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	<title>Hunting and Fishing in Maryland</title>
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		<title>Big Hunt Upcoming</title>
		<link>http://www.huntingandfishingmaryland.com/2010/12/big-hunt-upcoming/</link>
		<comments>http://www.huntingandfishingmaryland.com/2010/12/big-hunt-upcoming/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 06 Dec 2010 21:54:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>outdoorguru</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[We&#8217;re setting our sites on what I hope is a truly memorable day December 10th, 2010.  We&#8217;ll be looking to do a still hunt this day and I know it&#8217;s late in the season but the farm has been left &#8230; <a href="http://www.huntingandfishingmaryland.com/2010/12/big-hunt-upcoming/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;">We&#8217;re setting our sites on what I hope is a truly memorable day December 10th, 2010.  We&#8217;ll be looking to do a still hunt this day and I know it&#8217;s late in the season but the farm has been left alone for about a month now and the cam shots look promising.  We&#8217;re going to be doing a video shoot this day so hopefully success will be captured on film as well!!  Let ya know how we do and maybe some pics to boot.</p>
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		<title>Africa-&#8221;The Dark Continent&#8221; A trip outside Maryland worth mentioning</title>
		<link>http://www.huntingandfishingmaryland.com/2010/12/africa-the-dark-continent-a-trip-outside-maryland-worth-mentioning/</link>
		<comments>http://www.huntingandfishingmaryland.com/2010/12/africa-the-dark-continent-a-trip-outside-maryland-worth-mentioning/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Dec 2010 13:35:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>outdoorguru</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[hunting]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[My dad, “Charlie” came to me one day and said “Boy” we&#8217;re going to Africa… to do a Father/Son hunting safari.  I was surprised by his choice, and slightly skeptical, for I didn’t know a whole lot about Africa, and &#8230; <a href="http://www.huntingandfishingmaryland.com/2010/12/africa-the-dark-continent-a-trip-outside-maryland-worth-mentioning/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">My dad, “Charlie” came to me one day and said “Boy” we&#8217;re going to Africa… to do a Father/Son hunting safari.  I was surprised by his choice, and slightly skeptical, for I didn’t know a whole lot about Africa, and really never gave it much consideration.  We discussed going for elk and such…but Africa? The BIG GAME destination of the world? OK I’m in. <br />
     My father had in his possession, numerous flyers, brochures, booklets, etc… he gathered from the Harrisburg Hunting Show held in PA, all of which he handed to me except one, which he held in his hand and said, “This is the place that interest me, <strong>Eland Safaris</strong>.” &#8230;&#8230;&#8230;.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">     Pops went on to explain how he met this guy, Larry Reese, the booking agent who was representing this particular “Ranch” for the past 15 years or so.  Dad explained that Larry was a taxidermist from the Eastern Shore of Maryland, very close to our homes.  To make a long story short, my father was very impressed and was ready to book, I on the other hand wanted to conduct my own “Investigation” if you will, not that my dad is a poor judge of character, just because I never take avoidable risks.   </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">     I am a Police Officer and first and foremost I consider safety more then most.  I wanted to meet this guy Larry Reese and see what this trip was all about as well as him.  If I was going to a foreign land especially Africa, I wanted to know who we were going there with.  Larry was very impressive to say the least.  He answered all my questions and presented me with answers other clients have posed as well.  Larry finally said, “You and your Dad are going to have an outstanding trip, so don’t you worry.   </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">     Well after touring through his impressive studio, (Check out “<a href="http://www.wildlifeartistry.com/">Wildlife Artistry</a>” for yourself, he has his own web page), we started the booking process.  Larry took care of all the preparations; all we had to do was show up at the airport with our stuff and passports.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">      The flight was long but the airline did their best to accommodate and it was not nearly as bad as I anticipated, as a matter of fact, not bad at all.  I must say I was dreading the flight. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">      No other then the owner/operator of Eland Safaris, Du Toit Leonard, greeted us at the Airport.  I liked this guy immediately.  He and Larry started “Ribbing” each other right off the bat, and you could tell these guys had a strong relationship.  Du Toit lead us to his awaiting SUV, packed up the gear and off to Eland Safaris.  Du Toit said, you guys are going to have a great time, and if you don’t “THEN THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOU”. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">      I guess the trip from the airport was about an hour or so, but it seemed much, much shorter with all the talk of hunting going on.  I have to point out Larry carefully booked us with a third guy, “Bunky” and he was with us the whole time.  Great guy, and now a friend for life… but enough about “Bunky”…great guy, a lot of fun, back to Africa.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">      We arrived at the lodge “Eland Safaris”, and as we approached we observed waterbucks running through the thickets.  We just showed up at this place and HOLY COW …these things were huge, much bigger then the whitetail of home, the blood was already pumping.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">      We pulled up to the Lodge/restaurant and some of Du Toit’s family members met us outside to greet us and invited us into the restaurant.  We were told to leave our bags; it would be taken care of, at which point the staff put our equipment and bags into our rooms (very nice private rooms) while we went into the restaurant. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">      My dad, “Bunky” and I walked into the restaurant and met the rest of Du Tois’ family, PH&#8217;s and friends and we were immediately taken in as FRIEND/FAMILY, not client.  I cannot emphasize enough, I have never met such a warm bunch of people right from start and it continued through out the entire trip. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">      I already conceded in the first hour of our arrival that if we were not fortunate enough to get any game, the trip was going to be a special one with or with out the animals.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">      The Leonard family provided well prepared, 1<sup>st</sup> class meals served in the first rate restaurant heated by the indoor campfire.  You will miss the smell of the lodge, it’s a campfire aroma accented with preparation of the food.  You will love it and miss it…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">     If you’re lucky Aloma, Du Toit’s wife, will serve the “House Specialty”…it’s a treat you won’t forget. (Ask for the KUDU oysters)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">      The Internet pictures do not do the lodge justice, it’s much warmer and full of life and it’s their home.  Du Toit essentially opened up his home; arms opened wide and invited us in to become part of his family.  The only time we left the comfort of the lodge was to embark out to different ranches; they call them “Concessions”.  My dad and I didn’t want to go anywhere else; it was all there, although going to the different concessions was an added treat.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">      The hunting was phenomenal.  We were led by the hunting professionals, known as the “PHs” who were good and long time friends of Du Toit.  Frik and Cobie were like family to the Leonards and they treated us like life long friends.  They too, I will consider life long friends.  Coincidentally they too were Police (CSI investigators), taking their vacations to guide our hunts, which to me meant a lot, so I thank you, both Frik and Cobie (pronounced strangely enough as “Quiby”).  </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">     Each morning, we were greeted with coffee and a nice breakfast.  During breakfast Du Toit laid out the day’s itinerary, which was always subject to change at a moment’s notice, always for the better, keeping in mind, each day started out with incredible expectations.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">      The hunting with respect to keeping this as short as possible was truly amazing, in all aspects.  The equipment provided was with out flaw, the scenery was amazing, and the animals were in plenty, all sorts of species.  Each concession held its own charm as well as different species to pursue. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">      Each day, dad, “Bunky” and I hunted together which enabled us to share the experience directly and provided great opportunity for photos and “Film”.  I used four cassette tapes in my camcorder, so bring plenty of memory cards and batteries.  There are so many animals you will want to photograph.  The days went by in an absolute flash, so document your time with camera, and you may want to keep a note pad with you, just for recollection purposes.  The days flew by with out delay and before you know it you’ll be back on the plane wondering where the time went, and trying to figure how you’re going to manage another trip. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">     Each day, each animal, was the “One of a Lifetime”.  I’ve never done so much hand shaking and hugging, in a manly kind of way, of course…these days spent with my father at Eland Safaris will always be cherished.  The memories were captured on film but most importantly burnt in my heart forever.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">      I look forward to taking my boys, to give them what my father gave to me, thanks dad and mom, you two are the best, what a birthday gift!  Hopefully Dad will once again be there right beside me during this time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">     </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_iRnzk4CbeHk/TPjx3BLP9kI/AAAAAAAAAWA/GJVJEAxP2Xw/s1600/100_4988.JPG"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_iRnzk4CbeHk/TPjx3BLP9kI/AAAAAAAAAWA/GJVJEAxP2Xw/s320/100_4988.JPG" border="0" alt="" width="320" height="213" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iRnzk4CbeHk/TPjx_NMOpCI/AAAAAAAAAWE/3QrbAtwZvTI/s1600/waterbokJay.JPG"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iRnzk4CbeHk/TPjx_NMOpCI/AAAAAAAAAWE/3QrbAtwZvTI/s320/waterbokJay.JPG" border="0" alt="" width="320" height="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_iRnzk4CbeHk/TPjyBbt5SNI/AAAAAAAAAWI/XRCRsAX-LsE/s1600/100_5066.JPG"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_iRnzk4CbeHk/TPjyBbt5SNI/AAAAAAAAAWI/XRCRsAX-LsE/s320/100_5066.JPG" border="0" alt="" width="320" height="213" /></a></div>
<p>See Africa to the left for more Photos and click link below for the video<br />
      <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIFbOqUdMtQ">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIFbOqUdMtQ</a></p>
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		<title>2010 Hot Shot!, or “Cool Hand Luke”</title>
		<link>http://www.huntingandfishingmaryland.com/2010/12/2010-hot-shot-or-cool-hand-luke/</link>
