Dave Grant (canopyboy), Gary Hall, and I are heading to Maryland tomorrow for a 3 day sika hunt with Muddy Marsh Outfitters. This hunt was won in a raffle by Roy from PA, but Roy decided he didn't want to kill one of those little buggers and he's more content to build bows and fling arrows than kill deer these days, so he offered it to me. THANK YOU ROY!
This is the first any of us have hunted Sika, so it will be a whole new experience. Wish us well, and hopefully we'll have some success pics to post. Whether or not we kill any sikas, I'm sure it's going to be a great time!
Hope you guys have fun. A buddy of mine was down ther this past fall and enjoyed it.
Good luck
Steve
Best of luck, post up and let us know how it goes.
Good luck guys! Post some Sweka bow kill pics.
no doubt it should be a blast! Awesome move Roy!
Eagerly awaiting the story. I've had the chances off and on, but can never find 2 or 3 days to make it work with everyone schedule while I'm visiting. one of these days I'm just going to go awol LOL!
Should be fun
Weather it's sweka or dale dye bow kill pics BEST OF LUCK to all of you and may your arrows fly true ...KEEP US POSTED!! GOODLUCK!
Have a great hunt. I hunted with them about 3 years ago. Had a great time with an all Trad Gang crew.
Muddy Marsh is a good outfitter so you should have a good hunt. Take hip boots and Thermacells though.
good luck!
After all the rain we are getting and all the water that was already laying around in the woods I'd suggest you bring bring HIP BOOTS...maybe two pair just in case LOL!!!!! Good Luck, if you get some cold weather you should have a good hunt, its a great time of year to be there just dont miss, Joe doesnt like misses :thumbsup:
Some inspiration....
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/yohon/IMG_0512.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/yohon/media/IMG_0512.jpg.html)
Up there on my dream hunt list
Have a great time
What are the seasons date for Sika deer?
Definitely a hunt I want to do!
F-Manny
September 5 through January 31. If you purchase the muzzleloader tag. You can use your bow throughout the firearms seasons.
Enjoy, and good luck!
Post up the pics when you get back.
Man I missed this one John!! Good luck if it aint too late!!
And who is this nice Roy guy? And what happened to the real Roy? :laughing:
Seriously, Roy is OK I guess :D
The truth of the matter is you dream of this....
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/reddogge/Hunting/IMG_1414JPG.jpg)
But you usually come home with this.....
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/reddogge/Hunting/Sikadoehung2006.jpg)
But at any size or sex these things are a trophy.
Good luck on your hunt, let us know how things go. This would be a fun hunt to do some day.
-Jay
I heard Gary missed :archer2:
Get em , sounds like a great time....
,,,Sam,,,
Best of luck to you guys... Waiting on stories and pictures...
QuoteOriginally posted by reddogge:
The truth of the matter is you dream of this....
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/reddogge/Hunting/IMG_1414JPG.jpg)
But you usually come home with this.....
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/reddogge/Hunting/Sikadoehung2006.jpg)
But at any size or sex these things are a trophy.
I've just come home exhausted! But boy is it fun! I'm hooked!
WELL, John?
Yeah, really. How was it??
Steve
OK. The hunt is over and we had a great time. Unfortunately none of us went home with any meat. We hunted from treestands - sometimes over feeders, and sometimes in bedding areas hoping to catch them coming by. I didn't see any the first two days, but I did hear one bugling Tuesday morning and evening. He was just teasing me and wouldn't show himself. I might have seen one Wednesday morning - just some some brown animal running through some thick pine trees without making a sound. It might have been one :laughing: )
It was certainly different hunting scenery from what I'm use to and was definitely worth the trip just to experience hunting in the marsh. Here's some pics.
Sunset over the marsh.
(http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae23/jsweka/SikaHunt/SAM_2119.jpg)
I couldn't resist getting a pic of my equipment in this setting
(http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae23/jsweka/SikaHunt/SAM_2105.jpg)
Dave coming to the realization that a Hill Style bow just isn't quite suited for a ground blind.
