Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting west virginia monongahela national forest Deer hunt

Oh we have plenty of steep and gnarly, too much for a geezer like me. I think there’s something like 1.4 million acres of public land. There are some real boomers for the stick and string crowd in the four archery-only counties near Charleston. Some of them wander out now and then to the surrounding areas. I saw a head from Raleigh County in the back of a truck that was simply a crusher, maybe the biggest I’ve ever seen in person.

Oh yes! Those 4 WV bow only counties produce some bruisers for sure, a hunting buddy killed a 169" 11 point in Wyoming Co. last year...If I had the time I would go Myself but you can only hunt so many places every Fall and I spend My time in Ohio and Kentucky....For now...Hb

Forgot about this thread.
It went pretty well. I got a small forkie to get us on the board the 3rd day and missed a bear. My boys had fun and my oldest should have killed a bear. Lots to tell but too sleepy to write it now, will come back to this tomorrow.

MM

We poked around in there last year and came across two Game Wardens. After a nice conversation, they told us of the lack of mast and how bad the population was down and recommended we try another area. We saw nothing at the recommended area. This is the same I've heard from others. I think I'm finally getting the hint. No deer here....wink

Please do. I especially want to hear about how you missed a bear, so I can do the same if I ever see one here😜

So we headed out the Sunday before the opener, and by we I mean my two sons and myself. We drove down from Pa and headed to a big section of the monongahela where we would have plenty of room to roam and stretch our legs. We stayed in a cabin I found on the web. Cabin was great with my only complaint being it HAD Wi-Fi, not that the boys minded. Got there kind of late so no time to scout around but I had picked some likely spots e-scouting.
First day: my e-scouting was right on. We hiked in 3.5 miles on a trail and then bushwhacked down into valley and hunted our way back. Lots of deer sign, scrapes, trails and a few sightings. The problem was what I could not recognize online was how thick the area was, never could see more than 75 yards. Boys were frustrated and the going was tough, actually got cliffed out while trying to follow the valley back towards the truck and had to go back up to get around. Did not expect that. Right towards the end of the grind a bear darts in front of us abs runs up a steep bank very thick vegetation abs we couldn’t shoot, I knew when he created out there might be a shot. When he did he paused and I touched one off. Apparently still a little too thick and a couple small saplings saved his life. Once the adrenaline came down and I replayed the events in my head I realized it was a pretty small bear and was actually glad I missed.
Day 2: went to another area and was relieved to find lots of oak, lots of mast and in places we could sit and watch openings 2-300 yards. Multiple deer sightings but no horns.
Day 3: Moved again and we found our spot to really hunt there. Mix of thicker vegetation and large oak flats and side hills. Saw deer right off the bat on our hike in, about 2.5 miles off the main road all foot traffic. Found a good point to sit on and watch a side hill where I could see 2-300 yards. 1/2 hour later a little forky got too close and our camp needed a boost in morale so he got to take a ride in my pack.
Best story from day 3 was that a bear walked within 10 yards of my son and he plain forgot he had a gun, never seen a bear in the wood and his mind short circuited. When I came by to get him on the way back to the truck he told me the whole story and he just couldn’t understand why he didn’t shoot. It’s a memory he’ll carry the rest of his life.
Day 4, last day. Hunted most of the day, few deer sightings with one missed shot, kind of long by my middle boy on a “buck” meaning it had horns but he couldn’t tell me how big.

Take away from the hunt is that deer density is low compared to where I hunt in Pa. My oldest actually asked me why people don’t take hunting trips to where we hunt from West Virginia. I told him to keep his mouth shut and don’t tell any of those hillbillies and darn thing 😉. It was a great trip for the boys, but I think they are a bit young yet to appreciate hunting all day to see a couple deer when back home you will see 10x that. What they did appreciate was seeing 2 groups of doe not even run as we walked up to them when we were way back in off trail, almost as though they didn’t know what we were. They just kind of walked off when we got a little too close and fed away. I’ll go back at some point, I loved the remoteness and the number of bear we saw, and we actually did see a huge buck cross the road in front of us one morning so I know they are there just few and far between.