		<comments>http://www.huntingandfishingmaryland.com/2010/12/2010-hot-shot-or-cool-hand-luke/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Dec 2010 05:47:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>outdoorguru</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Deer Hunting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[deer, deer Hunting, Chesapeake Bay, Chesapeake Bay Cam, Cam, Live Cams, Cams, Wildlife Cams, Wildlife, Articles, Forum, Hunting Forums, Fishing Forums, Fishing Cams, Fish Cam, Maryland, Maryland Hunti]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hunting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[whitetail Deer]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Some guys have been struggling a little this year but one of my buddies is on fire.  Bunky Mcallister whom I met while on an absolute phenomenal African Hunt has definitely had the hot hand this year, the kind of &#8230; <a href="http://www.huntingandfishingmaryland.com/2010/12/2010-hot-shot-or-cool-hand-luke/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;">Some guys have been struggling a little this year but one of my buddies is on fire.  Bunky Mcallister whom I met while on an absolute phenomenal African Hunt has definitely had the hot hand this year, the kind of year that can be compared to an entire lifetime of success for some hunters.  Here is the scoop of this years success for Bunky.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">September 17th Buck #1 Scores 130 and some change with his Vertical Bow</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iRnzk4CbeHk/TPg61x1-FFI/AAAAAAAAASA/nwGgO0aV4eM/s1600/bunky5.JPG"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iRnzk4CbeHk/TPg61x1-FFI/AAAAAAAAASA/nwGgO0aV4eM/s320/bunky5.JPG" border="0" alt="" width="320" height="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">Buck #2, after taking two does in the morning of the 18th of Sept, he takes this big boy that Scored 125</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_iRnzk4CbeHk/TPg7h6-uq_I/AAAAAAAAASE/B2Iw-Dq-qK0/s1600/bunky6.JPG"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_iRnzk4CbeHk/TPg7h6-uq_I/AAAAAAAAASE/B2Iw-Dq-qK0/s320/bunky6.JPG" border="0" alt="" width="320" height="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">Well were not finished yet.  After the refinancing of his home and figuring that he could afford just one more wall hanger he just took this fine deer that has yet to be scored, so you&#8217;ll have to make the call.  Bunky took this big boy, Buck #3 on November27th at 8am.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iRnzk4CbeHk/TPg8BbjpMaI/AAAAAAAAASI/T33W49lgUHo/s1600/bunky3.JPG"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iRnzk4CbeHk/TPg8BbjpMaI/AAAAAAAAASI/T33W49lgUHo/s320/bunky3.JPG" border="0" alt="" width="320" height="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">Looks like Bunky is going to have to buy another freezer too.  Way to go on a fantastic season Bunky!, Couldn&#8217;t happen to a nicer guy.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">Congrats</div>
<p><span style="color: black; font-family: Geneva; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></p>
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		<title>Big Sika taken in Wicomico County</title>
		<link>http://www.huntingandfishingmaryland.com/2010/12/big-sika-taken-in-wicomico-county/</link>
		<comments>http://www.huntingandfishingmaryland.com/2010/12/big-sika-taken-in-wicomico-county/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Dec 2010 14:34:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>outdoorguru</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Deer Hunting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hunting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[deer hunting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sika]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trophy]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Charlie Schline has been really enjoying his recent retirement and has been avidly pursuing his many quests.  Over the course of the last couple of years Charlie has traveled to Africa, hunting African plains game, ocean fishing regularly and has been very successful &#8230; <a href="http://www.huntingandfishingmaryland.com/2010/12/big-sika-taken-in-wicomico-county/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;">Charlie Schline has been really enjoying his recent retirement and has been avidly pursuing his many quests.  Over the course of the last couple of years Charlie has traveled to Africa, hunting African plains game, ocean fishing regularly and has been very successful in taking some nice whitetail bucks but something had been missing.  Charlie has never taken a Sika deer and his farm in Wicomico County has been seeing an increasing number of Sika but only three had been taken over the last 8 years and none prior to that.  The first was taken in 2004 by his son-in-law Chris Macmillan (a slob 6point Sika), the second by his daughter Shelly Macmillan (hind) and the third by his brother, Jess Sirkle, a nice 6 point, but Charlie had not received his chance.  Charlie had been seeing a few Sikas on cam shots but nothing by light, and his quest had been intensifying over the years, but yesterday things would go in the favor of &#8220;goodoleboy&#8221; Charlie.  On 11-30-10 at approximately 1530 hrs Mr. Sika tried to sneak past Charlie but he was all over him.  Charlie said there was no mistaking this animal with its dark coat delicately navigating his wooded Wicomico farm.  After recognising the coat, Charlie noticed it was also sporting a respectable rack and he squeezed off the trigger of his old reliable 30-30 and the quest was completed, the Sika dropped in its tracks.  Congratulations Charlie, you have once again made your son proud, Great Job Dad    </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_iRnzk4CbeHk/TPZcPPethVI/AAAAAAAAARA/u2uzGChXyAw/s1600/dadsk1.JPG"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_iRnzk4CbeHk/TPZcPPethVI/AAAAAAAAARA/u2uzGChXyAw/s320/dadsk1.JPG" border="0" alt="" width="320" height="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_iRnzk4CbeHk/TPZcU3mT0eI/AAAAAAAAARE/r3480lSwxxc/s1600/dadsk2.JPG"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_iRnzk4CbeHk/TPZcU3mT0eI/AAAAAAAAARE/r3480lSwxxc/s320/dadsk2.JPG" border="0" alt="" width="320" height="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_iRnzk4CbeHk/TPZcYsnP6KI/AAAAAAAAARI/5mGsdeB0vXE/s1600/dadsk3.JPG"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_iRnzk4CbeHk/TPZcYsnP6KI/AAAAAAAAARI/5mGsdeB0vXE/s320/dadsk3.JPG" border="0" alt="" width="320" height="240" /></a></div>
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		<title>2004 Trophy Sika</title>
		<link>http://www.huntingandfishingmaryland.com/2010/11/2004-trophy-sika/</link>
