Hidden Valley Wildlife Management Area is a 6,400-acre (26 km) Wildlife Management Area in Washington County, Virginia , along its border with Russell County . The area is typified by mountainous mature hardwood forests that have regenerated on land logged in the early twentieth century; a number of small openings which are also maintained as habitat for local wildlife. Its elevation ranges from 2,000 to 4,000 feet (610 to 1,220 m) above sea level. At the head of the valley is the 60-acre (24 ha) Hidden Valley Lake , which serves as the source of Brumley Creek .
8-488: Hidden Valley Wildlife Management Area is owned and maintained by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries . The area is open to the public for hunting, trapping, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, boating, and primitive camping. The game species available include deer, bear, turkey, waterfowl, squirrel, raccoon, bobcat and grouse. The deer are few and far between but mature bucks can be found especially during
16-493: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources is a department of the government of the U.S. state of Virginia that regulates wildlife conservation . The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries was created on June 17, 1916, under the Commission of Fisheries with M.D. "Mac" Hart appointed as Secretary of
24-525: The Department was separated from the Commission of Fisheries and reorganized into the Commission of Game and Inland Fisheries chaired by A. Willis Robertson. In 1928 the Commission of Game and Inland Fisheries was given sole authority to shorten hunting seasons, removing the privilege from the localities to adjust their own season. In 1982, Virginia Game Wardens were given full law enforcement authority. In 1987,
32-622: The Department. A Virginia hunting license was established as one of the primary sources of funding as the agency is fully self-sufficient and receiving no financial support from the state treasury. From 1903 until this point the Game Wardens had been administered by each locality. In 1920, the first Virginia State Game Farm of 1200 acres was established at Windsor Shades in New Kent County . In 1923, Mrs B. M. Miller and Mrs. C. E. Sykes are recognized among Virginia's first women game wardens. In 1926,
40-535: The commission's name returns to become the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries . On July 1, 2020, the Department's name was changed to Department of Wildlife Resources . The law enforcement officers of the department have the title conservation police officer . Conservation police officers enforce Virginia laws relating to hunting, fishing, and boating; conduct patrols in cars, aircraft, all-terrain vehicles , and boats , and on foot; and investigate tips from
48-542: The dam. The lake is very clear and the best fishing is with live crawfish caught in the creek. A boat launch is available on the north side of Hidden Valley Lake. Access for persons 17 years of age or older requires a valid hunting or fishing permit, a current Virginia boat registration, or a WMA access permit. This article related to a protected area in Virginia is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Washington County, Virginia state location article
56-455: The public. Virginia conservation police officers are also appointed as deputy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service special agents , which allows them to investigate (and cross state lines to investigate) suspected violations of federal wildlife laws. Virginia game wardens were first appointed in 1903. The title was changed to "conservation police officer" in 2007. Since the establishment of the department, eleven officers have died while on duty. In
64-402: The rut. Bear are abundant along with bobcats and other furbearers. Turkey and squirrel hunting are very poor but the area boasts a large grouse population. Dogs will have little trouble finding birds, they are easiest to find holding tight to rhododendron patches. Fishing opportunities include small and largemouth bass, walleye, pike and panfish. Small trout can be caught as well in the creek below
#670329