I may also have a guide prospect for you. I have tried to get in touch with him today with no success. Check attached link - before you think I'm crazy for sending you a link to an Alaskan bear guide, scroll all the way thruogh. His assistant guide lives here in VA and is a good friend. He may be able to help you if he's not already booked. The cabin pictured is in Bath Co. not far from where you are staying. If you're interested, shoot me a PM with a number that I can get in touch with you.
http://www.alaska-d-l-outfitters.com/turkey.htm

To answer several of your earlier questions:
Decoys - your call. As you probably know, sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. Better to have and not need than need & not have.
I would listen in the evenings for birds going to roost. My experience is that the birds will still be lower in the valleys, not up high on the big mountains yet. If you run into bad weather, find a fields/medow, etc. & you'll prob. find birds.
Hens ....like anywhere else, they can screw you up. They shoud be getting on nests when you'll be here though - your timing should be good.

Looking at my schedule, it doesn't look good for me to be there that weekend - small children are competing for turkey time. Hopefully with all the above info, you and your little lady will have some success.

Also - someone else said it - make a road trip in June and come to the picnic. You won't regret it.
BB

Well this subject has already received a lot of responses so I'm probably too late, but since I am from PA I thought I should respond.

First let me say I completely disagree about the negativity of hunters in VA. Yes, there are bad eggs everywhere but as a general statement I have had nothing but pleasant experiences with the hunters I have met in VA. I hunt a lot of states each year and have lived most of my 38 years in PA and I can honestly say I have never had more trouble with hunters anywhere than in my home state. Yes, I spend more time hunting in PA so that makes sense, but if you look day by day my negative experiences with other hunters is 4 to 5 times greater in PA than anywhere else. Now, I'm not trying to ruffle feathers in the opposite direction but as a PA resident and hunter I'm being honest. I hunt public land 99% of the time in PA and consistently have trouble every season. PA hunters are the most competitive bunch of turkey hunters you'll ever meet. In a way that's good because most are hard hunting individuals who earn their birds, but in a way it can be bad because when you get a bad egg their related behavior is "embarrassing", and unfortunately I've run into a lot of bad eggs. So again, I'm just being honest about my experiences.

I also agree with what a couple folks posted regarding not sharing info about their honey holes. I have been hunting VA for over 10 years and enjoy hunting that state very much. I have driven 1000s of miles just to scout, spent countless dollars and time away from my family "just to scout", and then of course spent as much time hunting as possible so its a little hard to just jump out there and specify exactly where to go. I know thats a little selfish but its also an honest and valid way of protecting your interests. I sincerely hope you have a great hunt in VA, but just as I did, I feel its up to you to make that happen. I know that comes across bad so trust me when I say I am not trying to offend you. Again, I'm just being honest.

Despite all of this I have personally many times shared info in this board regarding exact spots in the National Forest of VA. If you follow this board for any length of time you will get tips on many locations, and when I say tips I mean very good detailed tips. The folks on this board are the best there is...hands down! In fact what makes this board unique is the willingness of it's participants to share hard earned info.

I know you've pretty much apologized, and let me say again I am not trying to be an antagonist or come across rude, but I felt as a PA resident I should share my honest opinion regarding my experiences in VA. There really is not a bad place to hunt in the state of VA...there are millions of acres of National Forest (GW and Jefferson) and as far as I know its all good, you just have to pay your dues and find the right places. Don't give up on VA...its a beautiful place to vacation with your wife and the hunting is top notch.

Good luck and keep after them.
-Eric

I want to thank everyone who responded to my inquiry and again apologize for being negative too quick. I am now incredibly impressed with the forum's willingness to share information and even hunting locations. I actually never expected detailed information like roads and such. I know turkey hunters- a "honey hole" is a magical place that dwells in our heads for 11 months while we are waiting for another spring season to come around. To ask someone to give it up to a stranger would be blasphemous. I am most happy to hear from so many true turkey hunters about the 'real' Virginia. My wife and I will enjoy our trip even more now that we know what kind of hunters share the forest with us. Thank you and I hope we meet someday soon. Maybe that picnic you keep talking about.

June 6th at Pine Spur Hunt Club in Roanoke, VA. Thats the date for our annual cook out. We would love to have you all there. Bring the wife, and the kids. It is worth the trip!

You're probably not back from Va yet if your plans went well, but was wondering how your hunt was and where you finally picked to hunt. Sorry I was not able to make it up to Bath this weekend to meet you guys. I imagine the weather could have been better also.
BB

Sounds like you got a lot of good advice. I've hunted that area some, like most of Va., but don't know it like the back of my hand. I hunt a lot in the GW National Forest at about the same elevation in Shenandoah County. The first few days they're often pretty active. There are plenty of birds around from the farms to the top of the mountain, but the hens start sitting earlier down low. The last few weeks get better again after the gobblers start looking for one more hen. Some years with a cold, wet spring, they don't come back in up top until the last day or after. Not a lot different from South-Central Pa., but about two weeks ahead.....'ol george

In order to protect myself because my call name is close to the user I would like to chime in and apologize to my friends in VA. I am not guilty by association and I should probably change my call name to protect my innocence. I just got back from my hunt in VA and had a wonderful time. VA has, by far, more public land accessible to willing walkers than PA. By my account allot less turkey hunters. I hunted VA for the first time this year. I inquired about hunting VA in February and TW Scott and others pointed me in the right direction. That's all I needed to get started. I gaurantee when the opening day comes in PA that I will wish I were back in the Old Dominion and away from the crowds.

My hunt was not in the area your hunting, but I heard enough birds to keep me awake and I called in a few jakes. Every hunter I encountered (All 4 of them) were friendly, but should you expect them all to be forthright? Come on this is turkey hunting and we are all after the same thing!

VA is not just for lovers it's also a good place to turkey hunt. Out of staters are guests and should not be insulting the host. Sorry you had a bad experience, and ditto the response that was eloquently written by Limbhanger. In PA most people are rude to each other all of the time unless your from the area. Bad eggs are one of the reasons for allot more posted lands nowadays. You don't even have to be a turkey hunter. Just ask any flatlander who comes to the mountains of northcentral PA. Hospitality is not really in the vocabulary.

Thanks boys I'll be back next year.