		<comments>http://www.huntingandfishingmaryland.com/2010/11/2004-trophy-sika/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 30 Nov 2010 23:47:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>outdoorguru</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Deer Hunting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hunting]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[ Maryland Gazette, Oct 6, 2004 &#124; by Bill Burton It was a most unusual sight. The deer that had just been weighed remained near the scales, but grown men were stepping up to be weighed, one after another. As the &#8230; <a href="http://www.huntingandfishingmaryland.com/2010/11/2004-trophy-sika/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="http://findarticles.com/p/news-articles/maryland-gazette/mi_8145/">Maryland Gazette</a>, <a href="http://findarticles.com/p/news-articles/maryland-gazette/mi_8145/is_20041006/">Oct 6, 2004</a> | by <a href="http://findarticles.com/p/search/?qa=Bill Burton">Bill Burton</a><br />
It was a most unusual sight. The deer that had just been weighed remained near the scales, but grown men were stepping up to be weighed, one after another. As the procession ended, they were convinced though it was still hard to believe,<br />
&#8216;Tis said a few things can be pretty much taken for granted such as the light meter on a camera, a compass &#8211; and among deer hunters, the scales. There might be slight variations, but generally the readings are fairly accurate.<br />
Still, who could believe that chunky sika deer close by could tip the scales at 126 pounds?</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Why that&#8217;s unheard of. A 75-pound stag will draw hunters from miles around a weighing station just for a look-see, I&#8217;ve never even heard of a nimrod reputed to be of the exaggerating type ever claiming he saw one on the hoof that would have weighed in at much over 85 pounds &#8211; even when deer tales and drink made an interesting evening at camp.<br />
As each of those men who tested the scales at Bullock&#8217;s Deli in Denton stepped down, he had to agree 126 was accurate. Christopher Macmillan of Pasadena had indeed got himself a deer that would be talked about a long time on the sika trail. The weights of the skeptical had checked out, so that had to be the poundage.<br />
That stag had a neck and a chest somewhat akin to that of a wild boar, why the girth of the neck was 22 inches &#8211; only 2 inches shy of that on the 10-point buck of 147 pounds Macmillan bagged in &#8217;02. He said it was three times as big as any sika he ever saw, but he had only seen one previously. He didn&#8217;t send an arrow in its direction after it shrilled at him &#8211; it appeared to be of only about 40 pounds &#8211; and now he&#8217;s happy he passed it up.<br />
Another curious aspect of his trophy is that it came not from Dorchester, the county maybe best known for sikas in the U. S., or even Worcester or Somerset. This prize was taken on the Wicomico County farm of his father-in-law Charlie Schline. Schline had reservations about his son-in-law&#8217;s ID of a sika on his property. He had never before seen one on the farm.<br />
So as if to prove his point, a few days later Macmillan went hunting again from a different stand, and at daybreak not far from a cornfield backed up against a small stream a stag started its bugling routine.<br />
&#8220;Something nice he hear at shooting time,&#8221; said the 33-year-old hunter.<br />
When the bugling stopped he said he heard a racket as if something was wallowing in the leaves; five minutes later at 7:45. from his right came the second live sika he had ever seen.<br />
&#8220;To be truthful, I still wasn&#8217;t impressed,&#8221; said Macmillan, who added when the stag got about 25 yards away it appeared he might depart.<br />
The hunter bleated with his mouth, the deer stopped, Macmillan scored with an arrow in the chest. The stag dropped, but the coups de grace required a second shot at about 30 yards from the tree stand.<br />
&#8220;I thought it was of about 100 pounds,&#8221; said Macmillan, &#8220;Remember it was only the second I had ever seen and at the checking station I had put 90 pounds on the game tag.&#8221;<br />
Had that been the end of it all that trophy would have been remembered as just a another sika of unusual size in the Department of Natural Resource&#8217;s records. But when the deer came from the trunk of the hunter&#8217;s vehicle. it was decided to put it on the scales. Seeing&#8217;s believing.<br />
So big is the sika that Anne Arundel County taxidermist Ray Hitchcock is unable to come up with a plastic sika mold big enough for the mounting job, and Macmillan says there probably will be a bit of modifying with an elk form for an appropriate fit. He wants enough of his prize mounted to give viewers an idea of the size of its neck and shoulders.<br />
Though impressive it&#8217;s rack has some shortcomings. The right antler is a perfect 4 points, says Macmillan, but the other is somewhat split like that of an elk.<br />
Once the rack has dried out and a measure taken by a representative of Pope &amp; Young it could be declared of from 6 to 8 points. Records for wildlife bearing horns or antlers are kept, not on the basis of weight, but by antler width, beam, balance, points and such, so what undoubtedly is the biggest sika ever taken in Maryland (and hard to beat anywhere, if at all possible by weight) might not go down in the record books.<br />
Macmillan accepts that, he&#8217;s not that much into big game records &#8211; and nothing can take away his satisfaction of scoring high in his quest for big game. Computers across the state have been busy punching in messages from other hunters who want to know the particulars. No one has heard of such a big sika, and Macmillan acknowledges that some are probably dubious. But, he read the scales himself.<br />
One might figure, Macmillan is in the same boat as Wayne Hall of Northeast who got a record that wasn&#8217;t really a record. On the last day of the firearms season of 1970, Hall shot a notable whitetail buck; fine antlers, and awesome weight. That deer taken at Elk Neck State Forest weighed in at 362 pounds, probably the tops ever in Maryland. But nowhere in any state records is mention of his feat.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Though sikas are confined to the lower Eastern Shore, one might say a &#8220;cult&#8221; has developed among those who hunt them. Sika numbers are only a tiny fraction of Maryland&#8217;s deer population ruled, of course, by those of the whitetail variety. But those on the sika trail are a dedicated lot &#8211; valued because they are challenging targets. They are more nocturnal that whitetails, often much more wary, are farther off the beaten track &#8211; and they are different.<br />
