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.