MM

Sounds like a great trip MM.

Except for the wifi!

I was borned and raised in the town it self. Monongahela.Just a little north of where MD and WV meet at the PA border.Back in the 50's, to see a deer was a rare sight and we always went up to Clinton County to hunt.My son and brother still live there.Today, deer are like long legged rats.They are every where. They tear up shrubs,gardens and it a rare sight not to see 2-3 killed every night along the roads.

Right before I left PA in 64, I was traveling along between Renova and State College. A doe deer jumped off a bank,cleared the other lane and landed on the hood of my 56 Chevy. It totaled the hood, both fenders, and cracked the windshield. Luckily it did not get the radiator and I was able to drive the Chevy home

A bear, like gold, is apparently where you find it. We’ve had a couple visit our subdivision in the past, though I missed seeing them. I did find a large scat pile in October, right on the trail in my WMA, but never saw the bear or more poop. He was probably there for the acorns. Lots of deer here and in adjoining Clarke County, VA, but places to hunt are hard to find other than the small WMA (about 1400 acres) I hunt. Not far west of here are larger public areas, but you also get into the CWD zones, which means you have to debone your deer before you leave the county. Last I checked, Hampshire County had the largest kill, for years apparently. I like the convenience of hunting 15 minutes from home, so I suffer the small WMA and the number of non-hunters that use it for their fun.

There is an interesting opportunity in Hardy County, a 6000 acre tract that only allows MLs during the regular firearms season. A warden told me that the area gets little pressure since that restriction was put in place and there are some nice bucks in there as a result. Might visit it next year. It is in the CWD area. Plenty of bears too. (This info may be out of date, as it’s been a few years since I gathered it). The area is Wilson Cove, and the woods I saw on my sole trip there were very nice.

Great story MM! Thanks for sharing....I love hunting deep woods public land but as I am getting older it is starting to take its toll on my back and hips, I will still do it as long as I can though, its the way I have hunted all my life .....Pappy, if you want to kill a bear in Virginia try Bath Co. or really any of the western counties that border Ky or WV. Bears are more than plentyful here they are really a nuisance, you cant even hang a trail camera without it being mauled and ruined by one of the bastids... Good luck I hope you kill a dozen of them 👍......Hb

Can you tell me the years of those heavy snows? Thanks a lot.

Not really sure I want to kill one anywhere, especially a mile or so back in the pucker-brush😱. I have the same problem you do with my old bones. If I ever see one, I’ll decide then, I guess. My neighbor, who hunts about three miles from here in Clarke
County, has a trail cam pic of a pretty nice one, and close to the road too!

I get a free bear stamp with my WV lifetime license, and VA thinks too highly of theirs. Unless I get another private land opportunity in VA, I likely won’t hunt there. My son belongs to a club with 1000 acres, but it’s too far away.

If you have ever boned one out( deer or bear) it is a life altering experience. I put the whole buck’s bone out meat and head in my pack, and while not light it wasn’t that bad to carry a couple miles. That same trek dragging would have been hell. If you can walk a couple miles with no problem then splitting the load wouldn’t be bad at all. It opens up the areas you can hunt if that is how you get the game out.
I shot a buck in the Allegheny state park in lower New York State, ended up dragging it 3.4 miles( gps tracked). I will never and I mean never hunt that park again without a backpack to carry them out. Same in WV.

That’s been my plan if I ever get anything of size. I have a packframe and gamebags, and now that I finally have a pickup, I have room to keep that stuff handy. Also bought one of the plastic boats that duck hunters use, so I can get just about anything that’s been boned in one trip.

Those long tough drags are something best remembered, not experienced!

Hello all who is heading to WV Monongaheala forest for deer rifle? How did you do last year?