Hunting & Fishing Virginia deer hunting: need advice

[ZLBubba]

I just finished reading Virginia's hunting regs and couldn't make sense out of a few parts. Here's my issue: my best friend's family owns a 160 acre farm in Stafford County that has never been hunted. Stafford's season is from Nov 13-Jan 1. They have a few "Either sex deer hunting" days during that time, but I can't figure out what that means. Does that mean it doesn't matter what sex you have your tag for, you can shoot it?

Also, is it possible to get degradation permits since his family's land has some, albeit minor, damage from deer populations?

If worse comes to worse, I'll just buy the non-resident tag and the bonus deer tags and hunt. I wanted to make sure his family didn't have an unclaimed allotment to harvest deer without having to obtain tags. Thanks for the help.

 

[Shootinsurveyor]

Re: Virginia deer hunting: need advice

Either sex days mean any deer you see can be taken. You would just use a doe tag if you shoot a deer and a buck tag for a buck. Crop damage permits aren't usually valid during hunting season. Hunting season rules apply to those until after or before the season.

 

[ZLBubba]

Re: Virginia deer hunting: need advice

I plan on getting both the non-resident deer tag, plus the bonus anterless tag. That should let me take, ideally, 1 buck and 6 does during the course of the season if I read the regs correctly. Are either sex days for when you have a tag for one sex when an opportunity for the other sex presents itself?

 

[cavscout1983]

Re: Virginia deer hunting: need advice

ZL- <span style="text-decoration: line-through">Either sex means you can take any deer regardless of the sex in relation to your tag. See it, shoot it, eat it.</span> Not in Virginia apparently the way I am reading whitetailnut's post.

Does only on either sex days? Sounds more like doe only day to me?

Just did a read through the regs and yeah, the VA hunting regs are highly unclear on that either sex thing and how to implement it.

Perhaps I am not reading it correctly. My method involved various permutations of "either sex" and "deer" via ctrl+F in the pdf of the regs.

confusing.

 

[ZLBubba]

Re: Virginia deer hunting: need advice

Cav, that's one crazy ass video you've got there.

 

[whitetailnut]

Re: Virginia deer hunting: need advice

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ZLBubba</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I plan on getting both the non-resident deer tag, plus the bonus anterless tag. That should let me take, ideally, 1 buck and 6 does during the course of the season if I read the regs correctly. Are either sex days for when you have a tag for one sex when an opportunity for the other sex presents itself? </div></div>

Stafford is east of the blue ridge. If the the non-resident license has the same # of tags as the resident license then you should be able to take 3 bucks and 3 does in an ideal situation. If so when you buy your licenses you will see that it will have 6 tags for deer:

1 deer of either sex east of blue ridge only (buck or doe tag)
2 deer of either sex tags (buck or doe tags)
3 deer anterless only tags (doe tags)

I wouldn't buy the bonus tags till you run out of all your tags. Bonus tags are for does only! Just remember to use your anterless only tags first if you happen shoot some does before you shoot a buck. Don't burn a either sex tag on a doe till your out of antlerless only tags.
If you want to shoot does it has to be on either sex only days. Which appear to be November 20, November 27, and December 4-January 1

 

[ZLBubba]

Re: Virginia deer hunting: need advice

PM sent

 

[Tripwire]

Re: Virginia deer hunting: need advice

For adults age 16 and over "Either Sex Days" translate to "Doe Days" in local speak as in years past, in this county for example, there were usually only 2 or 3 days during rifle season that you could kill a doe. Some counties, like this one have gone to "either sex" for the entire rifle season lately. What this means for either sex days is that if it's brown it's down, should you choose to do that. On an either sex day both bucks and does are legal. Any day not designated as "either sex" means that only bucks are legal.

Here, bucks and does are legal during early bow season. During early muzzleloader season it's bucks only except for maybe one or two "either sex" days, usually on a Saturday. During rifle here, as already said, it's either sex for the whole two weeks. During late muzzleloader it's usually bucks only until the last week and then is "either sex". It goes by county for the most part in the specifics but zones tend to follow the same general rules. West of the Blue Ridge has different rules than East of the Blue Ridge.

With regard to tags...you get antlerless only tags and either sex tags on your big game license. Antlerless only tags are for doe and the either sex tags cover either bucks OR doe, depending on what's legal on the day you are hunting. Burning an either sex tag on a doe with "antlerless only" tags still in hand is crazy. Bonus Tags are generally for use on Private Land and are for doe only. You can buy as many bonus tags as you can stand to fool with.

 

[whitetailnut]

Re: Virginia deer hunting: need advice

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CavScout1983</div><div class="ubbcode-body">ZL- <span style="text-decoration: line-through">Either sex means you can take any deer regardless of the sex in relation to your tag. See it, shoot it, eat it.</span> Not in Virginia apparently the way I am reading whitetailnut's post.

Does only on either sex days? Sounds more like doe only day to me?

</div></div>

You are right. I should have worded it better. You can shoot either sex on either sex days. I just meant that the either sex days are the only days you can shoot does.Anymore our deer hunting regs change a lot every year as the Game Dept tries to get a handle on the deer herd. The deer are everywhere.

Within the next decade they will have the same problem with bear. They are starting to show up in places that people have never seen them before. I have seen more bear and heard more people talk about seeing bear then ever before.

 

[Tripwire]

Re: Virginia deer hunting: need advice

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: whitetailnut</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Within the next decade they will have the same problem with bear. They are starting to show up in places that people have never seen them before.</div></div>

Yep, like the hay shed where I hung my muzzleloader buck last year.

Damn bears.........

 

[ZLBubba]

Re: Virginia deer hunting: need advice

Wow, I didn't know the VA bear population was growing so quickly. May have to try to hunt those some year as well.

Emailed my buddy today to get his ass in gear for hunting this season. His wife wants to come up to the farm with us... not if I have anything to say about it. Oh well, at least it's land to hunt on.