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MD October Muzzleloader 2018
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Booshway
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It's coming again next week, our three day October muzzleloader season here in Maryland! It's been hot and muggy all fall so far, but it's finally supposed to cool down and be in the 60's with lows in the upper 40's all three days of hunt. Awesome weather forecast, even cool enough to knock down the skeeters!!

Flintlocks and gear are ready to go. Hitting the state marshes via kayak in the mornings for sika stags, woods and fields at home in the afternoon for whitetails all three days. Even have a bonus two days at Blackwater NWR the following weekend with separate bag limits, so I'll be after 'em quite a bit. Stay tuned for hunting reports. Big Grin
 
Posts: 429 | Location: Delmarva | Registered: 22 December 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Free Trapper
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Good luck, sounds like you have a good plan. Mark
 
Posts: 162 | Location: Burlington, Wisconsin | Registered: 28 November 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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It's muzzleloader eve! Low around 40 and high in the mid-50's for the opener, sunny and clear! Busy getting gear and gun ready to go. Big Grin
 
Posts: 429 | Location: Delmarva | Registered: 22 December 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Factor
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Good luck, guy!!!


Beer is proof that God loves us,and wants us to be happy-B. Franklin
 
Posts: 2013 | Location: Oreegun Territory | Registered: 24 March 2013Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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Well I had the kayak and all the gear loaded in/on the Jeep to head down for sika opening morning, but during the night it blew in NW 15-20 mph and I kept laying in bed, listening to the wind and thinking back to a 3 year stretch when I killed nice bucks on a corner of my field under just such conditions the first morning of early muzzleloader. Those 3 years bucks came cruising past 7-7:15am, late from out scraping and running on a cold night. Couldn't get that out of my head and I know to listen to my gut, so when the alarm went off I got the other rifle out, loaded it and went after whiteys at home instead.

Gorgeous morning, 48 degrees and blowing hard, but didn't see a deer, didn't even jump one in the dark heading out. Oh well, strike one, five more sits to go.

I'll switch it up and hunt sikas in the afternoon today instead down in the marshes. If the wind lays off at dark like it's forecast they'll be up screaming and moving.
 
Posts: 429 | Location: Delmarva | Registered: 22 December 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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The first afternoon of the season found me heading down to the public state lands with the kayak loaded and ready to go. My God there were a load of trucks and hunters at all the parking areas! Luckily I get to some nearly impossible spots via the kayak, so after a half hour paddle and a short hike I was in a tree with nobody else around.

Only problem is that no deer were around, either. The only bugles were a quarter mile out on the marsh. Not much sign in the woods. Tides have been horrible the last month, so I'm guessing it moved the deer around. I did finally see one sika doe wayyyy out on the marsh as she passed through a patch of short grass, but she was so spooky she acted like a downed US pilot behind Vietcong lines.

Second morning, today, I stayed home for whitetails. Gorgeous morning! Cold, clear skies, low fog haning over the fields and ponds. Owls sounding off everywhere in the dark, listened to and watched geese, wood ducks, teal and even heard a flock of turkeys come off the roost. Did finally see some deer, too, two small bucks way out in the field that put on a show with some light sparring. No shooters seen, but all in all a grand morning! Back at it tonight, looking for a big 8 point here at home...
 
Posts: 429 | Location: Delmarva | Registered: 22 December 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Factor
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Wow, sounds like you had a great day!!!


Beer is proof that God loves us,and wants us to be happy-B. Franklin
 
Posts: 2013 | Location: Oreegun Territory | Registered: 24 March 2013Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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For Friday afternoon I sat a ladder stand at home on the corner of my oak woods, overlooking a few strips of turnips and radishes, half acre of clover and a couple rows of sawtooth oaks I planted 10 years ago that are dropping acorns. Plenty of action! Saw a total of 2 does, 2 yearlings and the same 2 small bucks from the morning, all running and chasing all over the field. None of the big boys came out, but a nice sit in the stand.
 
