Post by cbass1465 on Oct 24, 2007 22:32:29 GMT -5
Hello All,
This was my first year chasing Sika deer. I have only chased them with a bow this year. I have to thank you all here for the information as well as sikastag.com. I didn't know what to look for and was going to be hunting only public land in Dorchester Co. I started out in Fishing Bay WMA. My first hunt, saw 2 hinds approx. 150 yds out and heard bugles for the first time, what a sound!!! No deer seen on the 2nd hunt. I shot my first hind, 47.5 lbs. dressed on my 3rd hunt. Spine shot @ 12 yds. I saw 5 different hinds that night, 3 in bow range.
Based on info. here, I started hunting Blackwater. Each hunt, heard lots of bugles and had hinds all around me 2 out of the 3 hunts. The best was a hind at 3yds through some tall marsh grasses. She was eating grasses while I was standing on the ground, she didn't even know I was there.
I recruited a friend here in Queen Anne's to go down there with me. 1st hunt with him, I had 7 hinds within 30yds. but couldn't shoot, already had mine. He didn't see anything but had a bugle about 50 yds. from him right at dark, he was hooked!
We decided to go back this past Tues. This is where the story took a turn for the worst, at least that is what it seemed. We met in the Wal-mart parking lot in Easton. He locked his bow and keys in his truck. We waited for a locksmith, dammit already late now! My truck barely started without cause, hasn't acted up since. We rush down to blackwater, follow a truck back to the parking lot. The driver gets out and asks us "Where you boys going, Blackwater is closed and we're going to hunt our private land inside the refuge. I checked the regs, yep, closed till the 29th. Dammit, where are we going to go now??? We decide to speed over to the Fishing Bay WMA, we're down here, might as well go out. We see a piece we didn't realize was public and decided to scout/hunt. Walk back into the marsh, only a stretch of woods right next to the road, about 5 acres with the rest of the surrounding area being short marsh grasses. The other nearby woods are all private land with tower stands everywhere. As we walk through the marsh, I fell in a nutria run not once but twice. Now I'm soaked up to my crotch and had to dump the water out of my knee high rubber boots. My friend decides to set a stand on the very tip of the 5 acre public woods, directly upwind of the whole patch of woods. I, without stand, walk back about 70yds and push through the phrags. Must have sounded like an elephant with the phrags breaking around me. Walk through beds nearly the whole time. I just knew I was going to jump one any sec. Finally, find a hollow with Merkel bushes and short grasses. Can see cow path type trails going every which way through here, 3 fresh rubs and a fresh scrape. Figured, best spot and running short on time, it is about 4:45. I might as well sit here. I literally sat on the ground with my back against a small pine tree. Busted some Merkel limbs and placed them behind me for a make-shift blind to break-up my outline. Get set, place bow vertical between my legs with the stabilizer resting on my thigh. I texted message my friend, said "lots of rubs and a scrape, cross your fingers". I set the phone down and not 2 min. later hear something coming from my left (back towards my friend). Here comes a 6 pt. stag walking on the trail which passes by me @ 3 yds. I clip on my release. The stag looks at me, hesitates. He reaches up to eat a few leaves, now 6 yds from me. He steps into the open and locks onto me for about 10 secs. He is now 5 yds. from me and we are looking at each other eye to eye. Can I say serious rush!!! He spins and jumps back and around a clump of brush about 12 yds. away and stops. I see small opening in front of the direction he is facing. Figure he'll walk that direction, I pull back on the bow and set the 20 yd. pin in the hole. He walks right to it and I release. I see some brush wiggle as I release and he bolts. No sound of a hit but no sound of the arrow going through the brush behind him. It's a good thing I'm sitting on the ground because my heart just about popped out of my chest at this point. I've been seated here for less than 15 min. I texted my friend, told him I just shot at a stag. Not sure if he got it, I call him and tell him what just happened. We both hear a crash. This has been about 3 min. after the shot. I tell him I'm going to sit tight for 30 minutes. (The longest 30 min. of my life!) I go over to where he was standing when I shot, no sign of blood or hair and no arrow visible. I'm freaking out a little by now. My friend texted me, "I've got ur deer". I write back "what do you mean you've got him?" I hear a footstep and whistle at them. He whistles back, not 30 yds. from where I had shot at him. I run around the corner, there he is, my first Sika Stag in my first year hunting them, a beautiful 6-pt. Man was I pumped up!!!
There was not a drop of blood the whole trail from the shot to where he died. I couldn't figure it out why till I saw the shot hole. When I shot, he must have jumped forward or that brush that was shaking after the shot diverted the arrow. Had a complete pass through------both rear quarters. When I gutted him, his whole belly was filled with blood. I accidentally sliced his Femoral arteries, not what I intended but I'll take a little luck after the way this day started out! My friend must have unknowingly bumped him when he was putting up his stand. The stag was just slipping out of the area when he ran into me. He dressed out at 75lbs.
We stayed till dark and heard a lot more bugles but no more deer seen. I carried him out over my back, a lot easier than dragging him, let me tell you. Just a lot smellier, man was he musky smelling.
Pictures of the deer will be coming, still on the camera. Will post as soon as I can but I wanted to tell the story while it was still fresh in my head. First year and was eye to eye with a stag at 5-yds. I don't know if I'll ever top that. The best part, this was all public land hunting and no baiting. The fairest of fair chase!!!
Man, what a year in the marsh. There is no doubt, I'm hooked on those little elk. I grew up on the Eastern shore and have hunted whitetails my whole hunting existence. I was even blessed to shoot a 145" whitetail while living in Iowa for 4 years (also a public land deer which is in the picture under my name) but nothing compares to these mini-elk. Man is this marsh hunting exciting, mosquitoes and all!!
