Sika deer hunting...HELP!

[Fish'n Addiction]

I'm headed to the Eastern Shore (Chincoteague) to hunt a Sika deer archery draw hunt this Monday-Wednesday. I have never hunted Sika deer and I'm looking for any suggestions, advice, tactics, etc... :helpsmilie: I have the opportuninty since a member of the orginal hunting party had to drop out last minute. If you have any experience hunting Sika, please let me know about your experience. Also any recommendations on a good hunter friendly place to stay would be helpful.

Thanks!

[bcw1]

The Wallow - (http://www.websitetoolbox.com/tool/mb/marylandwhitetail?forum=40151)

SIKA 101 - (http://www.websitetoolbox.com/mb/marylandwhitetail?forum=54914)

[little bubba]

Well I've been hunting sika for about 15 years. Not trying to discourage you, but they have just about whipped the population out. Not really sure why. I would dare say that you probably won't even see a sika much less shoot one while you are hunting. You will see them in the NO HUNT areas or traveling the wildlife loop. There wll be 75 hunters hunting and feel lucky if you see a dead one. Years back we had out best luck in Zone 2 and 9. Nine is a long walk but the you will be almost by yourself.
There are about 800 sika (according to the Fish & Wildlife service) on a 14000 acre island.

My advice is to get away from the crowd. Set up next to the open marsh. Sika like to travel along the edge between the marsh and the wood line. I haven't hunted over there is 2 yrs. But I really don't think things have changed. Please update this thread as to how your hunt went. I would like to know. Good Luck.
LBubba

[jasaltinmyvn]

They also love thick fragmittus. If you can get between to thickets it can be good. It worked for me last year and shot a nice 6 pt. Oh Yeah they are rutting right now so have fun listening to the bugles.

[crow]

Use to hunt them quite a bit in Dorchester Md, they can be hard to see and hard to drop.

[FishinAddiction]

please do not get me confused with him...i am the original FishinAddiction! Nice name though :)

[Fish'n Addiction]

I'm the New and Improved! :cool2: Please don't get me confused...just kidding...I figured this name was too good to be true. Maybe we're related?

Thanks for the replies so far - the links were really helpful!


-Shawn

[choptankcrabber]

Also, a word to the wise, if you get a shot-
Mark the spot very carefully- the marsh can be very disorienting once you get down from a stand (I highly recommend a climber along an edge or between stands of phrag, as mentioned before). Sika have finer hair than whitetail- it tends to soak up blood like a fleece jacket instead of shedding it like a whitetail coat. They tend to keep their feet wet- look for fresh bubbles when trailing them, since there is no blood trail in water. Look for blood on the side of the phragmites or other grass. And if the blood trail stops near a pothole, look closely: unlike a whitetail with its big hollow hairs, sika will sink and blend into the black water.

Good luck- that bugle will get into your head, then you're doomed! :thumbup:

[tubby]

Hunt early way early and stay tight til lasst light...........

[Fish'n Addiction]

Here's the update on the Sika hunt...

I hunted the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge achery draw hunt on Monday and Tuesday. We had 3 people in our hunting party. 2 of us were Sika first timers, the other guy was returning for his 4th time. The other two guys were traditionalists - hunting with a recurve and a long bow.

Sunday was a scouting day. We scouted a specific area another Tidal Fish member Private Messaged me on (THANKS AGAIN! :thumbup: ). It was bone dry on the refuge. Almost all the water had dried up. Saw a lot of sign and ended up hunting the area. I didn't see any thing the first morning, but the other guys saw a few in the morning. Monday was a slow evening for me, but one of the guys saw over 20 that night. Several big stags too but all were well out of bow range. We didn't hear any bugles, the Sika were pretty quite both days.

First thing Tuesday morning I had a shot at a nice Sika, but Sika are very jumpy and at 30 yards she jumped the string. :eek: Saw 2 more that morning, but about 75 yards away. One of the other guys saw 2, but out of range.

Tuesday night was our last hunt and we spread out over the area the 20+ Sika came out the night before. We saw a TON of Sika and several BIG stags. :clap: We were covered up in Sika, but they entered the area from the opposite side than the previous night. We all had Sika as close as 40 yards out, but no one took a shot. I was really suprised to find out no one took a shot, I thought for sure we'd be dragging several Sika out. The Sika put on quite a show...

We had a GREAT time and all agreed to do it again next year before we even walked out of the woods.

[choptankcrabber]

Yup, you're doomed.

[fishthebite]

They are very cool critters and am trying to figure them out myself. Have seen a bunch, bot no shots as of yet. I think this is my 3 rd year chasing them. NADA ....

[rattler]

sounds like you had a great time...thats what counts...

[Red]

I'm glad it worked out, too bad you couldn't get a shot at one of the big stags. At least you got to see a little rut activity.