As the afternoon sun burned toward the horizon, the bugs and frogs in the pond started making a ruckus and a few raccoons showed up to play and munch on acorns. We are seeing a lot of hunters practicing quality deer management, Hotton said. He first learned of the deer in 2021 and continued keeping tabs on it this year. He was following her into a wooded draw when Plunkett shot him with a .280 Ackley rifle she built. However, he hadn't laid his eyes on the buck this year. Then, right before dark, four other bucks appeared about 150 yards through the timber. 9. To up your odds of success, start by studying the deer population in the area youre interested in hunting. Josh Honeycutt. In that time, hes tagged four nice Kansas bucks, with the most recent being a main-frame 9-pointer with two additional scoreable points. Once within range I stopped him with a grunt call.". Birds chirped and crickets sang a harmonized symphony in the background. Only a year has passed since the 31-year-old Marine killed the largest nontypical whitetail ever taken by a hunter, and public demand for details hasn't waned. Wayne quickly felt the wind change and knew it wasn't right for this spot. At 6:05 a.m., just minutes after legal shooting light, the big deer stepped into view. Gatlin ranged the deer then squeezed off the 128-yard shot, which hit the mark. He was too far for a shot, so I let him work his way toward me. He immediately called his son and thanked him for the suggestion and opportunity to sit in his stand. Winchester's Nathan Robinson talks features with Game & Fish Editorial Director Adam Heggenstaller at SHOT Show 2023 in Las Vegas. On the afternoon of Nov. 12, Edmonds heard a lot of ATV activity on a neighboring property and feared it was going to ruin her hunt. He looked back to investigate what was up in that tree I guess. "He was at least 3 1/2 years old then. To be eligible, you must be at least 21 years old. While Maryland DNR officials and local hunters have long known about the fantastic deer hunting on the Eastern Shore, only recently has word begun to spread to the outside world. He constantly kept talking about this. What a great feeling to put my hands on him, with my son there. The big doe stepped behind a fallen tree. He did say, however, that scrapes and rubs are abundant in his area, and young bucks are visibly sparring frequently. Youll also need a hunting license, which you can obtain from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Waynes son had suggested he sit in his hang-on stand in a spot they call the "Lower Woods." "Uncle Kevin told me he could see five deer out of his window," Adam says. The younger deer pushed the 9-pointer to within 40 yards of their treestand. He weighed in on the hunt: His friend Ashley sat with him that evening to video the hunt and possibly shoot a doe if the opportunity arose. However, the C and D Canal Conservation Area in New Castle County to the north had the highest deer harvest of any public Delaware wildlife area. (Courtesy photos). "He introduced me to hunting deer, ducks, squirrels and pretty much everything outdoors. A few deer were feeding in the field and ran for cover as Kevin slowly approached the same wooden platform he'd hunted from since he was 18 years old. "I love the feeling of being in the woods without all the daily stresses of life. I kind of leaned up and looked out and saw it was a deer. "Brandon Butler. I wanted to try to double with him on both bucks.". Daniel Calloway tagged a phenomenal 5 -year-old buck this season. I relax when I'm in a deer stand. "I am a very lucky person, and this is what hunting is all about," he said. We're all wearing orange. The timing couldnt have been better. Deer can be shot with a sawed-off shot during the Firearms Season and a junior deer hunt day. Maryland Trophy Deer Records. Weve had a mild winter for several years, as well as good mast crops, and the herd is in good shape going into the fall. Wayne and his brothers joined together over the deer, shared some hugs and backslaps, took a few photos and proceeded to drag the deer up to the trucks. According to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the majority of the states deer population is found in the western counties, with Garrett and Allegany counties being home to the most deer. Dustin Prievo. His story: I had my trail cameras set at three different locations since the middle of June. He almost had an opportunity to arrow it on opening day, but a miscommunication between him and the farm manager led to an incident where Wide Open was walking toward Schwach just as the farmer was driving up the hill. The departments website notes that deer populations in these counties are also the most dense, meaning there are more deer per square mile than anywhere else in the state. Buck Score: 15-pointer (180-plus inches) Date of Harvest: November 21, 2022. Perhaps the page you Winchester's new Big Bore ammo, available in 10 mm, .44 Mag., .357 Mag., and .45 Colt, is specifically designed for big bears in bear country. At 195 6/8 inches of total antler and 191 3/8 inches net score, the Daniel Blanchette buck becomes the New Hampshire archery record non-typical whitetail. Go to the main page. When hunting coyotes, use extreme caution and avoid coming into contact with them. The buck then moved into a second food plot where a cellular trail camera sent him a