This was my first year chasing Sika deer. I have only chased them with a bow this year. I have to thank you all here for the information as well as sikastag.com. I didn't know what to look for and was going to be hunting only public land in Dorchester Co. I started out in Fishing Bay WMA. My first hunt, saw 2 hinds approx. 150 yds out and heard bugles for the first time, what a sound!!! No deer seen on the 2nd hunt. I shot my first hind, 47.5 lbs. dressed on my 3rd hunt. Spine shot @ 12 yds. I saw 5 different hinds that night, 3 in bow range.
Based on info. here, I started hunting Blackwater. Each hunt, heard lots of bugles and had hinds all around me 2 out of the 3 hunts. The best was a hind at 3yds through some tall marsh grasses. She was eating grasses while I was standing on the ground, she didn't even know I was there.
I recruited a friend here in Queen Anne's to go down there with me. 1st hunt with him, I had 7 hinds within 30yds. but couldn't shoot, already had mine. He didn't see anything but had a bugle about 50 yds. from him right at dark, he was hooked!
We decided to go back this past Tues. This is where the story took a turn for the worst, at least that is what it seemed. We met in the Wal-mart parking lot in Easton. He locked his bow and keys in his truck. We waited for a locksmith, dammit already late now! My truck barely started without cause, hasn't acted up since. We rush down to blackwater, follow a truck back to the parking lot. The driver gets out and asks us "Where you boys going, Blackwater is closed and we're going to hunt our private land inside the refuge. I checked the regs, yep, closed till the 29th. Dammit, where are we going to go now??? We decide to speed over to the Fishing Bay WMA, we're down here, might as well go out. We see a piece we didn't realize was public and decided to scout/hunt. Walk back into the marsh, only a stretch of woods right next to the road, about 5 acres with the rest of the surrounding area being short marsh grasses. The other nearby woods are all private land with tower stands everywhere. As we walk through the marsh, I fell in a nutria run not once but twice. Now I'm soaked up to my crotch and had to dump the water out of my knee high rubber boots. My friend decides to set a stand on the very tip of the 5 acre public woods, directly upwind of the whole patch of woods. I, without stand, walk back about 70yds and push through the phrags. Must have sounded like an elephant with the phrags breaking around me. Walk through beds nearly the whole time. I just knew I was going to jump one any sec. Finally, find a hollow with Merkel bushes and short grasses. Can see cow path type trails going every which way through here, 3 fresh rubs and a fresh scrape. Figured, best spot and running short on time, it is about 4:45. I might as well sit here. I literally sat on the ground with my back against a small pine tree. Busted some Merkel limbs and placed them behind me for a make-shift blind to break-up my outline. Get set, place bow vertical between my legs with the stabilizer resting on my thigh. I texted message my friend, said "lots of rubs and a scrape, cross your fingers". I set the phone down and not 2 min. later hear something coming from my left (back towards my friend). Here comes a 6 pt. stag walking on the trail which passes by me @ 3 yds. I clip on my release. The stag looks at me, hesitates. He reaches up to eat a few leaves, now 6 yds from me. He steps into the open and locks onto me for about 10 secs. He is now 5 yds. from me and we are looking at each other eye to eye. Can I say serious rush!!! He spins and jumps back and around a clump of brush about 12 yds. away and stops. I see small opening in front of the direction he is facing. Figure he'll walk that direction, I pull back on the bow and set the 20 yd. pin in the hole. He walks right to it and I release. I see some brush wiggle as I release and he bolts. No sound of a hit but no sound of the arrow going through the brush behind him. It's a good thing I'm sitting on the ground because my heart just about popped out of my chest at this point. I've been seated here for less than 15 min. I texted my friend, told him I just shot at a stag. Not sure if he got it, I call him and tell him what just happened. We both hear a crash. This has been about 3 min. after the shot. I tell him I'm going to sit tight for 30 minutes. (The longest 30 min. of my life!) I go over to where he was standing when I shot, no sign of blood or hair and no arrow visible. I'm freaking out a little by now. My friend texted me, "I've got ur deer". I write back "what do you mean you've got him?" I hear a footstep and whistle at them. He whistles back, not 30 yds. from where I had shot at him. I run around the corner, there he is, my first Sika Stag in my first year hunting them, a beautiful 6-pt. Man was I pumped up!!!
There was not a drop of blood the whole trail from the shot to where he died. I couldn't figure it out why till I saw the shot hole. When I shot, he must have jumped forward or that brush that was shaking after the shot diverted the arrow. Had a complete pass through------both rear quarters. When I gutted him, his whole belly was filled with blood. I accidentally sliced his Femoral arteries, not what I intended but I'll take a little luck after the way this day started out! My friend must have unknowingly bumped him when he was putting up his stand. The stag was just slipping out of the area when he ran into me. He dressed out at 75lbs.
We stayed till dark and heard a lot more bugles but no more deer seen. I carried him out over my back, a lot easier than dragging him, let me tell you. Just a lot smellier, man was he musky smelling.
Pictures of the deer will be coming, still on the camera. Will post as soon as I can but I wanted to tell the story while it was still fresh in my head. First year and was eye to eye with a stag at 5-yds. I don't know if I'll ever top that. The best part, this was all public land hunting and no baiting. The fairest of fair chase!!!
Man, what a year in the marsh. There is no doubt, I'm hooked on those little elk. I grew up on the Eastern shore and have hunted whitetails my whole hunting existence. I was even blessed to shoot a 145" whitetail while living in Iowa for 4 years (also a public land deer which is in the picture under my name) but nothing compares to these mini-elk. Man is this marsh hunting exciting, mosquitoes and all!!
That marsh can be really tricky when looking for sika. You just got me pump-up again for sikas, just when I have turned my attention back to whitetails 