Posts: 429 | Location: Delmarva | Registered: 22 December 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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For the last day, Saturday, I hunted another place for a buck I've been watching a few years. Basically a five acre yard between big seasonal weekend estates, but the back yard has an acre strip of marsh and brush the deer funnel through, as the front of the parcel is open Chesapeake Bay the back is a tidal creek. Deer cross the thick stuff in the back yard between big woods on the end of the peninsula and the mainland. The buck I was after I call One Eye, as in pics he only has one good eye for the last several years, probably knocked out fighting. This year I figure he's 4 1/2 years old, and he's a nice 10 pointer.

Morning hunt I saw one nice buck just at daybreak, looked to be a new 8 or 9 point I hadn't seen yet, but couldn't see the sights well enough for a shot, just too dark in clouds, drizzling rain and the early morning. Also saw 2 does and a spike for that sit.

Went back there for the evening, now sunny and nearly calm. Didn't expect much, as the road along the Bay shore had people fishing and carrying on, but with 20 minutes left of shooting time old One Eye tried to come through. Trotting through the thicket he finally stopped 50 yards from me, quartering away, and my .58 flintlock spoke and dropped him in his tracks! Really nice buck, maybe 150lbs field dressed, 135-140" rack, biggest buck at the local butcher shop for the weekend season. Big Grin

For this week we have doe only muzzleloader, and two bonus days of sika hunting at the NWR nearby on Friday/Saturday. Saturday forecast looks bad with a Noreaster and heavy rain, but should get Friday in down there for stags...
 
Posts: 429 | Location: Delmarva | Registered: 22 December 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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Posts: 429 | Location: Delmarva | Registered: 22 December 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Factor
Picture of Hanshi
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That's the big boss himself, Osprey! Man, but you did good!


*Young guys should hang out with old guys; old guys know stuff.*
 
Posts: 3558 | Location: Maine (by way of Georgia then Va.) | Registered: 26 January 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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Deer season opens here 27 Oct, in the past two hours,it has snowed, then turned to rain and now just cold and a slight wind out of the N,N/W,Welcome to Maine in October,
 
Posts: 1839 | Registered: 11 February 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Factor
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Heh, at least YOU are getting some precipitation....From the VERY,very dry Klamath Basin.....


Beer is proof that God loves us,and wants us to be happy-B. Franklin
 
Posts: 2013 | Location: Oreegun Territory | Registered: 24 March 2013Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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Very good, Osprey.
I have trail cam pictures of 4 different bucks, including one nice 8 pt., does, lots of raccoons too. I have seen plenty of sign of both deer and wild pigs.
However, I have not yet seen anything during daylight hours.


Know what you believe in. Fight for your beliefs. Never compromise away your rights.
 
Posts: 1296 | Location: Cherokee Land, Tenasi | Registered: 06 January 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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Today was the start of a two day bonus muzzleloader hunt at Blackwater NWR, so I headed down this morning for sika. Hiked way deep into the woods where I've had luck before, set up well before light. Had a barred owl in the next tree singing to me in the dark. Just before shooting light heard it coming - the notorious late public land hunter. I didn't see a light so didnt' know how close he was, but when the sun came up he'd set up 75 yards from me. Frustrating, but he didn't know I was there, just one of the joys of public land. Only hunter I saw or heard anywhere all morning down there, figures. Saw one fox and two whitetail does from the stand, then came on out.

Rain and Noreaster moving in now for the afternoon, through tomorrow, so that's probably it for the flintlock until gun season here after Thanksgiving and then on to Iowa for a week. Bow time for the next month!
 
Posts: 429 | Location: Delmarva | Registered: 22 December 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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27 degrees here this A.M. opening day, rained the past few days so it will be noisy in the woods. No interest in going,was a time !!! Lost interest and got old and tired,most of the old crew been called in by the Great Factor,waiting at Point a la Barbe,Me, setting by the fire with hot coffee in hand, watching the sun come up.Good luck to all. Osprey might carry a flashlight next time and just turn it on when you hear something walking,Let a hunter know you are there and deer will forget in a short time if you shine them.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Walking Crow,
 
Posts: 1839 | Registered: 11 February 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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