Meadows in the Rocky Mountains are called “parks,” while grassy fields in the West Virginia’s high country are known as “sods.” The ultimate is the Dolly Sods Wilderness, which reaches over 4,000 feet with Canadian granite-style boulders and tundra-like blogs, creating the highest plateau East of the Mississippi. The sods are scattered throughout the nearly 1 million acres of the Monongahela National Forest, creating a deer hunt with all the adventure of a backcountry elk camp.
Sunny Skies at Last
The weather on West Virginia’s opener was lousy, yet the hunting was excellent, resulting in a large-bodied 6-point buck on opening day and a mature doe a day later. Our cabin rental ended on Monday at noon, and I asked a friend, Sam, to take me into the Monongahelia, where he had hunted for much of his life. With fair weather, we would have hunted the public tract on opening day; however, rain fell on Saturday and Sunday, prompting the use of covered blinds. With sunny skies predicted for Monday morning, we headed out at first light as much as a scouting trip as a serious hunt. I had a bear license, so there was a chance of bumping into a bruin in the process.
Where Are the Hunters?
We stayed at the Revelle Campground in Bowden, West Virginia, with the Monongahela National Forest within walking distance. Less than 10 minutes from our cabin, Sam turned onto an access road into the national forest, and we began winding our way up a gravel track. This was the opening weekend of the archery season, and I expected to see several pickups parked along the access roads. We entered the national forest at about 2,000 feet and drove up an additional 1,500 feet, parking at one of the sods that are often rented for cattle pasture during the summer, with the restriction that cattle must be removed by September 1. During our 10-minute drive, we passed no vehicles and found a Chevy parked by the sods. While we got our gear organized, a black Toyota passed us, looking like it was carrying hikers or campers.
Parked at a Pair Tree
After walking through a human-stylus gate that allowed people to enter but was too tight for cattle, we entered the sod that was newly fenced and walked toward the nearest timber patch. After about 10 minutes, I spotted what looked like an apple tree, but turned out to be a pear tree with plenty of fruit on the ground. Back home, deer and bears love pears, and I was excited to find such a good food source so quickly. Sam agreed to meet me at the truck in two hours, and he took his custom recurve for a walk and stalk, his favorite form of hunting.
Sit or Scout?
As exciting as the pair tree was, there was no fresh scat and only a few pears eaten. I sat 35 yards downwind of the tree and waited for an hour, hoping a bear would come to feed. Since a barbed wire fence bordered the sod, I chose to walk along it and look for fresh sign. Often, animals travel along a fence until they can find an access point, and at the first corner I came to, I found one. The new fence would be difficult for some deer to jump over, and bears would likely avoid the barbs. At the corner, I could see where animals passed under the wire. Wow, what an ambush point. If I had an extra day, I’d have spent the afternoon right here.
Only Two Bears?
Arriving back at the truck, Sam was talking to an elderly man in the Chevy who had been hunting with his crossbow. During the brief chat, Sam mentioned that he had seen two bears, a small one at close range and a much larger one at several hundred yards as it passed through the sod. “I thought I was going to pack one out for you,” he laughed, but the bear must have passed nearby my location or came to eat pears as soon as I left.
Adventure Unlimited
Adventure hunts in the West and North have become increasingly expensive. A moose hunt costs about what I paid for my first house: the Rocky Mountains offer a chance to explore remote areas, climb mountains, and view vast vistas. Ironically, the Monongahela National Forest has the same challenge, and access is free; you don’t need a guide, and most roads provide access to trails that are closed to motorized vehicles. The Monongahelia has lots of rhododendron, which makes excellent cover for deer and bears, yet is a nightmare for hunters to travel through. The trick is to find an oak flat with dense cover nearby and be patient. A West Virginia hunting license with tags for multiple deer, turkeys, small game, and a bear costs less than $400. Best of all, the Big Mo is lightly hunted. On the third day of the season, I spotted one hunter and, with less than an hour of scouting, discovered two promising hunting spots.