By Luca Pfeiffer/DWR Photos by Luca Pfeiffer/DWR It was a cold winter morning, and I was home in Virginia Beach for the holidays, staking out the bald eagles nesting at my favorite local wildlife photography spot, Stumpy Lake Natural Area. I watched in awe …
By Matt Reilly Photos by Matt Reilly The Whitethorne Boat Ramp on Virginia’s New River is undoubtedly the ancient river’s most popular access within the Old Dominion, and for good reason. Just a short drive from Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Roanoke, the …
By Justin Folks/DWR The George Washington and Jefferson National Forests span nearly 1.7 million acres in our Commonwealth, providing Virginians ample space to explore the wild. In order to hunt, fish, or trap on National Forest lands in Virginia, one must …
By CPO Eric Dotterer/DWR for Whitetail Times Seasoned hunters are not immune to the gut-wrenching feelings of defeat. Whether it be missing a shot at a big buck, finding out a prized deer was harvested on a neighboring property, or worse yet, losing one to …
By Bruce Ingram Photos by Bruce Ingram One of the biggest issues facing gamebirds such as turkeys, grouse, and quail, as well as ground-nesting songbirds, is the scarcity (and sometimes even void) of brooding and nesting habitat. This problem is why many …
By Carl Tugend/DWR Wildlife biologists with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) have a blueprint for managing the Commonwealth’s black bear (Ursus americanus) populations in the DWR Bear Management Plan. It’s a plan that’s created with …
By Stephen Living/DWR Photos by Stephen Living/DWR A big part of appreciating the habitats around us can come from understanding what plants make up those habitats. Virginia has an incredible diversity of habitats and plant species, including more than 350 …
By Alex McCrickard/DWR Photos by Alex McCrickard/DWR Are you tidal river curious? Maybe you’re interested in learning how to fish big tidal water but perhaps intimidated by its size? Early winter can be a peaceful time to explore Virginia’s tidal …
The Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) is seeking public comments on a plan to establish a water access site on the South Fork Holston River in Washington County. The comment period is open Monday, December 11 – Sunday, December 24, 2023. The proposed …
By Molly Kirk/DWR Photos by John Bralley John Bralley of Draper, Virginia, has hunted off and on his whole life, but hadn’t hunted seriously for more than 20 years until this fall a friend convinced him to go out again. “We went on a couple of hunts …
By Bruce Ingram for Whitetail Times It was the first Saturday in January and the last day of both the bow and late muzzleloader seasons. With a goal of putting one more doe in the freezer, I considered my options. Among them were bringing a smokepole and …
By Josiah Donaldson Photos by Josiah Donaldson When the deer meat is already in the freezer and most folks think about firing up the snow blower, the duck action is just heating up in Virginia! Ducks are migratory birds. One duck may start their journey in …
By Kristy Fike Photos by Anna Swerczek Our blinds are licensed and brushed. We’ve fine-tuned our calls and our four-legged hunting partners. After scouring stores in-person and online, we were finally able to stock up on shells. Our travel mugs are ready …
By John Page Williams Photos by Meghan Marchetti/DWR Preparing modern outboard rigs for winter storage is important to making sure they’re healthy and ready to go in spring. However, for those of us who aren’t ready to put ours away yet—whether for fishing …
By John Page Williams Photos by John Page Williams Surry County’s Gray’s Creek is a gem with state Scenic River status hiding in plain sight directly across the James River from Jamestown and hard by the southern terminus of the Virginia Department of …
By Bruce Ingram Photos by Bruce Ingram Recently, I received an email from an angler who was concerned about the low fall flows on the Rappahannock River. So on the Rap as well as other Virginia rivers, how much do skinny water conditions affect smallmouth …
By Dr. Peter Brookes Photos by Dr. Peter Brookes I was fortunate enough to have scored a Chesapeake Bay Slam (redfish/sea trout/striper) in Virginia waters. Indeed, I’ve been known to eat a Breakfast Slam (pancakes/eggs/bacon) from time to time. But I had …
By Jackie Rosenberger/DWR It’s hard to believe another year has passed and Virginia’s second managed elk hunt, held the third week of October, has come to a close. This hunt was another huge success thanks to an army of landowners, volunteers, Virginia …
By Ron Messina/DWR The big bull emerges from heavy fog into the blood-orange glow of sunrise. This is no ordinary elk, but the half-ton, undisputed King of the Mountain. With his gigantic crown of antlers aglow in the light, this “8×10”—eight tines on one …
By Kristy Fike Experienced waterfowl hunters often enjoy sharing their passion of decoying birds, wet dogs, and the social banter of the blind with others. However, they are used to all the elements of waterfowl hunting (cold weather, slow days, mud, etc …
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