Continued Stag Hunting

a.m. - elected to go in and take a stand overlooking a marsh. I had heard 4 bugling stags from that position the evening before. I got in early and super quiet and was rewarded with hearing some growling close by...the only trouble is that they were already by me heading for where they normally bed. I had to hope some calling would bring a stag to investigate or a hounded hind in estrus would drag one by. Neither brought in one for a shot. I saw one stag.

p.m. - same stand as above knowing that stags were in that area but would they be cruising all day??? A favorable wind turned more from the south and blew a good 20+ mph. - disaster as the wind was blowing my scent to the wrong area. I got the heck out with never seeing a deer. I did however see one of the most gorgeous sunsets I have ever seen.

I want to concentrate on whitetails but oh those sikas............

I need to get my grandson, Joshua, out to the range to sight in the 7mm-08 for the youth deer hunt.

PM Stag Hunt

Well, its the first I've been back into sika country since Sunday and boy did it feel good...heat or no heat. I took a stand on the edge of the marsh; an area where sika have been using. We heard 5 different stags a couple of which would have made it to us if we could have had the light a little longer. No deer seen. Oh well thats hunting.

I'm going to shift my attention tomorrow am to the whitetail woods...haven't been there in a while. Been hearing reliable reports that scrapes are showing up like crazy. That means its rattling time...one of my favorites. We'll see whats moving and scout the woods on the way out. I broke my camera so i won't have any photos until I can replace it. I hate not having it.

Early Muzzleloader - Sika Deer Show

The 2010 Early Muzzleloader Season found me helping my friend and landowner host the North American Whitetail TV Show...their concentration: the sika deer in Maryland The guest hunters Gordon Whittington, Editor in Chief of North American Whitetail Magazine and "Dr. Deer", Dr.James Kroll  a 32 year wildlife biologist who has concentrated his career on whitetail deer. Gordon and Dr. Deer had some close sika encounters but couldn't close the deal with a kill on film. They did however get some good sika footage. Fortunately, I was able to call in and lower the boom on a fine, mature stag. The antlers were very unique and sported 13 inch main beams. The animal was a brute with a live weight of 121 lbs.and one of the nicest stags I've ever killed. The farm we hunted on is managed for deer and, with a career in wildlife, is one of the best managed for deer that I've ever seen. It should be a great program on Maryland's sika deer. It will air sometime next summer/fall. Jason at Oak Creek Taxidermy in church Creek will try to bring the brute back to life by completing a full body mount. I will keep you posted as to when the show airs.

First Day Early Muzzleloader

A fantastic hunt ...needless to say. Will give details after Saturdays hunt.

Lethal Weapon Live Observation

As some of you know Lethal Weapon (LW) is a food/attractant that Joe from MWC came out with recently. I have been selling it in Wic., Som., Wor. and in Delaware for him. I haven't tried it very much but the following is an observation I had last week at a whitetail spot: 

Placed some of the LW mixed with corn out a couple of days ago. I then came back the next evening to hunt there and poured some of the mix out again. A couple of does fed around in the food plot and then a 2 1/2 year old (could be a 3 1/2) 8 point came out and went to the LW/corn. He fed on it then walked away about 20 yards, stopped, turned around and went back to it. He fed then started to walk away only to turn around one more time and go back. He must have really liked the taste of it.

I also watched a button buck the same evening feed all over a newly planted wheat field and also around the edges on pokeberry and other misc browse. After an hour it finally fed my way and chanced upon a football size pile of LW  placed about 30 yards out. It approached carefully walking around it smelling cautiously/intently. Then it stretched it neck way out and picked up a morsel or two. I could hear it crunching but turned to walk away only to change its mind and take a few more bites. It then kept its head in that pile eating, allowing me to descend the treestand and leave. I took one final glance back and its head was still buried in the pile. 

Others are finding the same thing. If you want to try a 50# bag or more of it give me a call to arrange pick up. Not a bad price at $19 per bag. Its recommended to mix it with corn after an initial feeding of straight LW.

First Day Duck Season

Saturday a.m. found me hanging on over looking a typical but most beautiful piece of sika habitat. The duck hunters were out in force and what a day they had...windy, clear. It sounded like a first day dove shoot. I hoped this deer hunting disturbance would have sikas crawling all over me. Oh contrare...no bugling and only caught glimpses of 3 hinds and a spike out in the marsh. 1 presented a shot but I was waiting for a stag.

With extreme high winds and duck hunters out I elected to move off the marsh edge into a more upland situation with a food plot as a draw...sika tracks all over it ...mostly after dark. Well, that food plot was only frequented by a few whitetails and a couple of groundhogs. A very nice whitetail buck came in and presented the shot but it was his lucky day...another year or two should make a lot of difference.

Chasing Big Time

 Yesterday was a sika hunters delight. The morning found me at a stand site overlooking a great piece of marsh. Was up in the dark but as is got lighter there was a sika in the path I just walked in on ... 10 yards away....still too dark to even tell what sex it was. Another walked under the stand, stopped under the phrag and took a tinkle then walked off. Splashing occurred on the marsh all morning. At about 9 am I saw a big, shooter stag chasing a hind about 80 yards out. Not much you can do except to try bugling and piss him off...maybe he'll come over. No go as he liked the real hind better...imagine that.
PM - the marsh (middle of it ) was alive with splashing, chasing, growling and moaning. Same as the morning...nothing got close enough for a shot
I just heard from a friend that called a spike in this morning and placed the arrow right where it needed to be. He used a combo of bugles and chirps.

