of the year. I would have the option of settling down in West Virginia or anywhere within about an hour and a half drive from Washington D.C. Does anyone know if there are good large tracts of public land to hunt or can I kiss backcountry backpack hunts goodbye by living in that area? I am from the midwest but have been out west since 2008 and have grown accustomed to big country. It looks like there are some limited land areas in the Appalachians but I fear I will have to lower my expectations and stray from my preferred hunting methods. Thoughts?

Thanks,
Patrick

 

[huntRme]

My daughter lives in Chantilly and says they give out tags for hunting within the city limits. She knows some guy that brings home deer three at a time. Lots of deer.

 

[Ridge Runner]

The George Washington National Forest has some pretty good hunting. Lots of hardwood forest back there but plenty of hunting opportunities. Spent some time back there myself. there is a guy on here Davehawk who does a lot of hunting back there still so maybe send him a pm and get some info. I met up with him while I was back there. Great guy and a hell of a wildlife painter, sure he would give you some more info. for living area have a look up around Purcellville and Leesburg. Beautiful area. Good luck.

 

[Jwill]

Had a long reply typed out, but lost it. Will try a re-do later...

 

[HighDesertSage]

Don't do it......I grew up in PA. More deer back there, but the adventures out west are way more epic.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Plenty of places to get in the backcountry in the GW National Forest. It won't be as big as the west but you can find solitude. I grew up in Harrisonburg and hunted the GWNF extensively from Rt. 33 to Rt. 250. Lots of black bears, not as many deer in the mountains as on agriculture but some decent bucks can be found.

 

[Jwill]

Assuming you mean Eastern WV or Northern VA. I used to live in the DC area for a couple years, so just give me a shout if you have any questions. I'm happy I don't live there now, but it's a good place to spend a couple years, if for nothing else just the diversity of experiences. There is plenty of public land to play on, there are a lot more people though, so just keep that in mind. Also be prepared to drive an hour or two to get to the mountains. It will be tougher to do backcountry/backpack hunting, but not impossible, just don't expect much in the way of glassing/spot & stalk opportunities. One thing about the big tracts of public land, especially the NF & State Parks, is that they aren't very actively managed for wildlife, so you'll have to look for burned, logged, or gypsy moth areas to get better game densities. The WMAs and State Forests are fairly actively managed and offer pretty good hunting if you can get away from the other folks. Also if you've got a boat you can hunt the bigger rivers for waterfowl. If you're a trout fisherman Western MD, the WV highlands, and the mountains of VA offer a lot of opportunities. Plenty warmwater opportunities too.

VA public lands
http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/hunting/regulations/publiclands.asp
http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wmas/
http://www.dof.virginia.gov/stateforest/recreation/hunting.htm

WV public lands
http://www.wvdnr.gov/Hunting/WMAMap.shtm

MD public lands
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/Publiclands/allwmabyregion.asp

Monongahela NF
http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/mnf/landmanagement/gis/?cid=stelprdb5108081

GW/Jefferson NF
http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/gwj/landmanagement/gis

 

[Pmringer]

I appreciate all of the responses. It certainly helps, and I have had some time to research the public lands in the region a little more today. The benefit is that I would be working from a home office so locations are flexible as long as I am within a reasonable distance to D.C. for meetings and field work.

It sounds like the biggest challenge is going to be trying to get away from people. This is similar to how it was in Ohio, but Virginia does have a lot more public land opportunities than Ohio so I can avoid having to sit in one spot and wait. That drove me nuts in Ohio. I am not a stand hunter and being able to walk the entire hunt area in a morning took the fun out of it for me.

I have done a fair amount of geologic mapping in the Blue Ridge Mountains and Appalachian chain and like the region. I have been looking for a position near the Rockies but have not had much luck so far. I enjoy flintlock hunting which the Blue Ridge Mountains are perfect for.

I'll find out fairly soon what the plan is and will likely send a message to a few of you for some additional recommendations and advice depending how things end up.

Thanks again for the help.

