Every year I hunt the Blackwater NWR during the early ML season as well as the later gun season for Sika Deer !

And this year was no different !

Went up sunday and hung a stand and then drove up yesterday morning for check in at 5AM and went straight to my stand and got situated about 25-30 feet up !

I was using my Savage 10ML-II pre accutrigger loaded with 42 grains of VVN-110 , a Hornady 250 SST and a CCI209M . I had changed triggers in the gun earlier in the week and put in a Rifle Basix trigger which allowed me to get about a 2 1/2 pound pull .

I was up the tree and situated about 5:45Am and legal shooting wasn't until 6:45Am so I took a little nap and woke up right about 6:50 Am !

About 15 minutes later I started hearing shots some close some not so close .

Saw plenty wildlife but no Sika Deer . Then about 8:45 Am I heard a deer walking in the water behind me . So I turned and finally made out a Sika doe about 80 yards from me in the phragmites . I waited until he got closer and turned to my right . he was about 65 yards and I let him have it !

At the crack she turned and went back in the direction toward the fire road I walked part the way in on ! She went maybe 30-45 yards and I heard her go plop plop in the water and it got quiet !

Waited maybe 5 minutes in case she got up but that didn't happen !

Got down from the tree and walked over where she was !

She was submerged in water so I pulled her out and took a couple pics !







Here's a picture I was trying to take a pic of my face and the Sika's head at sae time and as you can see it didn't work out so well !




I was maybe a 1/2 mile down a fire road where I couldn't drive my truck and about 300 yards in the marsh/flooded timer from the fire road !

So I started out with the deer , my ML , my treestand and my extra clothes etc !
Took me about 75 minutes to get to the fire road !

Then I left everything except my ML at the end of the fire road and walked to the truck to get a cart . Got back , gutted the deer loaded it all up and was out at the check station by 11:30Am !

The refuge officials weighed the deer she was 50 pounds field dressed which is good size for these deer . then they aged her by her teeth and they said she was 2 1/2 year old deer . Pretty much in her prime !

Well the early ML season in Maryland only allows one Sika of the two you may take for the entire ML season . So in December I can take a Sika Stag if I see one !

I'll be back in the smae spot in Decmeber