On the lower Shore, more than a few guides and outfitters have built a profitable and busy service catering to hunters across the country, especially those with the bow. Not many other states host these exotic Asian deer that arrived in this country at the turn of the century in a private Dorchester County &#8220;zoo.&#8221; In 1916, four or five were released on James Island in Dorchester County, later some showed up at nearby Taylor Island, and now a sizable population is evident in Worcester (Assateague Island and elsewhere thereabouts) and Dorchester.<br />
Some old records indicate that years ago, a 109-pounder was taken on the lower shore.<br />
 <a href="http://findarticles.com/p/news-articles/maryland-gazette/mi_8145/">Maryland Gazette</a>, <a href="http://findarticles.com/p/news-articles/maryland-gazette/mi_8145/is_20041006/">Oct 6, 2004</a> | by <a href="http://findarticles.com/p/search/?qa=Bill Burton">Bill Burton</a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">The above article was written by Bill Burton for the Md Gazette.  Bill has left us now but will this &#8220;Record&#8221; taken By Chris Macmillan live on and be formally recognized as the biggest Sika ever taken in Maryland?</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">I surely hope this truly magnificent Sika is at some point formally recognized in the record books as it should.  Very nice Job Chris!<br />
Photos by Jay Schline</p>
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		<title>Annual Fish Fry 2010</title>
		<link>http://www.huntingandfishingmaryland.com/2010/11/annual-fish-fry-2010/</link>
		<comments>http://www.huntingandfishingmaryland.com/2010/11/annual-fish-fry-2010/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 30 Nov 2010 14:46:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>outdoorguru</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[Sometimes nothing beats a little Perch Jerk&#8217;n&#8217; and a hungry family.  We went out and gathered up a nice batch of perch to share with our family and the night finally ended the next day at about 4am.  Sometimes it&#8217;s &#8230; <a href="http://www.huntingandfishingmaryland.com/2010/11/annual-fish-fry-2010/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;">Sometimes nothing beats a little Perch Jerk&#8217;n&#8217; and a hungry family.  We went out and gathered up a nice batch of perch to share with our family and the night finally ended the next day at about 4am.  Sometimes it&#8217;s the little things that are nice in life, we had a fun filled day.</p>
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		<title>Some 2010 Maryland Success</title>
		<link>http://www.huntingandfishingmaryland.com/2010/11/some-2010-maryland-success/</link>
		<comments>http://www.huntingandfishingmaryland.com/2010/11/some-2010-maryland-success/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 29 Nov 2010 20:39:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>outdoorguru</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[Me (Jay) and my boy &#8220;Hunter&#8217;s&#8221; opening day view together, watching a Piebald cross out at the little &#8220;Island&#8221;, later taken by my sister Shelly, pics below!!&#160; We saw 8 deer from this location in Caroline County opening morning. Shelly &#8230; <a href="http://www.huntingandfishingmaryland.com/2010/11/some-2010-maryland-success/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_iRnzk4CbeHk/TPQQVZMJFVI/AAAAAAAAAC8/s-pisZ34mrA/s1600/jay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_iRnzk4CbeHk/TPQQVZMJFVI/AAAAAAAAAC8/s-pisZ34mrA/s320/jay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Me (Jay) and my boy &#8220;Hunter&#8217;s&#8221; opening day view together, watching a Piebald cross out at the little &#8220;Island&#8221;, later taken by my sister Shelly, pics below!!&nbsp; We saw 8 deer from this location in Caroline County opening morning.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Shelly with her trophy Piebald taken in Caroline County, MD on the Macmillan Ranch!!</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Maryland Youth Success!!</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iRnzk4CbeHk/TPQPsMfCt3I/AAAAAAAAAC0/d_FdIRKhmhY/s1600/Kenny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iRnzk4CbeHk/TPQPsMfCt3I/AAAAAAAAAC0/d_FdIRKhmhY/s320/Kenny.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">Kenny Monson&#8217;s Buck</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_iRnzk4CbeHk/TPayzwcfASI/AAAAAAAAARk/N7dznt1wgfE/s1600/stevemomo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_iRnzk4CbeHk/TPayzwcfASI/AAAAAAAAARk/N7dznt1wgfE/s320/stevemomo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">Steve Monson on Maryland&#8217;s Eastern Shore</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">Steve MOMO&#8217;s Buck</div>
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		<title>Firearm season 2010 opener</title>
		<link>http://www.huntingandfishingmaryland.com/2010/11/firearm-season-2010-opener/</link>
		<comments>http://www.huntingandfishingmaryland.com/2010/11/firearm-season-2010-opener/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 27 Nov 2010 16:12:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>outdoorguru</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[We&#8217;re hunting Caroline County on the Macmillan farm and this was quite an eventful morning.  We had a beautiful piebald out in font of me and my boy &#8220;Hunter&#8221;, but it was just out of range at approximately 180 yards.  We were also &#8230; <a href="http://www.huntingandfishingmaryland.com/2010/11/firearm-season-2010-opener/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;">We&#8217;re hunting Caroline County on the Macmillan farm and this was quite an eventful morning.  We had a beautiful piebald out in font of me and my boy &#8220;Hunter&#8221;, but it was just out of range at approximately 180 yards.  We were also  unable to get it on film due to equipment issues with the camera.  Heading back out at 230pm so stay tuned.</p>
