The tell-tale signs of deer hunting season are showing up all around us: the days are getting shorter and the nights cooler, faint splashes of color are beginning to dot neighborhood trees, and soon the smokey smells of lit fireplaces will fill the evening air, as hunters prepare venison stew with the remaining strips of last year's harvest, and get ready to fill the freezer with the bounty from this season's annual rite of autumn.  Such scenes are not just reserved for rural America. In fact, the areas in and around Ashburn and Loudoun County are rich in hunting heritage, and provide some …

Let's face it, Northern Virginia is, and always will be, a very transient area. A lot of residents are not from here originally and may only stay temporarily. For the nomadic fisherman who now makes his home in Ashburn, this can pose all sorts of challenges. Beloved home fishing waters have been left behind, lures and tactics that worked across the country are foreign here, and perhaps the reliable fishing boat was a casualty of the move to Virginia. Fear not ye wandering fishermen of suburbia, for there are many fishing clubs and organizations in the area that provide opportunities to pair …

The Ashburn landscape is covered with lakes and ponds. In nearly every community from Ashburn Village to Brambleton, old farm ponds and lakes, installed to control storm water runoff, are populated with fish of all shapes and sizes. These bodies of water provide great opportunities for residents to enjoy the great outdoors and possibly land a trophy fish. But as I learned on a recent fishing trip in a nearby community, sometimes a day on the water can be ruined even if you've done nothing wrong.  Two weeks ago, I was enjoying a fine afternoon of fishing. Fresh off of the Ashburn Patch Kid’s …

An elite group of Navy SEALs secretly crossed into Pakistan May 2 aboard stealth helicopters and raided the walled mansion of the world's most wanted terrorist, Usama bin Laden. Before the raid, the SEALs reportedly practiced on a near replica of the compound that was specifically built to prepare them for the dangerous mission. The results of that painstaking preparation are clear. Within 40 minutes of hitting the compound, bin Laden was dead, and no U.S. casualties were reported. It’s certainly not surprising that the U.S. military practiced on a mock-up of bin Laden's compound before …

Kids love fishing, and it's pretty clear why. No other activity combines quality time with mom and dad with worms, frogs, slimy fish and mud. For kids and adults alike, such a combination is almost guaranteed to create lasting memories and moments of genuine hilarity. To celebrate all of the things that make fishing with kids awesome and smelly, Ashburn Patch is throwing the first ever Ashburn Kids Fishing Photo contest on Saturday, June 4.  The contest is simple. All kids12 and under are eligible. On June 4, take a kid fishing on any lake or pond in Ashburn and start snapping photos. Then, …

Grab your pick axes, shovels, lanterns and canaries, and get ready to celebrate Virginia Cave Week in style by taking advantage of Virginia's glorious underground playground. The Virginia Cave Board is celebrating Cave Week from April 17-23, to educate the public about the importance of caves and other subterranean resources, some of which are closer to Ashburn than you might think. "Cave Week started several years ago to celebrate the fact that Virginia is home to a lot of caves and to highlight the biological and geological diversity of those areas," said Dr. David Culver, Virginia Cave …

Well, it's about freaking time – finally the Ashburn weather is warming up, the flowers are blooming, the grass is growing ... and the fish are biting.  Despite several false alarms earlier this spring, it looks like warm weather is here to stay and area outdoorsmen can finally get out of the house and start searching for lunker largemouth bass and the many other species of freshwater fish that inhabit our waterways. Even with the never-ending encroachment of the suburban sprawl that brought most of us here, Ashburn is not lacking for prime fishing holes. From small farm ponds and creeks to …

On a recent afternoon in Ashburn, three dedicated wurstmachers gathered for an annual ritual known as Sausagefest. Armed only with their bare hands, a KitchenAid mixer, assorted salts and spices, and the lessons learned from past Sausagefest adventures, the brave souls took about the task of transforming nearly one-hundred pounds of venison and pork into numerous varieties of glorious fresh and smoked sausages. Many slanderous quotes have been made regarding the misunderstood art of charcuterie, or the preparation of salted and cured meats. It has been mused that the process of turning raw …

The modern realities of urban and suburban life – lots of people, little open space, and all those community rules – often leave sportsmen gearing up for activities struggling with one question: where? Where can I site-in my firearm? Where can I practice archery? Where can I learn new tips and techniques from fellow outdoor enthusiasts? Where can I take my kid to learn about the outdoors and do all of things I did while growing up? For residents of Ashburn, the Loudoun Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America (LCC-IWLA) provides an oasis for outdoorsmen to take part in such activities. …

Spend a little time in Ashburn, and you'll notice two things multiplying rapidly: Harris Teeters and deer. The deer (and to a lesser extent the Teeters) seem to be everywhere, on your lawn, in your garden, at your golf course, and all over the roads. The indigenous White-tailed deer, the Commonwealth's largest and most well-adapted herbivore, used to make its home primarily in the secluded forests and fields of rural Virginia. But, with the never-ending encroachment of man into the native habitat of the deer, those forests and fields have turned into backyards and playgrounds, azalea …

You may not believe it right now, but there are worse things than this horribly cold and windy winter that we are all suffering through—like being unprepared when for your first fishing trip of the year. Imagine you've waited all winter for the weather to improve, the ice to melt, and the waters to warm enough for that first fishing trip of the year. You grab your fishing poles and lures, pack the kids in the car, and head to your favorite local honey hole, giddy with the anticipation of all the fish you will soon surely catch. At the water's edge, you reach back, and with a mighty heave let …

Historically, late winter in Virginia presented a veritable "no man's land" for outdoorsmen. Lacking the frigid temperatures necesary to support the traditional outdoor activities enjoyed by our northern neighbors—such as ice fishing, ice-road trucking, and ice jousting—Virginian's were forced to retreat to their homes. They'd wait out the boring late-winter months dreaming about warmer spring temperatures that would spawn largemouth bass and spring gobbler season. I think Thoreau summed it up nicely when he said, "February sucks." Of course, nobody listens to my friend Rosco Henry Thoreau…

The Ashburn Outdoorsman is a new column that will run every other Tuesday on Ashburn Patch.  The Ashburn Outdoorsman will focus on news, information, and stories about hunting and fishing that I hope will be both enjoyable and informative for folks in the Ashburn area. Hunting and fishing have long been traditions in this country, and recently have enjoyed a minor resurgence as part of the "local foods" movement.  My goal with this column is to provide information to those who are, or may become, interested in hunting, fishing and related topics.  This first installment will focus on my …