We only got to see one property this day, but at the same time we made the most amazing discovery. This was the epitome of rolling Virginia Hills. This looked like something out of a song from the soil, vegetation, and animal life throughout the surrounding and immediate areas. The water source was a man made lake but it was fed by a freshwater spring. There was no smell of damp rot and there was no spoil the the ground meaning there was enough of a flow to keep the water from being stagnant. I've never farmed in Virginia or done much hunting. This is going to be one of the biggest changes I've made in my life. I look forward to the challenges I face head on.
I took very few pics considering how much time I spent exploring the property. I took them from 2 angles and apologies for the unimpressive shots at this location. Just one shot of the house.
There were so many frogs chirping and croaking it was hard to hear anything else, Here's the only one that I could see that didn't immediately jump in the water to bury into the mud. You can see him around the center of the first picture facing right. He'll look like a little brown lump just under the gap of the two bushels of grass growing out of the water. There was a number of large fish, largemouth and stripers, patrolling the edge of the shallows to snatch up their prey. I can't wait to catch some of those fish top fry. I hope the frogs get big enough to eat. I do know that there are a number of very large crawfish in the stream about 100 yards from the back door. At least 5 in number a reached from the bottom of my thumb to pinky.
Here's a view of some of the land and the fresh water spring fed lake starting from the right going left from the back porch of the house. You can see where the spring comes from the ground and feeds into the lake. It's the first 2 pictures that clump of trees that make a line to the lake from the center of the picture is where the spring is. The last 2 pictures shows where the lake drains on the opposite side feeding into the patch of evergreens on the far left of the lake.
Here are a few more shots of the property taken by lake side. There is a clear game trail that surrounds the lake. The trail comes flanked by wild black and raspberry bushes on either side. We'll probably keep and herd them in order to have fruit and also a bramble patch for small game. There is a gravel road and telephone wires so doves are a given on this property. Also the deer blind left behind this passed season is a good indicator of wild game, and lazy hunters. I've always been told but never had the chance to hunt along side of an electrical cut through the forest. I plan on baiting the bottoms of the hills this season. I hope in Virginia I'll be able to remove a blueberry black bear from my bucket list.
This is where the fresh water spring flowing into the lake actually starts before trickling its way down to the actual lake.
A few paces from the spring there were deer prints in the grass. The freshest and most concentrated area of deer sign was the stream and the lake right by where the spring comes up. I dunno if the deer like the fresh water more or if it's bc the spring is the farthest point of the lake from the house. What ever it is that's where I'll be aiming to setup this fall.
The top picture have 3 kinds of wild game prints. If you look at my boot from left to right it goes deer, turkey, and then bobcat. The bobcat is the faintest if you see where my laces begin and go immediately to the right it should be right there. The print on the bottom picture belongs to a coyote.