Maryland sika hunt.

Jme32

Button Buck
Made it up yesterday evening. Arrived at the WMA right at shooting light this morning. Didn’t want to get there early as we had no idea what we were walking into. OnX is great for a lot of things. Showing you how thick the frag is, is not one of those things. This marsh is dense to say the least. However it’s more forgiving to walk in than our coast so far though. Sat for 2 hours at first light then branched out to check potential areas. Found fresh sign at two locations. I settled in one and my brother went to the next. Forty minutes prior to last shooting light I hear deer in the water. Then I can hear a hind calling out front of me. Was fortunate to make a good shot through a tight window and harvest my first sika deer. As thick as this place is I am stoked. We will see what tomorrow has to offer.
 
Back in the day we'd make a stand that looks like a 6ft step ladder and carry it in with us to see over the brush. Miss those hunts. Hope you got some good photos.
 
Jme32 said:
Made it up yesterday evening. Arrived at the WMA right at shooting light this morning. Didn’t want to get there early as we had no idea what we were walking into. OnX is great for a lot of things. Showing you how thick the frag is, is not one of those things. This marsh is dense to say the least. However it’s more forgiving to walk in than our coast so far though. Sat for 2 hours at first light then branched out to check potential areas. Found fresh sign at two locations. I settled in one and my brother went to the next. Forty minutes prior to last shooting light I hear deer in the water. Then I can hear a hind calling out front of me. Was fortunate to make a good shot through a tight window and harvest my first sika deer. As thick as this place is I am stoked. We will see what tomorrow has to offer.
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You ain’t far from where I live . My bet would be you’re in dorcehster county but I gotta make sure you weren’t here in Wicomico. I was on the creek yesterday and heard a hind calling on and off late afternoon. Believe I heard a gun shot . Be pretty crazy if that’s where you were hunting 😎
 
Had a stag bugling early across the road on private. Then heard two hind calling to each other. No sika spotted this morning. Changing up location for afternoon sit. Guys hunting on private land enjoyed firing their weapons this morning. Hopefully we will get to play the game this afternoon.
 
Cootmeurer said:
Congrats - that’s some of the best venison around.
We’ve shot sika reds roe and fallow in the UK and that sika venison always comes out on top
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Muntjac in the Cotswolds was probably the best I’ve ever had. Not a lot of meat, but nose to toes just wonderful. Of course, always, preparation matters.
 
Love the eastern shore, never did the Sika deal but have shot a few whitetails there and lots of ducks and geese. Buddy used to guide for snows, shot a few pick up loads years ago. It’s like the Midwest on the east coast only more expensive.
 
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ksherb said:
Muntjac in the Cotswolds was probably the best I’ve ever had. Not a lot of meat, but nose to toes just wonderful. Of course, always, preparation matters.
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Meh - I had a chance to eat all 6 species and what I didn’t like about muntjac and CWD was the texture - to me it was like an over tenderized piece of mush.

The sika and fallow still kept just a hint of gaminess - more like lamb or grass fed beef - in my opinion.

What was really interesting was even rutting/whistling sika didn’t have the off taste that a roaring red stag did.
 
It rained all day yesterday. Went into an area with water barely filling boot tracks by end of shooting light the water was knee deep coming out. Got checked by game warden at the truck. Nice enough guy no hassle at all did his job and then talked for 20 minutes. Last morning hunt and headed home.
 
Cootmeurer said:
Meh - I had a chance to eat all 6 species and what I didn’t like about muntjac and CWD was the texture - to me it was like an over tenderized piece of mush.

The sika and fallow still kept just a hint of gaminess - more like lamb or grass fed beef - in my opinion.

What was really interesting was even rutting/whistling sika didn’t have the off taste that a roaring red stag did.
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CWD :panic:
 
Jme32 said:
It rained all day yesterday. Went into an area with water barely filling boot tracks by end of shooting light the water was knee deep coming out. Got checked by game warden at the truck. Nice enough guy no hassle at all did his job and then talked for 20 minutes. Last morning hunt and headed home.
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We were out in the rain fooling with some ducks and scouting some areas. Still hearing hinds in the same spot I have the last 2 years. Did some human scouting and there’s someone trying to get to them the same way I did last year. I wish them luck, a sturdy piece of rope, and an EPIRB 😬
 
Back home sliced off a small piece of backstrap for the girls to try. It was great like elk but more tender. Will write my opinion on this hunt in the coming days. Eastern shore is a cool place, however different experience for sure. 💯 recommend the adventure. Can’t beat seeing new places and trying new things. Learn so much 1st trip that next will be more fruitful meat wise.
 
YanceyGreenhorn said:
We were out in the rain fooling with some ducks and scouting some areas. Still hearing hinds in the same spot I have the last 2 years. Did some human scouting and there’s someone trying to get to them the same way I did last year. I wish them luck, a sturdy piece of rope, and an EPIRB 😬
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Wish NC had black ducks like up there. Pretty cool to see them dropping in every hole in the marsh. In my walk abouts it appears it’s the same as here. Guy who smashes most empty sacks in the mud wins.
 
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