Maryland Bow Hunters Question Help
11-02-2004, 07:36 AM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Street MD
Posts: 307
Maryland Bow Hunters Question Help
everyone is saying the rut is in but I went out today and saw 6 does crossing a hay field they were going to come buy my stand and go out into a freshly cut soy bean field there were no bucks around following these does do you think that the area I am hunting has to many does and not enough bucks I tryed some calling and rattling but nothing came in I have not seen any fresh rubs or scapes around were I am hunting yet either I am hunting in Dublin Maryland close to the PA line. Thanks any info will help going out this to give it another shot.
11-02-2004, 07:41 AM
#2
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Southern MD USA
Posts: 436
RE: Maryland Bow Hunters Question Help
I have seen small bucks chasing does in the past 2 weeks, and I took a Good 11 point this past Sat morning, but I think that was some luck cause I didn't hear of too much going on that day... This coming weekend should be AWESOME... It is going to be cold, and the Rut should really Heat up... I'll be onstand All day Sat, and Sunday... But you should have seen rubs and scrapes already for sure... I would maybe do a little scouting with my treestand on my back and see if I could find some more sign... Good Luck to ya...
11-02-2004, 09:16 AM
#3
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: St. Mary\'s County Maryland USA
Posts: 393
RE: Maryland Bow Hunters Question Help
The rut is definitley on!!!!!
You're hunting MD right? SO the answer is yes. Do you wonder why we're allowed to take 10 does w/ each weapon? Little bit of an overpopulatiion people. Then I go to the butcher and all I see are spikes and 4 pointers laying around. People aren't getting the message in MD and if they don't start playing the game right we're gonna have "Earn-a-buck" programs or may only be able to take 1 buck. Then people will be complaining about that and that it's not fair. FIGURE IT OUT.
So hvyhitter, you'll be out all day Sunday huh? Interesting...................
do you think that the area I am hunting has to many does and not enough bucks
So hvyhitter, you'll be out all day Sunday huh? Interesting...................
11-02-2004, 09:25 AM
#5
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Southern MD USA
Posts: 436
RE: Maryland Bow Hunters Question Help
Yeah I agree with you Solax... I do not understand at all why people insist on shooting these yearly and 2 1/2 year bucks Just so the antlers can sit in the corner of the garage somewhere... I don't get it... If you are not going to do anythign with the Antlers then why shoot the buck and not the Doe...?? Let the buck grow up so you can be proud and have him put on the wall where he belongs...
Anyway as I said before.... The Rut is On! Good Luck to all...
Anyway as I said before.... The Rut is On! Good Luck to all...
11-02-2004, 09:35 AM
#7
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: St. Mary\'s County Maryland USA
Posts: 393
RE: Maryland Bow Hunters Question Help
Drives me crazy!!!!! And the worst part is hearing the excuses...."If we don't kill does, there'll be more deer around in the future", "It ain't right to shoot does".
It's so difficult to get through to these people. I took a doe to the butcher last week and he had 130 deer to butcher from ML season. There were some big bucks and does but the majority, that means more than 60 deer were small bucks. Kills me.
hvyhitter, I owe you an apology, I just checked the regs and there is hunting this Sun. An apology never felt so good!!!!!!!!!
It's so difficult to get through to these people. I took a doe to the butcher last week and he had 130 deer to butcher from ML season. There were some big bucks and does but the majority, that means more than 60 deer were small bucks. Kills me.
hvyhitter, I owe you an apology, I just checked the regs and there is hunting this Sun. An apology never felt so good!!!!!!!!!
11-02-2004, 11:11 AM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,301
RE: Maryland Bow Hunters Question Help
I think it is ultimately going to get to that point with limiting buck harvest. I really wouldn’t blame DNR either. People aren’t going to stop shooting these young half horned bucks. Hunters are shooting them just because they have horns. It’s absurd.
We here in Maryland need some kind of incentive to shoot does. The bag limit is obviously not an incentive.
Let’s face it; there are deer in high numbers all over Maryland. I can’t remember a season where I am letting at least one or 2 deer walk depending on how much I get out. I rattled in a small six-pointer this past weekend and let him walk. I already have a deer in the freezer so it was easy to do. But I would not have shot him anyway because right now the pre-rut is in and now is the time to shoot only SHOOTERS. I will shoot a buck if I can tell he is not ever going to grow into something trophy caliber AND I can use the meat outside of the rut.
I will say DNR can do something a little extra and make it a little easier to drop off deer to a butcher who will feed the homeless. That process isn’t very convenient for me and I would guess not very convenient for most Marylanders. Maybe that would change things.
To get back to the subject of the rut in MD, I think the pre-rut is in full swing and with the cold temps coming in I can see the chasing phase being really intense this weekend.
We here in Maryland need some kind of incentive to shoot does. The bag limit is obviously not an incentive.
Let’s face it; there are deer in high numbers all over Maryland. I can’t remember a season where I am letting at least one or 2 deer walk depending on how much I get out. I rattled in a small six-pointer this past weekend and let him walk. I already have a deer in the freezer so it was easy to do. But I would not have shot him anyway because right now the pre-rut is in and now is the time to shoot only SHOOTERS. I will shoot a buck if I can tell he is not ever going to grow into something trophy caliber AND I can use the meat outside of the rut.
I will say DNR can do something a little extra and make it a little easier to drop off deer to a butcher who will feed the homeless. That process isn’t very convenient for me and I would guess not very convenient for most Marylanders. Maybe that would change things.
To get back to the subject of the rut in MD, I think the pre-rut is in full swing and with the cold temps coming in I can see the chasing phase being really intense this weekend.
11-02-2004, 02:18 PM
#10
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Kent County, MD
Posts: 64
RE: Maryland Bow Hunters Question Help
I live in Kent Co but go to school in NC but i can say the rut is on. My dad had seen a few bucks chasing and the activity is up for sure. Sometimes you can tell the rut on the amount of road kills, holds true for my area not sure about everyone else. Keep at it bc a buck will be behind those does sooner or later.