Bring on the Sikas by: Doug Wigfield
Bow season for sikas in Maryland will soon be here- not soon enough for many of us. Hopefully, you have been out doing your homework the past month of so. However, a little event named Hurricane Irene may have disrupted things and caused some changes for you. The flooding caused by one of the biggest storms Maryland has experienced in a long time may have pushed the sikas off of your marsh and wetlands into more upland areas. Where they will eventually end up is a crap shoot. One thing you can count on is that if you have a good sika habitat, they will eventually be there. It’s also possible that the high water caused some mortality, but these animals are pretty doggone hardy and have instincts that can and do get them through a lot of seemingly tough conditions.
You may have been ready as far as knowing where you were going to plop downt the first day but this storm may cause you to have to prepare all over again. Whether you prepared early or are just starting, the following are some tips that may be helpful in getting ready to pursue this most worthy of game animals.