I'd do more ground hunting if I could. But I prefer to hunt with a rifle when I can. We have counties here in Virginia where you have to elevated 10 or more feet to use a rifle, otherwise its a shotgun affair only. Some of my favorite places to hunt have this restriction. Otherwise, I'd be in my makeshift ground blind.
Wow, that's interesting.
Yep, some of the central Virginia and eastern counties have that restriction. Some say 10 feet, some say 15 feet. These are local ordinances, not state laws. For instance, Cumberland County where the Cumberland State Forest is requires you to be at least 10 feet up to use a rifle on or near public land.
It is unlawful to hunt deer during the regular
hunting season with a rifle of .23 caliber or
larger either on public lands or in the area of
the county bordered to the north by the James
River, to the west by Route 602 from the Willis
River, and to the south by Route 45 and Route
684 to the county line (generally known as
Cartersville Historic District); except from
a tree stand elevated at least 10 feet above
the ground. It shall be lawful to hunt with a
muzzleloading rifle from the ground or from
a tree stand elevated to any height.
The western mountain counties usually go by state law, which is pretty liberal. Many central counties allow rifles, but some require you to be in a tree stand. The further east you get, the harder it is to find a place you can hunt with a rifle at any height, though there are some exceptions. Muzzle loaders are a major exception and most counties allow you to use those throughout the season at any height. I believe we still have a couple of areas requiring buckshot.
![[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]](https://i.imgur.com/kl0ojCj.jpg)