Welcome! Your service to our country is greatly appreciated!

For a start, there are a lot of excellent articles, including sample gear lists, on the home page of this site. Several members have their gear lists on their own websites linked to in their signature lines.

For game and fish regulations, licensing, etc., google "Game and Fish" for the state in which you are interested (Virginia?). Even if the state has a different title for its game and fish department, google will get you there. Most states have defined seasons, even for small game, so if you're going to hunt, your trip will have to coincide with those.

My own experience in "living off the country" (fishing and berry picking) is that planning to live on what I can catch/pick rather than taking enough food only ensures that I won't catch anything and that it takes over an hour to find a few ripe berries for my cereal! In other words, take some food with you; whatever you get from hunting, fishing, or foraging is an extra treat.

We have quite a few members from the east coast; I hope some will answer your location questions!