Blackwater NWR - SUCCESS !

[6pt-sika]

Every year I hunt the Blackwater NWR during the early ML season as well as the later gun season for Sika Deer !

And this year was no different !

Went up sunday and hung a stand and then drove up yesterday morning for check in at 5AM and went straight to my stand and got situated about 25-30 feet up !

I was using my Savage 10ML-II pre accutrigger loaded with 42 grains of VVN-110 , a Hornady 250 SST and a CCI209M . I had changed triggers in the gun earlier in the week and put in a Rifle Basix trigger which allowed me to get about a 2 1/2 pound pull .

I was up the tree and situated about 5:45Am and legal shooting wasn't until 6:45Am so I took a little nap and woke up right about 6:50 Am !

About 15 minutes later I started hearing shots some close some not so close .

Saw plenty wildlife but no Sika Deer . Then about 8:45 Am I heard a deer walking in the water behind me . So I turned and finally made out a Sika doe about 80 yards from me in the phragmites . I waited until he got closer and turned to my right . he was about 65 yards and I let him have it !

At the crack she turned and went back in the direction toward the fire road I walked part the way in on ! She went maybe 30-45 yards and I heard her go plop plop in the water and it got quiet !

Waited maybe 5 minutes in case she got up but that didn't happen !

Got down from the tree and walked over where she was !

She was submerged in water so I pulled her out and took a couple pics !







Here's a picture I was trying to take a pic of my face and the Sika's head at sae time and as you can see it didn't work out so well !




I was maybe a 1/2 mile down a fire road where I couldn't drive my truck and about 300 yards in the marsh/flooded timer from the fire road !

So I started out with the deer , my ML , my treestand and my extra clothes etc !
Took me about 75 minutes to get to the fire road !

Then I left everything except my ML at the end of the fire road and walked to the truck to get a cart . Got back , gutted the deer loaded it all up and was out at the check station by 11:30Am !

The refuge officials weighed the deer she was 50 pounds field dressed which is good size for these deer . then they aged her by her teeth and they said she was 2 1/2 year old deer . Pretty much in her prime !

Well the early ML season in Maryland only allows one Sika of the two you may take for the entire ML season . So in December I can take a Sika Stag if I see one !

I'll be back in the smae spot in Decmeber 

[6pt-sika]

A few pics I took last sunday when i was going in to hang my stand !
They'll give you an idea what it's like in the Blackwater !

[6pt-sika]

I first started hunting Sika Deer on Chincoteague NWR in Virginia and have since expenaded to Dorchester County MAryland and the Blackwater NWR about 1996 or 1997 !

I drive 3 1/2 hours from my home in central Virginia to hunt these little guys in Maryland and about the same distance to hunt them on Chincoteague when I get drawn for a permit !

Matter of fact this is the first year inawhile I am able to hunt bothe the Blackwater NWR and got drawn to hunt the Chincoteague NWR in the same hunting year !

So possibly I can take Sika Deer in both states for the first time ever !

Better yet maybe I can get a 6 point Sika Stag on the Blackwater this year and when I go to Chincoteague later get a 6 down there as well !

[358Hammer]

Congrats and thank you for sharing.
Good luck on the upcoming hunt.

Neal

[1Shot]

...Might have to invest in some waders if you step off in a hole...lol.. ...Good thing it's cold. look's like big snake country to me.. ...Too bad you can'nt use dogs to run em out... ...You'll have to try out that 220 slug gun pretty soon... ...Does that have a heavy bbl. on it like the H&R Slugger..??..

[Apache]

Congrats!

Looks like some places in Louisiana.......

[6pt-sika]

...Might have to invest in some waders if you step off in a hole...lol..

Went to take my hip boots this trip and they had cracked 

[44magyota]

WOW thats a tiny deer. I guess we are lucky here in Oregon. Our mule deer here weigh over 100 lbs dressed and our little deer in the valley weigh at least 60-80 lbs dressed.

[kweeks10045]

looks like one of our Hill Country deer here in Texas.  100 lbs is average for a buck.  I shot one 160lbs and it was considered a monster for the hill country area.

[NLPeaden]

...Might have to invest in some waders if you step off in a hole...lol..

Went to take my hip boots this trip and they had cracked 

Silicone oil.  Works great for the years old high pressure hoses and o-rings on my SCUBA gear.

[6pt-sika]

WOW thats a tiny deer. I guess we are lucky here in Oregon. Our mule deer here weigh over 100 lbs dressed and our little deer in the valley weigh at least 60-80 lbs dressed.

Actually I think I was pretty lucky that the darn thing wasn't a big bruiser whitetail of about 200 pounds getting it out of the marsh woulda darned near killed me I expect !

But then a "Sika Deer" isn't a whitetail or a mulie is it 

[2recon]

I live in west OC...what most people don't realize...sika are in the elk family..much better eating..how were the ticks & chiggers ? you work for everything you get in blackwater..congratulations !

[44magyota]

WOW thats a tiny deer. I guess we are lucky here in Oregon. Our mule deer here weigh over 100 lbs dressed and our little deer in the valley weigh at least 60-80 lbs dressed.

Actually I think I was pretty lucky that the darn thing wasn't a big bruiser whitetail of about 200 pounds getting it out of the marsh woulda darned near killed me I expect !

But then a "Sika Deer" isn't a whitetail or a mulie is it 

Nope its not...i just never seen a deer that small before.

[6pt-sika]

I live in west OC...what most people don't realize...sika are in the elk family..much better eating..how were the ticks & chiggers ? you work for everything you get in blackwater..congratulations !

The ticks and chiggers I've never encountered there !

The skeeters however can sometimes carry you away !
So I purchased stcok you might say in "Thermacell" ! As long as the winds not blowing hard on the warm days the Thermacell will keep those little SOB's at bay about 4 feet away in all directions .

I'm not sure what west OC is by the way ?

[2recon]

West Ocean City, Maryland...been duck hunting , so i didn't fool with the sika...i pulled into the parking lot ( ramp ) at Taylor's island ( blackwater )..opened the truck door..and they were all over me.. bad..once we left the ramp, they weren't so bad in the marsh..went to walmart a bought 2 more cans of off..can't wait for the 1st frost...Blackwater is a bad place to hunt by yourself..getting stuck..falling ..bad news