| Author |
Message |
McCaslin
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 01, 2002 - 10:00 pm: | |
I have a week of vacation from May 6-May 11 and have been planning a trip to western Virginia to hunt/camp/fish. I had planned to hike into Hidden Valley along the special trout reg area(where I once saw a 26 inch rainbow caught), and hike from there into the mountains to hunt. However, after reading the post about Back Creek I have started to reconsider. I've never turkey hunted either spot and I was wondering what those of you who better know the area would recommend. Whatever specifics you would be willing to give would be helpful.
If you have info and would rather email or you would like to meet up for a hunt, please send me an email at srevans3@yahoo.com
This is my favorite part of Virginia. My fiancee and I are getting married at the Homestead in September and I'm going fishing the day of the wedding.
McCaslin |
mudfork
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 01, 2002 - 11:05 pm: | |
Here's an idea. Since you've made plans for the Hidden Valley area, make that your focus, but drive over and check out Back Creek. I'm more familiar with Back Creek than Hidden Valley, but I don't think the drive between the two is too far. I had a great trip to Back Creek the last time I was there, but it has been a few years. The trout stream at Back Creek has been put under delayed harvest regulations, so check up on that. As far as hunting goes, here's a few specifics to check out. Drive north up Back Creek to just past the VA Power campground. After you cross a bridge, you should shortly see a gate on your right (bridge is between lower pump storage reservior and campground). There are pretty good hiking roads back into the woods from the gate that take you back in behind the campground. This area has lots of pretty saddles and flats and is pretty easy to travel in, not too rugged. For a more rugged hunt, follow the main road on past the bridge for a mile or so more until you see two powerlines coming across the lake off the plant. There are good hiking roads under both lines. Expect this area to be thicker and steeper. Another spot is still farther north for a few more miles around the Bath/Highland county line. There are several pull offs in that area where national forest fronts the road. This area has it all, flats, saddles, cove hollows, laurel thickets. I have encountered turkeys in all of these areas. If you hunt and fish during the week, expect it to be all yours. Enjoy and be sure to post here what you experience on your trip. |
Tburt
| | Posted on Thursday, May 02, 2002 - 12:38 pm: | |
This is/was my favorite part of Virginia too. I grew up in Covington when I was younger and have since spent a lot of time in Bath and Alleghany County. Unfortunately, I have been hunting my spots in and around the two areas you speak of in the last three weeks. I have heard no gobbles at all around Hidden Valley (and I put some miles on my boots with those mountains and ridges), and when I was over at Back creek, the place was loaded with hunters. I crossed paths with an older gentleman from PA who has been coming down to hunt Back Creek Mtn for years before the season opens up there in his home state, both from the pump storage side, and Hidden Valley side, and he commented on 'how he has never seen so many people as before this year and how they have really been working them hard'-that was the first week to 10 days of the season. Good luck if you go, the water was a little high last week, but there were fish biting. Have a great time at the Homestead, you should stop in Sam's Sneads Tavern, that place is great. Ole Sammy might even be in there having a cold one, I talked to a waitress in there last time, and she said he was typically there 3-4 times a week--he turned 90 back in March I believe! Good luck the rest of the season. |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Thursday, May 02, 2002 - 11:16 pm: | |
Tburt, Sounds like Back Creek has been victimized by the "power of the internet." I hunt an area in the Appalachians that used to be awesome -- little pressure and lots of birds. The area has since been "advertised" on several web sites, and now it is ruined. Opening week there were non-residents (from New York and Penn.) camping and running every ridgetop. Want to ruin a good hunting area -- mention it on the internet. |
|