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		<title>Hunt for the Rut</title>
		<link>http://www.huntingandfishingmaryland.com/2010/11/hunt-for-the-rut/</link>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 24 Nov 2010 19:49:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>outdoorguru</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[Correspondence in regards to the current rut status &#8220;Outdoorguru There are many opinions and predictions about the rut.  I have been scratching my head wondering when I would see the full on bonanza and yesterday (Nov 23, 2010) I finally &#8230; <a href="http://www.huntingandfishingmaryland.com/2010/11/hunt-for-the-rut/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h1 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #201414;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Correspondence in regards to the current rut status </span></span></span></h1>
<h1 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #201414;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">&#8220;Outdoorguru</span></span></span></span></em></h1>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #201414; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt;">There are many opinions and predictions about the rut.  I have been scratching my head wondering when I would see the full on bonanza and yesterday (Nov 23, 2010) I finally saw full on rut, bucks in the middle of the day chasing does and traveling the world looking for love.  I found this article from a Charles </span><span style="color: #003300; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt;">ALSHEIMER</span><span style="color: #201414; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt;"> very interesting, detailed and right on concerning our property in Baltimore County.  Charles predicted the heat (PEAK) of the rut this year to be Nov. 21st thru the 24th 2010.  Well I can&#8217;t dispute it after seeing the activity from last night.  Looks like we could see the tail end of the rut through Firearms this season.  Good luck to all and be safe.  There was too much in the article to relay so check out the site below for further and take it for what its worth, like I said, I can&#8217;t dispute it after last evening&#8217;s hunt.</span><br />
<a href="http://marylandhunting.blogspot.com/2010/11/rut-explained-and-researched.html"></a></div>
<h1 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #201414;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Tinman</span></span></span></span></em></h1>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #201414; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt;">No sign at all of any rut activity here in Washington County. Also, hunted for the rifle opener in WV on Monday and saw nothing&#8230;not one deer. Had other friends and family hunting on Tuesday and the same thing. The rut, if there was actually one, was very slow and at sometimes non-existent. Still no signs today of any rutting activity. This is by far the weirdest hunting season I&#8217;ve ever witnessed. I&#8217;ll be going out on the MD rifle opener in Allegheny County on Saturday&#8230;40 mph winds and all. I hope the activity is better farther west. </span></div>
<h1 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #201414;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Outdoorgur</span></span></span></span></em></h1>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #201414; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">TinMan, </span><span style="color: #201414; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt;"> </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #201414; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> I talked to a lot of my friends that hunt the Maryland&#8217;s Eastern Shore and they started seeing good rut activity on the shore for the last week, mostly in Queen Annes.  Baltimore County is a higher elevation and seems to lag a little behind the shore so just maybe Washington and Allegheny is preparing to bust wide open.  I&#8217;ve seen a lot of bucks in velvet early bow season over the years in Baltimore but I don&#8217;t ever recall seeing one on the shore during my hunts.  It&#8217;s definitely later than I&#8217;ve seen it and I just witnessed the activity in Baltimore Yesterday (11-23-10), so hopefully you&#8217;ll be right in the mix in a day or two or three.  I&#8217;m going out Friday morning in Baltimore, and hopefully it&#8217;s still going strong.  You all might see some crazy action this firearm season out to the west.  Good Luck and keep me posted, I’m very curious how it develops.&#8221;</span></div>
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		<title>The Rut-explained and researched!!</title>
		<link>http://www.huntingandfishingmaryland.com/2010/11/the-rut-explained-and-researched/</link>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 24 Nov 2010 13:40:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>outdoorguru</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[TOUCHED BY LIGHTBY CHARLES J. ALSHEIMER &#8220;And God said, &#8216;Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and &#8230; <a href="http://www.huntingandfishingmaryland.com/2010/11/the-rut-explained-and-researched/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="color: #003300;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>TOUCHED BY LIGHT</strong>BY CHARLES J. ALSHEIMER </span></span><br />&#8220;And God said, &#8216;Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth.&#8217; And it was so. God made two great lights &#8211; the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning &#8211; the fourth day.