(http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae23/jsweka/SikaHunt/SAM_2128.jpg)[/URL]
And some pics around camp...
Gary - WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO THAT POOR DEER?
(http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae23/jsweka/SikaHunt/SAM_2096.jpg)
It was the best botle opener ever :laughing:
(http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae23/jsweka/SikaHunt/SAM_2093.jpg)
Finishing up dinner.
(http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae23/jsweka/SikaHunt/SAM_2122.jpg)
The other gentleman who shared camp with us was Jack Davis, also from PA. He was one hell of nice guy and this was his fifth trip to Muddy Marsh (which says something about them eventhough I came home empty handed)
Gary practicing
(http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae23/jsweka/SikaHunt/SAM_2108.jpg)
Dave looking for Gary's arrows with a metal detector :laughing:
(http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae23/jsweka/SikaHunt/SAM_2118.jpg)
(OK Gary didn't lose any arrows at the practice range, but Dave did find some from previous hunters)
It was a real fine time despite not bagging an elusive sika. How can a motley crew like this not have fun together? :bigsmyl:
(http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae23/jsweka/SikaHunt/SAM_2129.jpg)
I love it ...John I must say you always catch Gary at his CLASSIC moments I am still laughing :laughing: :laughing: Thxs for sharing the pictures looked like some nice country!!
Glad you guys had fun! I need to plan a trip down there.
Steve
It was pretty neat country. I should have taken some pics of walking to our stands - wading through water and muck - but I think I was more concerned about not sinking up to my waste in the swamp than about getting pics of it at the time.
I hear ya there looking forward to seeing you at ETAR!
Yep, Gary is always in a compromising position when his pic is taken. Just bad luck but funny! I see he looks like he is at full draw. That's a WIN WIN WIN for him!
Nice pictures, John..
Just a quick note on my last Sika bowhunt I did the evening before rifle season for those interested in Sika hunting. I set up on the ground in a natural blowdown backed up to a very thick green briar thicket in my Huntmore chair so I could swivel from front to left for a shot. This is the same spot I missed a nice doe last year. The deer come from in front of me and pass to the left of the thicket usually.
Just about 5:00 when it was getting dingy I heard a loud bugle so close to me in front that I could hear his breathing. The hair stood up on my neck as I strained to catch a glimpse or a clue whether he was heading my way or away from me. I was so tense I thought I would explode. Darkness came and no deer so I left and met my partner who was across the muddy road a couple of hundred yards from me.
Turned out he saw the deer at 75 yards in the failing light as it crossed the road from the woods I was in and it was an immense stag similar to the one I posted above. We put two and two together and this stag snuck behind me passing no more that 20-25 yards from me downwind. He never spooked but was sneaking. So close but so far. About as exciting of a Sika hunt I've ever had.
But that's why they are called "Marshghosts".
What a blast
I noted that folks heard bugles, but it didn't appear you called back as can be affective when hearing a buck grunt or elk bugle.
Can you call these things in?
Thanks for sharing the story BTW. Very cool.
I was told the only "call" a sika comes to is corn.
Seriously though, these things are like little brown ghost deer. I saw three, but never had a shot under 40 yards. Heard a few more moving through the water.
One of the guys who was hunting with Muddy Marsh as well (Jack) said "the whole deer tastes like filet mignon." This was his 5th trip there, he comes every year, same week. He's taken deer 3 out of the first 4 times, I hope he got one after we left.
It was a fun trip. I think I have a few pics, I'll try to post later.
As for hunting with Gary and John: I've never hunted with someone who is so dramatic with an IPA headache in the morning or is so violent when awakened in the middle of the night. (I'll let y'all guess who is which.)
How was the snoring? LOL!
Those guys are amateurs. I've had to endure way worse. John didn't think so though. Gary actually drove him to get up and move into the other room on the last night.
OK OK I was the one that was snoring bad SORRY John.
I will say this for right now I have more pictures to post tonight. I HAD A BLAST AND WILL BE GOING BACK AND SOON!!!
And yes I missed the deer the first night but not by much 2" higher and I would have my deer.
