Bingo.
Many public hunting areas are frequented by other folks for various reasons, not all of which are "wholesome". Suffice to say that it is prudent to take steps to protect yourself and your family when afield as allowed by law and sometimes, perhaps, beyond that. In this area, WV and VA, we are allowed to carry concealed in parks and WMAs if licensed, except for administrative areas that are essentially police or ranger stations. I always carry and also, when hiking, carry a stout wooden staff that is somewhere between a cudgel and a quarterstaff. Those wispy little ski poles hikers tend to carry these days aren't heavy enough for whacking purposes, although some may qualify as "pointed sticks" by Monty Python.
Virginia has taken the sensible step of requiring people to have a permit to access public hunting and fishing properties. Although designed, I'm sure, to raise revenue, it also would tend to discourage ne'er-do-wells from casually roaming around in some remote spots where they might feel free to do bad stuff.