&#8221; (Genesis 1:14-19, NIV). <br />After practically living with nature for over half a century, I&#8217;m still in awe of the way God pieced our universe together. What a Creator! Everything He created is precise and perfect. Each natural phenomenon has a reason for existing. It&#8217;s truly amazing how the natural world influences every aspect of the whitetail&#8217;s life. <br />For the last eight years, Vermont wildlife biologist Wayne Laroche and I have been researching the influence the moon has on the timing of the whitetail rut in the North, specifically north of the 35th latitude. In its eighth year, the project is expected to run for fifteen years before being completed. Why so long, you ask? There are a number of reasons, but the primary factor is the fluctuation in the timing of what we refer to as the whitetail&#8217;s rutting moon, which is the second full moon after the autumnal equinox. <br />Those who have followed our work know that the timing of the rutting moon comes within a day or two of repeating itself every eleven years and reasonably close to repeating itself every three to four years. Consequently, it&#8217;s important to collect good data over an extended period of time in order to evaluate the moon&#8217;s impact on white-tailed deer rutting activity. <br /><b>Genesis of the Work</b><br />Though we&#8217;ve been collecting data for the last eight years, our interest in this project was born over fifteen years ago. <br />Laroche is a respected fisheries biologist. He is also an avid whitetail hunter who spends the entire month of November in northern Maine chasing big woods bucks. He became interested in the moon&#8217;s influence on whitetails after researching the impact the moon has on Grouper fish in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. As he hunted the Maine woods every year, he noticed distinct fluctuations in whitetail activity patterns. After studying the yearly changes he began to wonder if the moon was affecting the way whitetails behaved during November, just as it had influenced the fish he had studied over the years. <br />My interest in lunar-related behavior began in the mid-1980s while hunting and photographing. Up until then I had bought into the research data that originated in the 1950s and 60s that said the peak breeding period for whitetails in my region of the North (42nd latitude) would be November 15-20 each year. <br />Over a ten-year period (1985-1995) I had the opportunity to photograph whitetails extensively on a large property in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. During this time I shot hundreds of rolls of film and kept detailed notes on deer behavior. Despite the deer population and the adult doe-to-antlered buck ratio remaining constant, the peak breeding period was seldom the same from year to year. Some years the breeding took place in early November, some years mid-November, and some years late November. It was obvious to me that something more than photoperiod, or shortening day length, was driving the timing of the rut&#8217;s seeking, chasing and breeding phases. <br />In the early 90s I became aware of work Laroche was doing that dealt with the relationship between the width of a whitetail&#8217;s track and its body size. To learn more, I interviewed him for a magazine article I was writing. We shared many things about ourselves and our love for whitetail hunting. During the course of our discussion we talked about the variations we were seeing in the timing of whitetail rutting behavior. I&#8217;ll never forget Wayne&#8217;s comment that he believed the moon was responsible for the fluctuations in deer activity that we were observing during November. After our conversation, we decided to see if the moon had anything to do with the timing of the whitetail rut. <br /><b>The Hypothesis</b><br />As further background, I&#8217;ll offer the hypothesis for our research. At some point in autumn, the amount of daylight decreases enough to reset the whitetail&#8217;s reproductive clock, thus placing the breeding season in November, December and January in the Northern Hemisphere. Once the doe&#8217;s reproductive cycle is reset by a specific amount of daylight, her estrous cycle is ready to be cued by moonlight, which provides a bright light stimulus to the pineal gland several nights in a row each lunar month. Then, the rapid decrease in lunar brightness during the moon&#8217;s third quarter triggers hormonal production by the pineal gland. Physiological changes prompted by the pineal gland culminate in ovulation and estrous. <br />A northern doe&#8217;s estrogen level peaks around November 1st, as does a buck&#8217;s sperm count. With both sexes poised to breed, it stands to reason a mechanism must be in place if the doe is to enter estrous and be bred under the darker phases of the moon, which are the third through the first quarters. That mechanism in the North (north of about the 35th latitude) is usually the second full moon after the autumnal equinox, which we call the rutting moon. <br />What We Know at Halftime With each passing year, we&#8217;ve added more and more data collection devices to the research project. In the beginning, we monitored just six does. Now, we are collecting data for our research from nearly 100 does. <br />We also monitor air temperature, weather patterns and moonlight intensity throughout the fall. In addition, we have twelve Trail Timers to record deer activity throughout each day. Four of the timers are in my farm&#8217;s 35-acre high-fenced whitetail research facility and, at any one time, up to eight are positioned in other areas of our farm to monitor the wild, free-ranging deer population. The data, which is collected from October through December, is downloaded to our computers for analysis. <br />Unlike eight years ago, when no one was helping us, we now have several serious deer hunters and outfitters across North America (who are in the woods every day during the fall) keeping detailed journals to chronicle deer behavior in their regions of the country. This added information has allowed us to better understand what is happening in other parts of North America during October, November and December. <br />With well over 15,000 data points in our system, we&#8217;ve concluded that the second full moon after the autumnal equinox stimulates both buck and doe rutting activity. Past data suggest that when the rutting moon falls anywhere from late October to November 12th, the timing of the seeking, chasing and breeding phases of the rut is very predictable; we refer to this as a &#8220;classic rut.