 

[Pmringer]

I just received word that this is definitely happening. The office is going to be in Germantown, MD which offers a lot of options for places to live. We are going to try to find a place out the country to buy a house that has a few acres. I am thinking of looking in West Virginia and Virginia. The real question is which of the two states offer better benefits for being a resident in terms of hunting and fishing. I will need to research tag fees, public land quality, etc to determine which is going to be the better option.

 

[tarheel]

The word I get is that Virginia is slowly going from a Southern state to a haven for Northern progressives and the spillover from the DC area, all of which is leading to more restrictive gun laws and perspectives on gun ownership. This info comes from members of a statewide gun forum who have moved further South or are still in VA, so take it for what it is worth.
Anywhere near Staunton, Harrisonburg, Buena Vista or Lexington will put you in some beautiful country with lots of NF nearby and where land prices will hopefully be reasonable. At the same time the DC area can be reached somewhere within three hours driving time, maybe a little more.

 

[Pmringer]

The word I get is that Virginia is slowly going from a Southern state to a haven for Northern progressives and the spillover from the DC area, all of which is leading to more restrictive gun laws and perspectives on gun ownership. This info comes from members of a statewide gun forum who have moved further South or are still in VA, so take it for what it is worth.
Anywhere near Staunton, Harrisonburg, Buena Vista or Lexington will put you in some beautiful country with lots of NF nearby and where land prices will hopefully be reasonable. At the same time the DC area can be reached somewhere within three hours driving time, maybe a little more.

I was concerned about Virginia marching toward that direction. Coming from California anything is a welcome change, but I don't want to settle down somewhere that is going to continually tighten the restrictions on residents. I'll research the towns you mentioned.

Thanks!

 

[tarheel]

I was concerned about Virginia marching toward that direction. Coming from California anything is a welcome change, but I don't want to settle down somewhere that is going to continually tighten the restrictions on residents. I'll research the towns you mentioned.

Thanks!

It hasn't gotten intolerable at this point, just something that's happening in this part of the country with the seepage from the Northern rust belt and the NY/NJ exodus as well.
If you're familiar with Zillow it's a great engine for looking at homes in given cities and any surrounding areas, would suggest a look at Lexington. Don't know what kind of equity you're bringing with you or what you're accustomed to where you are. Land prices in VA per acre are much higher than where I am but then that's the way it is all over, dependent on the market.

 

[Pmringer]

It hasn't gotten intolerable at this point, just something that's happening in this part of the country with the seepage from the Northern rust belt and the NY/NJ exodus as well.
If you're familiar with Zillow it's a great engine for looking at homes in given cities and any surrounding areas, would suggest a look at Lexington. Don't know what kind of equity you're bringing with you or what you're accustomed to where you are. Land prices in VA per acre are much higher than where I am but then that's the way it is all over, dependent on the market.

We are moving from the Bay Area in California so almost everything will be at least slightly cheaper. We are really considering West Virginia but nearly everything within an hour commute of Germantown, Maryland is priced slightly high. I am not opposed to an hour and a half commute since I am used to 2-3 hours of traffic to get anywhere in California and was looking at some places west of Wincheter, VA or SW of Winchester as well. I am heading out that way for a few project meetings and am going to take a few extra days to drive around the area and get a sense of what we can get into. We are looking for a modest house with 5-10 acres but will probably rent for a year to really be sure where we want to set our roots.

 

[tarheel]

That wouldn't be too bad, pricier maybe; most everyone out there likes to think of themselves as the "landed gentry" and as such the property is higher. Middletown or Strasburg area might not be too bad, Charlestown, WVA was a bit depressed the last time there but might have changed some by now. Commuting from that area will test your patience as the people don't drive like they do in California and once you reach the Leesburg, Tysons Corner, Reston area you'll be in the stew. Testing the waters is a good idea and I'd try it at commuting time just for the experience. I don't know which side if the beltway Germantown is located on but am sure you will have done your homework long before the move. Whatever you do, don't buy in Marylandistan for their gun laws are very restrictive. Good luck!

 

[Festus]

Winchester is a good place to be and Harrisonburg is nice as well.

 

[Pmringer]

Winchester is a good place to be and Harrisonburg is nice as well.

Thanks, Festus. I am heading that way next week and plan on checking out a few places around Winchester.

-Patrick