John and Dave I would hunt with you guys any day as long as John wont grab my feet in the middle of the night again. Your only risking your own life there LOL!! Right John ??
John sure is fun to have around with that camera I cant wait for the day I get him. If only he was as good with the camera with his bow no critter would ever get by that guy he is deadly.
Pictures to come latter guys
QuoteOriginally posted by canopyboy:
I was told the only "call" a sika comes to is corn.
Just googled this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcr7nrU5-IM
I am thinking I would have a better chance sounding like corn. Wow.
O Yeah hey Dave two words for you next time we go out there TIGER HUNTING we need to do that LOL!!!!
http://youtu.be/RbZOV5MCVXA
This is what they sound like
Our Sika sound like the second post, not the first post. Those Sika may not have been the tiny subspecies we have in MD.
One of our local state wildlife biologists makes a Sika call called the Sika Seducer. I've never heard the call in use but do intend to buy one someday.
Yeah, I admit it. I had one two many IPA's the night we arrived and woke up with a good headache. The cold morning marsh air had me feeling better (as well as a couple aspirin from Gary).
Gary did threaten to kill me in the middle of the night. I brushed by his feet hanging over the end of his bed and he thought someone/something was attacking him during his peaceful snoring slumber. It was hilarious :laughing:
And God bless Gary's wife for living with someone who makes so much noise at night. I thought he might suck in his pillow.
I don't think Dave did anything really stupid that we can make fun of. Next time we'll catch him on something. You know - gotta spread the love.
:laughing: :laughing:
QuoteOriginally posted by jsweka:
And God bless Gary's wife for living with someone who makes so much noise at night. I thought he might suck in his pillow.
:laughing: :laughing:
So I ask my wife about my snoring and all she said was YUP ITS AWFUL BUT I LOVE YOU NOW GO BACK TO BED AND SUTUP!
OK guys here is a few more pictures from my end
(http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w372/ghall80/sika2015076.jpg) (http://s1072.photobucket.com/user/ghall80/media/sika2015076.jpg.html)
DAVE and JOHN getting ready fro the next sit
(http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w372/ghall80/sika2015091.jpg) (http://s1072.photobucket.com/user/ghall80/media/sika2015091.jpg.html)
Marshy mourning view
Its a different kind of cold out there I never really was comfortable. Its a wet damp cold.
(http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w372/ghall80/sika2015098.jpg) (http://s1072.photobucket.com/user/ghall80/media/sika2015098.jpg.html)
(http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w372/ghall80/sika2015127.jpg) (http://s1072.photobucket.com/user/ghall80/media/sika2015127.jpg.html)
Now I am 6'3" and this grass behind me was higher and thinker .But the runs through this area were very promising but nothing came in that I could see. But who knows, they could get right by you if you are not paying attention
(http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w372/ghall80/sika2015138.jpg) (http://s1072.photobucket.com/user/ghall80/media/sika2015138.jpg.html)
Dave walked out to show everyone what we had to walk in most of the time out there. All of my stands I had to walk in some sort of water, at one stand the stand I missed my doe, it was about up to the top of my boots on the trail.
(http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w372/ghall80/sika2015154.jpg) (http://s1072.photobucket.com/user/ghall80/media/sika2015154.jpg.html)
O YEAH IT WAS THINK
(http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w372/ghall80/sika2015159.jpg) (http://s1072.photobucket.com/user/ghall80/media/sika2015159.jpg.html)
And here is one of the little guys. Most of the time this is what we saw the butt end and going 60MPH LOL!!
So when do you guys want to go back I CANT WAIT to do it again.
You probably should were hip boots down there, we do. A lot of water is over those low boots especially if you hit one and start trailing it. A heavy rain and high tide will change your thinking.
Nice pics Gary.
I had a pair of hip boots with me just in case I would have been getting off the normal trails to follow a hit deer. But they stayed in the truck.
On the way out after our Tuesday morning sit, I did step in a hole and go over my lacross boots. Fortunately it was on the way out rather than on the way in and I could dry everything out before the afternoon hunt.