BenfromVa

I just got the new copy of the VA. Trapping and hunting guide lines for 2003-2004.
The season in Northern VA has typically opened the first Saturday in Oct. For the past few years now it has opened early being the second or third week in Sept. Well this year is no different, but what did change for this season is it will not close until MARCH 27th. Thats the last Saturday on March. That is in Fairfax and in Loudoun Counties for Bowhunters. Thats 6 solid months of bowhunting. I told my wife I can actually go right from bowhunting right into fishing with not one day lapse in sports. Ofcourse she was thrilled[]

Gotta get Taz on the band wagon now of hunting closer to where he works so he can also extend his season. They were originally talking about doing this in 4 counties, as I new this was coming but did not really beleive they would until I actually saw in in the books. They were proposing to do it in Loudoun, Fairfax and Prince William and Falquier. 2 outa 4 aint bad I guess. Just too many deer and not enough taken durring the seasons has led them to extend the seasons. The extension will be does only(anterless deer) as is the Sept early season. Bucks may be taken from Oct to Jan.

Rack-attack

Yipes - thats a Loooong season

What are your bag limits

Tazman

Ben first, if I had a place to hunt in the area I would! Now if you know of any places let me know and we can hook up!!!!

Rack-attack you can kill 2 doe a day the entire season as long as you cough up the bucks for the bonus tags, last year if you hunted bow, blackpowder, and gun you could kill 3 bucks and over 100 doe!!!!!

Mantis Mayer

I wonder if anyone did?

Man that' s a long season! Close to birth dates as well. Weard.

silentassassin

Why would anyone want to kill a doe with a half grown fawn inside her? Since the bucks will have most likely dropped their horns there will be no way to distinguish them (definitively). I don' t understand why the game commission would do that.

MATTHEWS

Hey silentassassin thats easy, to reduce the population.

silentassassin

But why not make doe tags free during the gun season or have an incentive program where you get an additional buck tag if you kill at least four does. Those fawns could be the monsters bucks of tomorrow. JMO

MATTHEWS

That would make alot more sense silentassassin.

BenfromVa

POPULATION CONTROL is exactly the reason, they have tried all other programs, then they were having police shapshooters doing it, that averaged about $600 per deer in manpower, insurance,overtime and ect..... so why not turn it over to the hunters to manage? it would be insane to use tax $$$ to do it. I am not thrilled about late season does, but I have found does here giving birth and dying in the process in late OCT? all do to the fact that there are just way too many. Bucks cant breed them all. alot but not all of them until later months. It is not as horrible as some of you make it sound, it is however a need at this time.

PS Does are DMAP in the early season, atleast where I hunt so they are free, you can take as many as you want durring reg. season at 2 per day with as many bonus tags as you want to purchase, I assume to that they will DMAP or DCAP the later season does as well.

Rickmur

If you need help with the thinning I will gladly come across the WW. By the way Ben, what ever happened to that visit you were going to do up this way with your bussisness ?