The end of an era.

[DuckHunt]

Today was a day I knew was coming and I knew I would be disappointed. Back in 2004 I was invited by a friend to hunt on a small piece of private property in Loudoun County, Virginia. It was small. 26 acres total until you subtract the part that is yard, lake, home, shed and work building. Then you are really looking at about 15 acres of woods much of which is too close to the house to hunt. So really, about 8 acres on top of a hill is all you have.

Since 2004 I have taken 39 deer from this little piece of heaven with 15 being antlered bucks. Virginia started allowing crossbows in 2005. I bought my ExoMax in 2006 and have taken 16 deer with it on this little parcel in five years. The hunting memories I will take from 'The Log' will be remembered forever. My first crossbow kill turned into a double within thirty minutes. Later that afternoon my young son took his first deer with my Exomax. Not ten minutes later, he also turned it into a double. We had four down in one day. My three largest bucks were all taken there. A 9-point and an 8-point with my Exomax and a big 9 with black powder. It has been a hunters dream to hunt there.

Today I made my final trek up the mountain and retrieved all of my gear. It was a challenge hauling out almost 300 pounds of gear, but some ingenuity and a dear cart that has never really been useful worked out rather well. I really think we owe it to the landowners to leave things as we found them. I wanted to take everything out that I have brought in over the years. It was the least that I could do. I also made it a point to stop and talk with the landowner and let him know of my plans for this to be my last season hunting his property.

See, in January a deer was killed near Gore, Virginia some 40 miles away as the crow flies. That deer tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease, CWD. That single deer added Virginia to the list of states known to have deer test positive for CWD. Although the laws differ slightly from state to state and between provinces, generally you are not allowed to transport a deer carcass from a state where CWD has been detected to another state. This is done to help control the spread of the disease between herds. The deer must first be processed or completely boned out before it can be transported to an adjacent state. Antlers can only leave the state with a shiny clean skull plate.

This rule is meant to protect the herds of each state and I agree with them for the most part. It really doesn't impact residents of Virginia. It does however impact non-residents who live just over the border. Loudoun County doesn't have many deer processors. Most of them charge around $70 or higher to process a deer. I can justify the $240 a year in license fees because of the quantity of deer I can bring to the table. But if you add $70 per deer, it quickly becomes cost prohibitive. An average six deer year would cost me $660 in license and processing alone. Factor in broadheads and arrows and you really get into big bucks. I'm not really losing access to my hunting spot, I'm just being regulated out of it.

It really is the end of an era for me. See, West Virginia currently does not allow use of crossbows without having a disability. Many of our rules are in the stone ages and they seldom ever make any changes to the benefit of hunters. So I don't expect my crossbow to be legalized in West Virginia any time soon. I haven't decided yet if I will want to sell it or just let it sit for a while. I'm sure Excalibur will have some shiny new models available should I ever get the opportunity again.

DuckHunt

[vixenmaster]

Thats sad fer you & its sad fer me. I enjoy yer hunting storys & the kills you made there. Mo. only allows Disabled with permit to use CB's, so i don't knowed if'en i am lucky to be Disabled! Like W Va., Mo. isn't wanting to change its archery laws either.

[vrodman]

What sucks is it was first discovered just across the state line from Gore in West Virginia. That means you could shoot one there and take it home with no problem and that's where the highest concentration of cases have been found. I live in the same county as Gore but the I 81 corridor is the dividing line for testing. I live on the east side of it. Loudoun is no where close to it IMHO. It's not really that difficult to bone one out. You could do that while they are hanging from tree and then take it home. Good luck and sorry. Man I wish I could find a place over there. Thats deer heaven

[wabi]

Sorry to hear of your being regulated out of a great hunting opportunity.

Sad part is that it's really a lot of guesswork on the government officials & biologists part that such measures will have any effect on stopping the spread of disease.
I'd guess a lot higher risk comes from the natural spread through the deer population itself, than you hauling a carcass a short trip home on the other side of the state line.

