Hunting Virginia Public Land -- Skunked and Need Advice

Shadow -- I agree... just the squirrel hunters alone are enough to drive you crazy out there. Saw 3 today and heard shotgun blasts several times throughout the day.

I'm in Northern Virginia, near Dulles.

 

Well since you are driving a good bit to hunt CF Phelps, why not come on over to Quantico? It is actually about 20-30 minutes less driving time than CF.

Here are some advantages to Quantico over many other local public land spots.....

Each hunting area is issued a certain amount of permits. That means it is not WWIII every time you enter the woods. I believe during the fall it is 1 hunter issued a pass every 100 acres.

There are bow only areas year round.

The base is regulated so that means that people are just not riding around poaching deer/harassing wildlife, or generally screwing up the areas.

There is 45,000 huntable acres.

You have guys like me and Florida Marine that are willing to help you out.

You literally show up to the Game Check station on base, watch a 25 minute safety video, get your base hunting license, and you are ready to hunt.

 

That sounds great!! I didn't know the public was allowed at Quantico.

I may drive over there tomorrow and see about getting my base hunting license. Do you know if they're open on Fridays and/or Saturday?

 

yeah, only until 1600 for sales though... plan on an hour for the video and license stuff

 

The Game Check is open Monday-Saturday from 0530-about 1 hour after dark. I believe they run their safety videos from 6am-3pm, every hour on the hour. I walked in by myself and they ran the video for me and it wasn't even on the hour. They are flexible.

Game Check number=703-784-5523

http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=38.52278,-77.37199&z=14&t=M&marker0=38.49824%2C-77.47722%2C9.1%20km%20N%20of%20Stafford%20County%20VA

Get off at Exit 148 on I-95 South.

Go to the bottom of the hil (1/4 mile)l.

Take a right and drive approximately 1 mile.

Take the left immediately before the guard station and the game check is on your left.

 

I've been wanting to hunt Quantico as well seeing as it is regulated and a little safer that the WMAs. Thanks guys for the info! Very helpful!

 

Thanks again, Shadow! Every time I ask for an acorn of information, you give me an entire tree... YOU ARE THE MAN! I hope I can repay your kindness and generosity sometime.

I'll head to Quantico ASAP to get my license. I assume I may also need to pass some type of archery competency test, so I'll make sure my bow is in the truck.

 

All you will need is your Virginia hunting license, no test required. Good luck buddy, I wish you the best. I think you will find things much more enjoyable at Quantico. The only repaying I need is to know you are having an enjoyable hunting experience brother.

Brett

 

you can shoot on "mainside" the other side of base east of 95 if you can put 3 arrows in a 9" circle from 20-30 yds elevated. Can only hunt mainside M-F, its in the housing and PX areas. The tests are Tu/Th/Sa @ 1400, I am going to requal and get my MS pass again this year...

There is an archery 'center' not range about 1/4 mile inside the training areas where they do the qual. You need your pass...its $20 for the pass, so bring some cash or a check book. You will get a brown pass.

Check out here for more details

http://www.yotechs.com/QRGC_Forums/default.aspx

If you want think about the R&G let me know, I am a member and they are looking for new folks. We need some younger members, at 42 I am a spring chicken there! There is a ratio of Active Duty to Civilians they have to maintain, and I think you need a sponsor... I can take care of that.

 

Duce,
Phelps is defiantly beat to death in the later part of the year, I live right at Phelps and had never hunted it until this year. I spent 3 day pre-season scouting and only about 3 hours in the woods so far, but I was fortunate enough to see several deer in the short amount of time I had to hunt. If you like the Quantico thing you might also want to check out Fort A.P. Hill. Its a stout drive from the dulles area, but the base is 76,000 acers with about 50,000 open for hunting. Its managed the same way as Quantico, with only 1 hunter per 75 acers and limited access for vehicle travel.

 

I hunted Phelps for years and only killed 1 doe. I've been over a good portion of it from the main gate to the northern portions. From my experience it's a hard place to hunt successfully.

 

Well, I am now in the possession of a MCBQ Brown Pass. I'm really looking forward to trying out Quantico once I get another day or two off! Thanks for the suggestion, Shadow!

As for Phelps, I really like the idea of the late archery season, so I'm not giving up on it. Maybe the pressure will let up a bit then, and the cold weather and second rut will get the deer back on a more predictable schedule.

 

I'm in the Dulles area and I think I'll try out everyone's advice for Quantico. thanks!

 

Look into Belvoir also... You can bow hunt there until March.

The thought of a squirming gut pile kind of makes me hesitant to want to kill a doe that late however.

 

Thanks for all of the tips, guys. I cannot say how appreciative I am. I'm hoping you may have another ounce or two of advice you can share...

Now that I have my Quantico pass, I've been studying the hunting map they provided and also the online topo's to figure out which of the training areas to request a pass next week. I'm thinking the 17s look good since they are so close to crop land (unless the acorns are keeping them in the woods right now), and also like the looks of 6C. Any suggestions? I'm also guessing that a climbing tree stand is the way to go so I can pack it in / out each trip?

I'm planning to hunt either Thursday or Friday next week (maybe both?) and hope that even with my brown pass I can get one of my selected areas. I really don't have the time to scout heavily right now, so I'd like to focus this season on 1 or 2 or 3 areas to try to get to know them a bit before I branch out farther.

And FLMarine -- thanks for the advice on the Quantico Rod and Gun Club... I'm definitely interested!

 

I hunted 6C for youth day, spotted a few does, but my daughter chose the wrong time to stand up.

There are deer all over Quantico, and there is no pattern to what TA's are open and when since The Basic School (New Lieutenant School) and other organizations train as well as the area around the FBI.

I have a few favorites, 3, 5C, 15B (hunting there tomorrow), 15C, 17A and B and 10B. The further away you get from the game check the better usually. I have a green so I get first dibs, and I have never not been able to get into a TA I wanted in my top 3... Brett always seems to get what he wants. Fall there are many more openings then spring, for gobblers - Green and Blue get most of the passes it seemed.

you can also go by Range Control and they will give you a 1:50 topo map. I took mine and had it laminated at Staples for a few bucks, worth carrying with you if you don't know the TA.

Tomorrow is the last time I am able to hunt until I get back from a conference in Florida (at Disney, such a sacrifice!) Will be glad to take you around. Between hunting with Brett and turkey season this year I have learned a great deal about most of the TA's.

 

Another good thing you can do if you want to hunt the 17's is to park on the top of the base and enter from the northern part of the base Deuce. That will save you 30-40 minutes driving time in the mornings as you enter from the Dulles area.

Do you have a GPS Deuce?

I have NO problem sending you a detailed map of what I have found over the years on 17B. I have detailed topo coordinates and topo maps detailed up of the middle portion of the area (several hundred acres worth of scouting). I killed a decent 6 pointer of that area 6 years ago and hunted it a couple of times last year. One day, right around the time you will be hunting it this year I had 7-8 deer within range over the course of two hours on 17B. I am looking at the weather channel right now and they are predicting the same exact wind/temp conditions on Thursday of this week as I had last year during the second week of the season. I will send you a map if you want one buddy.

Brett

 

Florida Marine & Virginiashadow,
Do either of you hunt on mainside at QMB?

 

I do not. I believe Florida Marine does Matthews. I have a personal game between the area west of 1-95 and myself being played right now. I want to kill a big boy off that particular side. LOL.

 

I qualed last year and never did, the hours were stupid. This year I need to qual again and will since you can hunt sun up to sun down. Still only M-F and no holidays.