Maryland sika deer

[7Bartman]

Got me one of those "mini elk" during our late muzzleloader season.

 

[CorkyM]

Got me one of those "mini elk" during our late muzzleloader season.

Congratulations, I used to spend a lot of time in Dorchester County, Maryland where my wife is from. My buddy there hunted them with his cross bow and rifle. I never hunted deer there but a lot of ducks and geese in the lower part of the county. Pretty country.

 

[7Bartman]

Congratulations, I used to spend a lot of time in Dorchester County, Maryland where my wife is from. My buddy there hunted them with his cross bow and rifle. I never hunted deer there but a lot of ducks and geese in the lower part of the county. Pretty country.

Thanks. I'm from Doco as well. It's definitely different scenery. My buddies out West don't understand when I tell them I live below sea level.

 

[CorkyM]

Thanks. I'm from Doco as well. It's definitely different scenery. My buddies out West don't understand when I tell them I live below sea level.

Yep, below sea level to be sure. Hot and humid. She’s from Cambridge and I got married to her there. Hoopers and Taylors Island and Crapo. And the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge, I know it well. I first went to Dorchester County in 1967 and went back many weekends from Norfolk when I was in the Navy. I made friends there and fished the mouth of the Choptank and the Chesapeake Bay. I kept going back after I was out of the service, St. Michaels and Easton. But now everyone I knew from Cambridge is gone, passed away. I have wonderful memories of sitting in the little country bars and drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon and putting money in the juke box and listening to country songs.

 

[FranklinME]

Well done video. Just got back from Dorchester
Shot a decent buck opening day of rifle, very fun to hunt.

 

[7Bartman]

Yep, below sea level to be sure. Hot and humid. She’s from Cambridge and I got married to her there. Hoopers and Taylors Island and Crapo. And the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge, I know it well. I first went to Dorchester County in 1967 and went back many weekends from Norfolk when I was in the Navy. I made friends there and fished the mouth of the Choptank and the Chesapeake Bay. I kept going back after I was out of the service, St. Michaels and Easton. But now everyone I knew from Cambridge is gone, passed away. I have wonderful memories of sitting in the little country bars and drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon and putting money in the juke box and listening to country songs.

My grandfather was the inland game warden for the county until about 1985. I know all those places you mention very well. Grew up on the Choptank.

 

[7Bartman]

Well done video. Just got back from Dorchester
Shot a decent buck opening day of rifle, very fun to hunt.

Nice, post a picture, I'd love to see your buck. Congrats.

 

[FranklinME]

Here he is. Still after a bigger one but he’s pretty nocturnal.

 

[RyGuy]

Those are such cool little animals!

 

[mdhunter]

Congrats! I hunt Worcester County but we don't have the Sikas in my area. I am way jealous!

 

[7Bartman]

I have successfully hunted sika deer on private and state/public land, and let me tell you it isnt an easy hunt by any stretch of the imagination.
Between the hike/slog in (while not getting lost or going over the tops of your hip/chest waders), finding a decent tree near travel corridors (sometimes its literally one tree on a small island), getting mauled by mosquitoes (they laugh at thermocells, bring two minimum), having a shot opportunity at a very small animal in thick vegetation, blood tracking an animal in a water environment (while blood tracking I literally stepped on my first sika that submerged after it passed, lost blood, came back to the last blood, and my headlamp picked up the eye glint under the water), etc.
When it comes together, their is nothing sweeter than fresh sika meat. But you will earn every bite, and at points it seems like the mosquitoes took more from you than the meat you take from a sika. To give you an idea on size, my first two sika hinds weighed in at 27 and 36 lbs dressed,
I would go with archery tackle if you plan on public ground, the muzzleloader and firearms seasons are madness.
I have heard very good things from hunters that have gone with Whistling Creek Outfitters.
In my opinion, an old mature 6 point Sika Stag is one of the hardest animals to kill in the US.

It can be tough going. I cut my teeth hunting sika on public. My buddy ran Whistling Creek, but they are no longer in business.

 

[7Bartman]

Here he is. Still after a bigger one but he’s pretty nocturnal.

Nice stag. You said buck so I was thinking whitetail. Good luck on getting the big one on his feet in daylight. I have a couple of vampires as well.