Sika Are My Kryptonite

[OneGunTex]

Need a little encouragement here y'all.

Sitting out at Blackwater NWR trying at what might be my last chance to ever come chase Sika. Not sure if y'all are familiar, but they're these invasive tiny elk (avg <90lbs) that are in the marsh of E Maryland. Primarily nocturnal, keep their feet wet. Getting to them requires chest waders and slogging through sometimes feet-deep mud to go set up a treestand in the thick of it. Vegetation is thick, no shots >75yds, shotgun only. You do it for the novelty/challenge, it's not a whole lot of fun.

Over 4yrs & about a dozen days in the marsh, I've seen 6 Sika (that incl in my headlights at 3am), fired a total of 6 slugs at 3 of them, and have killed 0. About an hour ago I shot at a tiny little hind crossing a crick. Same story as ever - they never stop moving, shot windows are so small, never find a drop of blood.

Now, I've killed deer with this slug gun before, and I've never seen a deer soak up a 12ga slug (even poorly placed) and go more than 1yd before keeling over. So I guess that's 6 clean misses. Iron sights 12ga out of a tree saddle in waders caked in mud isn't easy, but boy does it sting.

I guess I've got 8 more hours of sitting in this damn tree before it's all over. Wish me luck.

-Tex

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[long hunter]

Your doing what is one of the high priority checks on my bucket list, HANG IN THERE, STAY THE COURSE. Good luck

 

[OneGunTex]

Thanks for that Long Hunter.

To wrap it up, was a long slow day. Saw one more Sika, through the trees in a private field. Oh well.

Now that I'm warm with some lasagna in me and a bed to fall into, really it wasn't that bad. Appreciative that I got to go out and try something that some folks are aching to do. Appreciative of all the birds that don't show up in your suburban backyard and the always-interesting Delmarva Fox Squirrel (which is cool, and huge, and protected).

And I'm sure I'll find my way out here some other year. Got a lot of living left to do.

Goodnight Rokslide.

-Tex

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[long hunter]

Marylands late muzzleloader season is coming up,go get them.

 

[Mdfowlman2]

I see two things you need to consider, go to less dense vegetation and get a more accurate slug gun.
Also contrary to some people opinions, you can very easily stop them as you would a whitetail
We hunt them quite a bit and have plenty of success of 6pt stags

 

[NB7]

I've got a couple of sika bow kills under my belt and it can make for tough, tough blood trailing when they have their feet in the water. which is normally where they'll be or at least run off to once hit. I've only killed one with a rifle and none with a shotgun slug, but I can't imagine them going much anywhere besides down if hit with a slug to the chest cavity. Methinks you missed 'em.

 

[duckcarver]

Thanks for sharing. I share your pain. Nothing more to add--just happy to see some other folks on here from the Eastern Shore. I'm in Easton.

 

[7Bartman]

Public land sika can be challenging. It took me 5-6 seasons to kill my first on public. Unfortunately, Blackwater gets pounded now. I used to hunt there 20+ years ago and see nice size herds of sika. Those days are long gone. I think everyone that comes here now thinks they are going to have a hunt like Rinella had on one of the best private pieces around.
Sika don't have the fecundity that Whitetail do, so the increased hind harvest has really dropped the population on public land. They are some nocturnal critters so I'm hoping this cold weather holds and helps get them on their feet in daylight.
Here's a old public land hunt that you might enjoy.

 

[Gunnersdad49]

Definitely sounds like Type 2 fun (which your second post points out). Really a cool critter and those that get them are very few and proud. If you are anything like me, you will be in that swamp again next year, and the year after until you finally get one. Keep after them while you are young and able.