Maryland Sika

[NateDog]

Is it easy to get acess to private land in Maryland for Sika Deer?

[lpcjon2]

Do a search for sika deer using the search button up top below new topic button area and you will find good info on it.

[AdamH]

Not easy to get Private land period in Md. but my Buds got Buds for these little Critters, maybe he'll chime in ...

[Stumpkiller]

I used to know a spot but it's now a Hyatt Regency.  :-(

Google up Blackwater Wildlife Refuge in Dorchester County.  Last I knew they allowed limited hunting.

 http://www.friendsofblackwater.org/hunting.html

[Chris Surtees]

You could check out Muddy Marsh Outfitters. Pretty reasonable prices for a hunt.

C

[Steve Kendrot]

There's excellent sika hunting on public land and lots of it. Private land is all leased and the majority of private land hunters, especially the outfitters bait with corn.

[NateDog]

Which public area is best? My college buddies and I are talking of a hunt after graduation. We considered a sika something exotic to chase with our stick bows...

[Nate N]

I have some friends in Dorchester county who have a little bit of land.  It is extremely hard to get private land down there around Hoopers Island because there are so many leases for waterfowl that most of the private land is leased.  There is some public land that holds a lot of sika but it is swampy.  You might want to check into the regulations for hunting the Blackwater Refuge.  Dorchester County is definatly where you want to be.  THey have pictures on there game cameras of 30 sika at a time.

[kbetts]

I shot my first one this year. If you hunt whitetails there is a learning curve. Extremely small kill zones. They don't bleed well and they spend most of their time with wet feet. You need to look at the Cambridge area. Dorchester county. If you love the marsh like I do, you will become hopelessly addicted.

[Hatrick]

NateDog, definately check out the Blackwater website that Stumpkiller posted. Like kbetts, I shot my first Sika this year as well. I was hunting Blackwater at the time. The terrain is flat but marshy. I wadded through a lot of knee high water to get to the spot where I hunted. A thermocell is a good idea to ward off the skeeters. A very neat animal to hunt and a member of the elk family. The stags bugle during the rut.

Here is another good website to check out for Sika information.   http://www.dougwigfield.com/index.html

[Chris Shelton]

HA, definitely check out blackwater, cause I think you probably have a better chance killing a sika in Kansas vs getting permission somewhere in Md to hunt them!!!

Also check out Assateague national wildlife refuge.(spelling is way off), just another option . . .

[Roy Steele]

No you won't.Two opions public land or and outfitter.We hunted with muddy marsh in the late 90's and up to 2002.We only hunted late in Jan.After there's nothing else to huntThere good, we hunted right across from blackwater.I've also bow hunt public land but it's much harded the only real way to bow hunt them is bait.When we hunted public little 2 man drives worked well for us.But that merkles killer to get through.As far as just setting in a stand and waiting well thats all you'll do.They don't leave many trials to set over and there noctural as well.So BAIT OR FOOD PLOTS ARE JUST ABOUT IT. And old guy told me on my firsttrip there that what ever way a stags nose is pointed when he gets up is the way he'll go.And I've came to beleive him.There nothing like whitetails.So what you know about deer forget it all when it come to sika.

[Steve Kendrot]

You don't need bait to kill sika deer. You just need to hunt them. They aren't so different than white tails, its just the cover is different than what you are used to. You can pattern them like any other critter. They aren't quite as predictable but if you learn what they like, its not difficult to put yourself in high probability spots. A lot of sikas are killed at Blackwater, Fishing Bay WMA and other areas open to the public where baiting is illegal (wish it was everywhere). I hunt private land where we don't bait. It's a lot more fun hunting deer that act like deer and not drooling pavlovian robots coming to a pile of corn.

As far as leaving trails, they are creatures of habit and leave lots of evidence of their preferred routes. Get on google earth and zoom in on the marsh/woodline edges and you will be able to see trails that will make you drool. The biggest problem is figuring out which ones to set on.

They are a great hunt if you are willing to work for it. Come the week of Columbus day and you should hit the rut and I can promise you you won't find a more exciting hunt. Hip boots, thermocell and GPS are critical equipment.

[kbetts]

Once you hear that elk like bugle, its over.  I heard it and every hair on my body stood up.

[NateDog]

Thanks for all the tips I'll keep blackwater and fishing bay in mind. Also are they hard to call any sucess in developing a bugle or elk whislte for them.

[Nate N]

My friend got a call down on hooper's island that was made by a local(can't remember his name)that came with a CD pack to learn how to use it.  The call sounds great and is realistic.  Sika are pretty social with their calling so if you can use a call correctly it will definately help you out.  
Make sure you have a good pair of swamp boots too!!  you are gonna need them!!
Once you hear one "scream" at you, you will be hooked on hunting them!

[wvboy]

It took me several years, but i got it done on public land this year.  Don't forget your thermacell!

[hvyhitter]

WOW ...thats a great stag!!!!

[Nate N]

Great 6 point!  a trophy for sure!!

[reddogge]

That is a BEAUTIFUL stag!  I've been hunting them since the late 70s and never had a crack at one that big with rifle or bow.

There is a call "The Sika Seducer" marketed by Doug Wigfield  www.dougwigfield.com.  Never tried it but others like it.

The important thing is to do lots of scouting.  Like others mentioned most public hunting involves water, hip boots, high grass, loblolly pine trees, mosquitos.  They don't have really well defined trails in the marsh like whitetails so sometimes it is a crap shoot.  You can look out into the marsh and say "I can make it to that group of trees out there" and before you go 500 yards you are exhausted and drenched with sweat.