Unfortunately I couldn't go today but will hit it again tomorrow. Now is the time to be sika hunting
fellas.  ***WARNING TO NEWBIES***  Sika hunting is addictive.



Closing the Gap...Maryland Sika Deer

As the sika rut heats up I thought I would show you this fantastic print by my friend Will Goebel. It is being offered for sale at this time for $99 which gets it to your door. To find out the dimensions and more particulars go to my website http://www.dougwigfield.com/, see the print description page and print it off. Do yourself a favor and if you don't want to purchase it right now, hand or mail the printed page to a loved ones and remind them that it would make a wonderful Christmas present.

Saturday - Some a.m. Sika Action

Made the trip ,shortened with stag anticipation, to a good spot in Dorchester. Got back plenty early and intenteded on setting up the decoy right before I settled in. That plan didn't work as I could see deer in the marsh meadow on my first climb. Not wanting to spook them I pulled the bow up and got ready for a stag... the hind and fawn were across the meadow. I tried some soft calling...they fed along the phrag for 15 minutes then disappeared. I heard a stag bugle across the meadow. A half hour later another hind appeared then quickly entered the phrag on the other side. Time passed.no more bugling..I scanned the small phrag patch to my immediate left. There was hardly any wind yet I saw a phrag stalk bend widely....you know what that means. Sure enough a nice hind and a young one fed within range. Moving into an opening, I drew the bow and held forever...she never gave me a good  shot...I let down without being detected. She was either facing me or directly away from me. I never got the right angle for a shot so I snapped a photo with both moving away from me.

Got down at 10 am and attended the fall meeting of the MBS at Percy Ransome's place on Smithville Rd.

Good to see all there. Can't wait to get back over this week...go away HEAT.

Delaware Muzzleloader

Well, it looks like I need to catch up. Friday morning found me over in Delaware checking the Fatal Attraction from the stand with the smokepole in hand. It was a gorgeous morning as I met a friend there. The acorns were falling like crazy and the squirrels drove me crazy. Not much had hit the corn / FA Deer didn't move but scouted on the way out and found more large scrapes ; most under hollys. I have to admit that I thought about the stags bugling in Dorchester.

MWC Fatal Attraction

I sealed up a care package we are sending to my nephew who is in Afganistan somewhere. He is a career Marine, gysgt, annd is serving his 2nd tour there and served 2 tours in Iraq. I am really proud of him and of all those who are serving to give us the freedom that we have right now.

I had to work so I did have time to squeeze getting some fatal attraction over to a stand site I have in Delaware. I would like to have put a camera on it but knew better. It is in a fairly thick spot...the kind you would expect to see a big ole buck sneaking around in. I hope that is the case. I will probably sika hunt but do want to see if anything found the attraction since this morning. Decisions - decisions. I'll let you all know what happens with it.

Sika Hunt

Got an invite and didn't hesitate. Heading through the property early in the am came upon a nice stag and a couple other sikas. The owner said he could make it to the stand location we were headed to. Up pre day light I heard duck hunters heading out to scout and bush up blinds. Deer did not move early in my field of vision. Saw my first at 7:55 am ...a 5" stag but couldn't get it to come closer than 50 yards...a stag on a mission. 25 minutes later heard some splashing and caught brief glimpses of two running to another part of the marsh. Heard 3 bugles.

PM - another part of the farm. We heard two stags bugling late and jumped one sika ? sex out of its bed when sneaking into the stands. I don't know what this week will bring but do know that the sika action is heating up. Stay tuned..........

Only a few bags left of the MWC Fatal Attraction. Call me if you want to get some.

Yesterday - The Deluge

Although the wind was up we took a chance and headed into sika country rain or no rain. Got up in a good area, set out the new decoy and climbed on up. I guess the wind and rain put them down as we didn't see or hear any sikas. The decoy was extremely easy to set up...just like a Montana Decoy. The maker did a wonderful job on it. I took a photo of it on higher ground in a big, open woods. See below

The owner came back in to get me and thought it was a real hind. I will be experimenting with them in the next couple of weeks of the sika rut and will keep you posted. I used some home made sikas with moderate success in the past. The picture quality and color should fool them I would expect. They are extremely portable, light weight and not bulky (you can put them in your pack or inside your shirt to kep your hands free. I will be selling them as they are absolutely the best I've experienced. They are like a Montana Decoy.

The weather degenerated in the late afternoon....soooooo........what better time to put up two stands and cut the appropriate shooting lanes.. We accomplished the task but were totally soaked to the bone. The water rose dramatically over our knee boots in just 2 1/2 hours. It was raining so hard that, on the way back to the truck for a tool, a 4' snake, trying to get to high ground, swam right under me in mid stride. With what we put up I can't wait to get back there for a hunt.