close-up image of the buck. "I decided to leave my muzzleloader in the box stand because I had no intentions of shooting another deer," says Ball. This harvest was 3% higher than the previous seasons total, which was 79,457 deer. Hunting in general is something that I think about every day. Then, two more. With a little planning and patience, youre sure to have a successful deer hunting trip in Maryland. "I thought I had missed my chance. "His schedule was very sporadic, and he showed up on one of my cameras on November 20 while I was at church," Gatlin says. What could be better than a deep-fried nugget? This deer is one of the biggest that I have ever seen and one that could hold the record for a very long time! The sica deer is a Japanese native and was first introduced to the United States in the first century. Cedar Point WMA has habitats in a variety of habitats, ranging from a tidal mudflat to mature forests. Baker said he has a lot of history with this buck, as it was a dominant and aggressive buck in the area for years. "Hard work pays offnever give up," Jackson says. He came in around 6 pm, walking right down a trail toward me. And I love opening weekend of firearms season because it's the one weekend of the year where you can see so many people who love the same thing you do. It was shot by William Shields on Maryland's Eastern Shore in 2001. Once he made it through the thick stuff, Edmonds grunted at him. Blanford settled into his blind and scanned his surroundings, which consisted of cedar trees, overgrown fallow fields, scattered oaks, a pond and his food plot. Only on publicly owned or state-controlled land can a deer be baited. Legendary Whitetails has it on display. Maryland is in the middle of the Atlantic Flyway, which means it is steeped in duck and goose hunting traditions, as well as some of the best waterfowl hunting on the Eastern Shore. Hunting is not. Bowhunter Shoots the Same Maryland Monster Buck in 2019 and 2020 By Darron McDougal November 3, 2020 John Earhart III made a non-lethal hit on a giant Maryland buck in 2019. Deer in Maryland Deer Management The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Deer Project is responsible for managing native white-tailed deer and exotic sika deer. But, given the windy conditions, they debated whether a hunt was even worth the bother. I was going hunting.". Josh Honeycutt. His spot is between an alfalfa field and a standing cornfield. Instead of heading deep into the woods, he hunted a more-open area near the edge of a field and high-traffic road. Michael Ball has been hunting his Ashe County family farm for 22 years, but never in a million years could he have expected what occurred on Nov. 5. Rudden gave the buck an hour before climbing down and finding it roughly 60 yards away. He zigged and zagged out in the field, then he mounted the doe. Schrader said hes had antler restrictions in place on the farms he owns and leases for 19 years. Unfortunately, he quickly realized he'd forgotten his call in the truck. Method: Muzzleloader. Any kind of help would be really appreciated! Avoid backlashes by making simple adjustments to your reel and matching your lures to your rod's power and action. The park also has a rich history, being the site of the Battle of Chantilly during the Civil War. Hitting the buck in the spine, it dropped in its tracks; Sears followed up with a second shot to the vitals. You can unsubscribe at any time. The buck's curiosity kept it in place long enough for Ewen to get the gun working. This buck was one of the first to show up on camera in the summer of 2021. #1. It was his buck. Deer are plentiful, and people who enjoy watching wildlife will find many opportunities to see them roaming free in forests and parks all over the country. When this giant buck stepped out, Ewen was still messing with his rifle. Every deer hunt is different, too. Around 3:45 p.m., Barrera was in his stand, and before he could nock an arrow, a couple of does came walking in, and passed through the area. requested was moved or deleted. Hayden Ashworth was in his treestand just 15 yards in the woods when this big 9-pointer gave him a shot. "As I was walking up a logging road, I noticed something white that caught my attention. It also ranks in the top three in the number of harvests per hunter in an average year. Due to the good conditions, he fully expected to see lots of movement. To my surprise, I had a picture of a relatively good 10-point but had no idea this buck was in the area.". After settling in for an evening sit at 3:30 p.m., Hayden saw numerous deer moving, but no good bucks. The buck is a tall 10-pointer with a broken G4 on its left antler. Everything about the shot felt right. The buck stuck around, and Blanford started planning, putting together a solid tactical approach and waiting anxiously for opening day. Brandon Butler. "The weather has been so dry that no food plots were planted," Develle says. What an awesome animal.". There are several bag limits, allowing for the harvest of up to three animals. Brandon Butler. When youre ready to head out into the field, be sure to dress in camouflage and take along a good pair of binoculars. Clay Craft's "Monster in Oz" buck, taken with a compound bow on Sept. 15, scored just under 190. "Even after having him that close, I knew he was a good deer but didnt know just how good until I got my hands on him.