History of Bayside Sportsmen

A few like-minded gentlemen got together around 1968 on the banks of the George Washington Canal in Walleceton, Viriginia and decided that they had had enough of deer hunting in the Dismal Swamp while swatting mosquitoes.  Walter Leveridge; a future Commissioner with the Virginia Commission of Game and Inland Fisheries, and President (charter member) of the Virginia Wildlife Federation found a 400-acre piece of property in Hayes, Virgina that was available for rent at $.50 an acre.

Eastern Forestry would rent land to these hunters for several years in Hayes before offiering a little more than 1,000 acres to hunt on Route 605 in Surry, Virginia.  This was known as the Ellis Tract owned by Catherine Ellis of Knob Hil, San Francisco.

A membership drive started among friends, family, fellow workers, and neighbors ending with more than 70 interested people.  Most of these early members came from the Hampton Roads area which almost led to the club's demise in later years.

Several of the grand fellows lived in the Lake Bradford section of the Bayside area of Virginia Beach leading to an agreement to form the club.  This organization would come to be the Bayside Hunt Club.  By-Laws were drafted and voted upon.  A constitution was agreed to and dues were set at $35 for the first year.

450 acres were rented from Union Camp, near Surry High School on routes 616 and 618, roughly 2 miles from the Club's main property.  This provided the Club's members with 1,500 acres to hunt in 1970.

2,000 acres of land belonging to Chesapeake Lumber of West Point, Virginia was rented on route 617 to route 10.  This property was lost years later when Chesapeake Lumber demanded that all roads and trails on the property be graded with rock.  The cost exceeded the Club's financial ability and the property was ceded to Bacon's Castle Hunt Club.

Hunts were held on Saturdays, the first week, Wednesdays, holidays, and the last 2 weeks of the season.  Guests were only allowed on Wednesdays at a cost of $5 per day.  Organized hunting only!  There was no still hunting,  no bow hunting, and no women.  Children were authorized only if accompanied by a parent.  That first year almost 100 deer were harvested.  This was when hunters could only shoot 2 deer per year.

From the late 1980s to the mid-1990s, the Club went through some tumultuous times.  There was a new president elected each year, the hunt master position was changed several times mid-season, the deer harvest dropped dramatically, land was lost, new land rented, rent increased 100%, and several disruptive members were asked to leave the club.  Despite all of this; the Club persevered, adhered to a strong Constitution and By-Laws, and Bayside recovered and began to grow again.

Several local land owners started a letter writing campaign to all landowners in the County.  The intent was to restrict the rental/leasing of hunting property in Surry County to local people alone.  Bayside lost the Union Camp land, and saw the Ellis tract lease jeopardized.  After several months of aggressive letter writing by Bayside, we were able to keep our lease of the main property on Walkers Road in Elberon, Virginia.

During the 1980s; Woodland Hunt Club on Runnymede Road would merge with Bayside on a valuable section of property that produced several large bucks taken that first year.  This property would become the owner's sons after 2000.  Jerry's Farm (across from our main entrance) was subsequently leased adding additional property to the Club's acreage.

In the early 1990s, a local farmer happened to stop 2 of the Club's members and strike up a conversation.  Rodger "Pappy" Spruill, the Club's President at the time, happened to be on Walkers Road when Mr. Charles Pittman of "Itatta Farms" on Whitemarsh Road asked simply, "How are you doing?"  Rodger "RB" Spruill Jr., who was present for this meeting would later remark how amazed he was how 2 individuals could become lifelong friends so quickly.  This conversation led to Bayside obtaining permission to lease the area around "Cypress Farms" and hunt "Mudd Level".  Bayside would unfortunately lose this property to Neighborhood Hunt Club.

Neighborhood and Bayside hosted several hunts on their adjacent properties and years of acrimony and divisiveness between these clubs was quickly forgotten as both now share these hunting lands.  Other lands were open in the ensuing years to Bayside.

In order to acquire property for the Club, it was incorporated and the Club's name was changed from Bayside Hunt Club to Bayside Sportsmen, Inc. (January 1985).

The men and women of Bayside Sportsmen have enjoyed years of excellent camaraderie and fun.  Hunters have passed to the "Hunt Club in the Sky" are in the shadows watching and laughing at the stories of their more colorful characters which are bantered in the evening as new members and young sons and daughters listen in disbelief.

Bayside continued into the new millennia of the 2000s facing new joys and hardships, but continues to grow and evolve as a place where hunters continue to bring their children to learn the value of being outdoors, firearm safety, good sportsmanship, and friendship.

If these are the things that interest you and are the values you share, come on out to Bayside Sportsmen.  Meet our members, visit the property, and hunt with us.