6ptsika

How'd everybody make out?
Got my sika stag, 6pt, 74lb.
Went to make the drive down from NJ on Wed evening, ball joint went on my car. Got it fixed Thursday, headed down Thursday evening. Was in my stand by 5:20 Friday morning, didn't see a thing except nutria and a beautiful Bald eagle that gave me the once over around 9:00am. Heard lots of bugling, one right in front of me bugled three times throughout the morning. Well, 11:30 he came by heading towards a fragmite patch looking for does, made an easy 15yd shot. Beauutiful stag, nothing huge, but good mane, and nice spots.
The bad thing was I must have got some water in my gun dragging him out of the swamp, had a misfire on a huge whitetail doe in the evening, easy 80yd field shot with a solid rest. Took three caps for my gun to go off. Note to sef, fire gun after hunting the swamp, LOL.
Luckily it wasn't the big fella I've been hunting.
My club did OK, out of about 15 guys, we ended up with an 8, two 7's and a 6, plus my sika. We got one doe, but just about everone could have got one or more, I think they're waiting until this weekend. Lots of small 6 and 8 pts passed up, always a good thing to see.
I'll be back down with my bow this weekend, hoping for a buck, the blackpowder doe hunters usually push some deer around this weekend.


"In heaven, even the fish have antlers"

ARO

congrats on your sika stag, i might have to start hunting them a little bit.

i shot an eight point whitetail 165# friday morning at 7:50. the deer were really moving last weekend, you gotta love the early smokepole!!!
i will try to post a pix soon, i been so busy, i havent got the film developed yet!!!

ARO

www.hunting-pictures.com/members/ARO/deer.html

CAPT BRAD

CONGRATS ON THE SIKA. DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE MISFIRE. WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES. TWO YEARS AGO I SHOT A DOE THAT I MADE A POOR SHOT ON. WE I WENT TO RETEIEVE HER, I LAID MY MUZZELLOADER DOWN AND STARTED TO GRAB HER, SHE JUMPED AND RAN RIGHT ACROSS MY GUN. I THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT. SEVERAL DAYS LATER, TWO WALKED WITHIN 15 YARDS OF MY STAND. I MISSED THREE TIMES WITH A MUZZIE!!! YES THEY WERE YOUNG AND STOOD THE WHOLE TIME WHILE I RELOADED. THE ONLY REGRET I HAVE IS THAT IT WAS GUN SEASON AND FOR SOME REASON I CARRIED THE MUZZIE. IF I WOULD HAVE HAD THE A-5 IN MY HANDS THIS STORY WOULD HAVE A DIFFERENT ENDING. ONCE AGAIN, CONGRATS ON THE SIKA. I WOULD LIKE TO TRY MY HAND AT HUNTING THEM SOMETIMES.

GOOD LUCK. CAPT BRAD.

cyclone

Hmmm, sika steaks, I can taste em now....

I didn't get out in mzy season, My county was shut down. I took the bow out instead. Saw some deer but no shooters..I've been chasin those sika 6pt, so far I've only seen one, on the run, no shot. My bud took a doe two weeks ago. I'm seeing a little rut activity although not like I have in the past. They are whistling though.

I've been going down at least once a week, during the week. I did get to see one of those pesky nutria though. Man they have a call that will make you stand up and knock an arrow don't they?

I could have sworn that a sika was going to walk out of the reeds. Nutria sound remarkably like a whitetail bawling. Is that your experience also 6pt?

~Will Hunt For Food~

6ptsika

Thanks guys and conrats ARO, nice buck.
I hear ya CAPT, I use my smokepole for the majority of rifle season too, just a lot more fun, and I usually don't have very far shots anyway. Amazing how deer just don't spook from a muzzleloader shot.
Cyclone, they're rutting pretty heavy right now, my buddy saw 5 different 6pt's last Thursday, but held off, he's looking for a bruiser. Property I can't afford, right next to Backwater.
Yeah those nutira sound just like the sound the stags make right now, that kind of drawn out bellow, whatever it is. I can't tell you how many times I've got all ready just to have one of them go past. Sounds the same, though. I think the stags do it when they're frustrated at the does, I hear elk sound like a dog whining, I guess the same call. Maybe the counterpart of the estrus call the doe makes? I know I heard it last week. They're definitely in peak rut though, get down if you can. I have my pictures developed, I'll get them scanned this weekend.



"In heaven, even the fish have antlers"

Bionicrooster

Thanks 6pt, those sika steaks were awesome. Had some last night. I am headed to the new property on Sunday to get set up.

Nice deer ARO, any pics yet?

ARO

6pt, i am gonna do a little scouting an assateague for a sika spot. i am good at reading whitetail sign, but have never hunted sika deer before. what should i look for when chosing a spot to hunt?


ARO

www.hunting-pictures.com/members/ARO/deer.html

6ptsika

Their tracks are much smaller and more pointed than wt's, you'll have to see a buch before you can determine wat's a big one.
They rub like whitetails, but the trees are much smaller, usually small saplinggs up to an inch or so, starting very close to the ground. Even the big ones rub these little trees.
They make scrapes like a whitetail, just much smaller.
they also wallow like an elk, this is just a big scrape with water in it they urinate in and roll around in, they're always a good place to start, they seem to make these close to the bedding areas, and visit them before they shack up with the ladies for the day. Kinda like cologne I guess.
Other than that, look for heavy trails conneecting thickets. Or hear them bugling, then you know he was in a certain area at a certain time.
Scrapes are the best bet, the closer to the bedding area the better, especially after peak rut, which is when you'll be hunting.


"In heaven, even the fish have antlers"