I've often wondered if it could be spread by something like ticks or mosquitoes. Seem like a logical possibility to me.

[Mr. Dynamite]

I've often wondered if it could be spread by something like ticks or mosquitoes. Seem like a logical possibility to me

Wabi, that is a good thought. I wonder if serious research has been given to this possibility.

When it was first discovered the research facility had all the deer taken out and it was cleaned, but when deer were brought back in they also contracted it. I wonder what their process was to clean the facility? And like you said about ticks and mosquitoes carrying it, they would not all be killed, and when animals come back in, parasite populations go back up too. I imagine that even fleas could carry the disease too. Look at what fleas did to Europe with the "Black Death" in the middle ages. Little bugs carry more than we suspect. I remember reading an article by Charles Alsheimer where he said he had scoffed at Lyme disease until he was bit by a black fly (I think it was) and got it from that fly.

It would be good to hear some solid evidence and a plan for this disease, rather than, as you also said, "a lot of guesswork on the government officials & biologists part." Look at all the states that have banned bating. And now look at our province that has banned real deer lures, allowing only artificial (for fear that the real might come from a contaminated farm)...and probably we will soon loose bating too. And all of this is speculation and legation while the disease continues to spread unchecked.

The worst part is that now, in the are this post is the subject of, they are loosing hunters. Fewer hunters means increased deer population, and increased deer population is the only thing that seems to connect the cases of CWD, meaning that now there is a higher chance for more deer to have CWD...

Sounds like things are going to get worse before they get better for you guys down south.

[secret]

I feel for you! i just drove by a place that i have been hunting for 27 years and found it posted!!! Signs stating due to the damage that quads have done to my property no hunting period! dont ask its no!!!!

[bob1961]

PA has a law where you can bring deer home from those states that have CWD....just can't bring any part of the spinal cord/brain home with you....CWD wouldn't stop me from hunting that spot you have had all those years........bob

....

[hikerman]

Do a search here on the Alaska methode of butchering or cleaning a deer.

Why not de bone the deer in the feilds wrap in cheese cloth?

I would figure out a way. Don't give up on that spot, no one that good!

[OkXbowHunter]

Hey DuckHunt, I feel for ya! So sad to hear that story. A double loss.

Like others have said, I think I'd just debone the buggers in the field. and take 'em home. Saw off the antlers just leaving the skull cap...of course I don't know the specific laws, but it's a bad situation.

Hope you have a change of heart and figure something out. I'll miss your stories!

[gerald strine]

You need to learn to butcher , keep a vacation day in reserve kill a deer call in the sick/vacation day butcher the deer and take it home.
Or move

[vrodman]

I'll make it easy on ya. Lets hunt it together and I'll debone the first few for you in trade for permission to hunt. You know they're worse than flys there .

[agingcrossbower]

Really a sad story and a shame you had to leave. Change is always a constant is'nt it. I hope you find a solution to what happened. You will always have great memories in your mind and trophies to look at on the wall. Best of luck to you.

[OMC-MOOSE]

Yep I definitely say skin and de-bone your kills in the field! I used to do it that way before I owned a quad just to save having to drag the deer entirely uphill (VERY STEEP) from where I hunt to my vehicle. I packed an entire deer out on my back with my Nimrod pack system, not to mention when you do get it home there is less to deal with, NO processing costs and you've handled your game from field to freezer and know exactly how it was handled (which I really like). I think it adds to the pleasure of the overall hunt AND best-of-all in your case...YOU GET TO KEEP HUNTING YOUR CURRENT LOCATION!

[Pydpiper]

Sad story, I hope it all works out in the end.

[frisky]

DuckHunt
Sad story, I feal your pain. The property I hunt is getting over run over by sub divisions. Every year I say this is the last , and every year one more buck passes through the property The owner is 84 years old and could leave us at anytime That 20 acers have been good to me!