November's Stag by Eric Bonner
The 2009 season was one I will not soon forget. The year before I had hunted Colorado, Illinois, and I killed my first Sika Stag. That would be hard to top as soon as the next season, but I did. And, it all happened in Maryland. For starters, I arrowed one of the biggest bucks of my life. But this story is about things that happened creeping around in the marsh on the Eastern Shore.
I made my first trip down on the Friday before to the MBS’s annual hunt meeting. The evening hunt had me walking out without a deer sighting, but I was able to hook up with several MWC’rs for dinner at a local diner before cashing in for the night.
The next morning, my alarm clock failed and I got up at 5:30 - was supposed to be 4:00. So, I got to the FULL parking and squeezed into a spot. I then started the long walk, and when I dived into the woods, right away I lost my bright eyes. No biggy, I have the GPS and compass. Only this time I second-guessed both of them, and long story short I was jacking up the tree at 7:00. I was no sooner ready when, to my left, a hind and a spike appeared. I got my release on, and videoed them until the hind started walking past me. I followed her with the camera, but she walked just out of frame. I drew back on the hind, stopped her and released. Down she went. AWESOME! No tracking in the marsh.