Hi all . Last year I decided to hunt Maryland for Sika , whitetail ,and Turkey this year ( and for many rears to come , I hope ) . Thanks to some traditonal bow hunters I have 2 spots to hunt . Thank you Mike and Steve . I am on a small 20 acre lease in Woolford Maryland and a big 990 +/- acre lease at Slaughter Creek . I came down in March to see bouth leases .I have medical issues that have me at less than full strength and stamina .I wanted to put stands in that I could leave . That is why I wanted leases . There is a lot of public land ,if you can do hiking in and out with stand each day . I came down in Apral , May , July  ,and August , hiking and scouting the leases . I had 2 stands and 3 game cameras out all summer . I have the Woolford lease parity much to my self as Mike rarely hunts it . I called turkey in several times in Apral and May , but no shots with the bow . I hunted opening week (September 4 or 5 ) but it was hot and I did not handle hunting and hot weather well .
I am on my third day of a longer hunt in October .So far it has been good . Thrisday AM hunted Slaughter creek , and checked game cameras . Put a nice stalk on a hind  on my way out. Got to 50yd +/- . Fun but no shot . Thrisday PM Sat at Woolford and had a nice doe under me for 10 minutes but could not get to full draw . These soybean feed whitetail shure look good compared to my mountain ones . Friday I took a stand into Slaughter Creek . ( a 2.4 mi. hike according to my GPS ) I had it up by 12:00 and sat it from 1:00 to dark . It was raining on and off . I tried one of those umbrellas that fasten to the tree . It worked much better than I thought it would . I had a small hind cross at 10yd. but did not stop for a shot . 10 minutes layer a biger hind spotted me moving from 30 yd. out then got down wind of me and sounded the alarm chirp for 10 minutes . That cleared the frag . I could hear a number of Sika running in the water . All and all I am having a good trip and look forward to the next few days . When I get back home I will try to figure out how to post some pic. from my game cameras .

May life's simplest things bring you the greatest pleasures !!!!!

Sika's can be a tough hunt. It sounds like you're earning your stripes. Keep at it, good luck, and post some pics. Watch that frag, it's real easy to get lost in those areas.

Rich, Good luck. I hoe to be down at Blackwater next October. I may need to pick your brain before then.

 
One of my dream hunts

hey rich, glad to hear you got down there.
what was the brand of the recurve you had up at moose river.   kevin

Very cool hunt.

Very cool! Good luck!

Hi . . Kevin I am shooting a Border Covert Hunter .46# @ 28" shooting a 480gr. arrow at right around 200 fps . I am enjoying hunting the marsh . These Sika don't let you make any mistakes . I am a long way from figuring them out . I am handling the hunt and walking much better then when I was here last . All the hiking I did in the Adirondacks must have helped . PM me or give me a call if you have any ? about the bow .

May life's simplest things bring you the greatest pleasures !!!

I'm leaving at 3am to head down and hunt the lil Marsh deer

They are beginning to rut from what I hear.  You should have some bugling this week.  Enjoy!! and good luck.

I hunted Mon and Tues with a few friends.  Two hinds and one very nice Stag killed. They are starting to go off pretty good.

The Sika are kicking my butt . They have me second guessing myself . I get good game cameras pic. for week's and as soon as I try to hunt the spot it slowed down to a few pic. I do not know if my stand and me are moving them or if I am just behind there natural movement . I hope too move a camera and may be a stand today in the rain . I slept late today as I am getting very sore and tired . I am off to a wet day in the marsh . Good luck to all chasing the marsh ghost .

May life's simplest things bring you the greatest pleasures !!!!

I had a good experience walking in the marsh today . Off to my right I caught some movement . What is that . Looping along close to the ground , moving through the open pines . I am just standing there nexed to a pine . It turnes and moves to me . It passes 5-6ft. in front of me paying no attention to me. That is the closes I have been to a otter . It made my day .

May life's simplest things bring you the greatest pleasures!!!!

Im enjoying this thread and I sure hope you tag one. I was out by your house yesterday on the way to Manchester with the family and was wondering if you were still in MD. Good luck buddy.

Seeing an Otter in the wild is pretty Neat.

Hope you have a  stag bugling his head off in close proximity!

I've got family in the Gaithersburgh area, I'd love to hunt Maryland one of there days. Sure sounds like fun.

Hot and humid today with a strong southerly wind . The wind made it pleasant in the marsh . I was in the marsh from dark to dark . Too hot for good hunting . Just right for a mid day nap under a pine tree . Cooler weather is coming and muzzelloading . I hope more hunters and cooler weather will move them around .

May life's simplest things bring you the greatest pleasures !!!

Ring, I will be around for this long weekend. Stop by and I'll have the grill going every evening. There may be some crabs, stripers and backstraps.

Hey RIng, go to this site and get a sika call. Doug knows how to talk to them critters.
http://www.dougwigfield.com/
Have several, works good, too.

One plus to hunting yesterday was the skeeters weren't out! Last week they got me good when my thermacell ran out of butane right as the sun hit the horizon.