&#8221; <br />During the years when the rutting moon appears later (like 2002, when it occurred on November 19th), we&#8217;ve discovered that the timing of the rut&#8217;s seeking, chasing and breeding phases is just a little different. When the rutting moon arrives after November 13-14, we&#8217;ve found that the rut progresses more rapidly than when the rutting moon arrives earlier in the month. <br />Basically, the data show that when the rutting moon arrives late, the seeking begins three or four days before the full moon, just as we&#8217;ve always predicted. However, we&#8217;ve discovered that once the full moon occurs, the chasing is frenzied and the breeding kicks in within a day or two of the full moon&#8217;s appearance rather than a week after its arrival, as it does in years when the rutting moon appears in early November. The two years in our research project that illustrate this are 1997, when the rutting moon was November 14th, and 2002, when it arrived on November 19th. <br />In 1997 the data showed that the seeking and chasing phases of the rut didn&#8217;t happen until November 12-21. Breeding kicked in within a couple days of the rutting moon and ran through the end of the month. <br />The 2002 findings are nearly identical to 1997. In 2002, all but one reporting location indicated seeking and chasing peaked between November 16th and 22nd in the North. Breeding began around the 19th and 20th and peaked Thanksgiving week (November 24-28). There also was a fair amount of breeding still occurring the first few days of December. Looking to the future, I feel confident that the northern whitetail rut in 2005 and 2013 will be very similar. This prediction is based on the consistency of our data from 1997 and 2002. Rut Suppressors To varying degrees the project has revealed several factors that can effect the amount of deer activity observed during daylight hours. <br />Air temperature: Temperature readings and the Trail Timer data indicate that when the daytime temperature rises above 45 degrees during November, deer activity comes to an abrupt halt. With their heavy fur coat and inability to ventilate as humans do, deer simply cannot function in warm weather. <br />Sex ratio: Adult doe-to-antlered buck ratios greater than three to one also decrease deer activity during the three phases of the rut. This is primarily due to the fact that does are less active than bucks in November. With far more does than bucks in a population, every available buck is with a doe when the hot-to-trot rut arrives. On the other hand, in areas where the adult doe-to-antlered buck ratio is one-to-one or two-to-one, buck activity is greater because there are far fewer does to go around, resulting in competition between bucks for breedable does. As one might expect, we also see greater buck activity in populations that have more mature bucks in the herd. <br />Human pressure: The impact of human pressure is perhaps the &#8220;mother of all rut suppressors,&#8221; especially when daytime air temperatures rise above 45 degrees. Going into this project I had a feeling human presence in the deer woods would affect movement but I didn&#8217;t realize the impact would be so great. The Trail Timer data show that approximately 55 percent of deer movement occurs during daylight hours in areas where there is little or no human presence. In areas where there is moderate to heavy human activity in the form of hikers, birders, or hunters, only about 30 percent of deer movement takes place during daylight. <br /><b>The Maine Lab</b><br />In order to get a better read on the moon&#8217;s influence on whitetail rutting behavior, Laroche and I have started to look more closely at how deer move in areas where humans, poor adult doe-to-antlered buck ratios, warm temperatures, and baiting have a minimal impact. There are few places in the United States where such conditions exist, but northern Maine is one of them. <br />The whitetails found in this region are not pressured by man, nature keeps the adult doe-to-antlered buck ratio at less than three to one, baiting is not allowed, and warm temperatures are not as common as they are in other regions of the country. What makes Maine so unique is that it has mature bucks in the population and snow is often present to tip off serious trackers as to what is going on in the deer world. So, with few rut suppressors present, the far northern portion of this vacationland is the ultimate place to study the moon&#8217;s effect on deer activity. <br />As mentioned earlier, Laroche spends the entire month of November in a northern Maine deer camp, living out of an 18&#8242;x52&#8242; wall tent. His camp is limited to eight hunters at a time and each night Laroche debriefs every hunter, asking them to recall the number of scrapes and rubs observed, the number of deer sightings by sex, the types of behavior witnessed, and any other species of animals that were seen. This data is then analyzed and incorporated into our database. Laroche and his party cover a remote area of fifty to one hundred square miles on any given day. <br />Dick Bernier is a hunting legend in the state of Maine. He&#8217;s written two popular books on tracking white-tailed deer, and like Laroche, he and his father spend the entire month of November in the northern Maine bush tracking the biggest bucks they can find. <br />Interestingly, Bernier and his father realized long ago that there was a correlation between November&#8217;s full moon and the timing of the whitetail&#8217;s rut. When I began writing about the moon&#8217;s impact on the rut for Deer and Deer Hunting magazine, they contacted me to let me know that they concurred with the findings of our research. They also offered access to their records. So, at the end of each day, they log everything they observe into their journals and forward this information to Laroche and me. As one might expect, the observations of Laroche&#8217;s party and the Berniers have nearly mirrored each other. <br /><b>Synopsis</b><br />Enlightening is one of the best words I know of to describe this research project. It amazes me that the relationship between the moon and the timing of the rut was not discovered long ago. We set out to run the project for fifteen years, and although we could probably wrap it up now because of the repeatable patterns we&#8217;ve observed and documented, we fully expect to continue for the remaining seven years. Simply put, our fascination with the project keeps our interest level high. <br />In 1999, I wrote Hunting Whitetails by the Moon. Chapter 16 of this book, &#8220;Predicting the Future,&#8221; was based on what I knew at the time. Because of what has been learned since then, I now know the predictions that were offered for 2005 and 2013 are a bit off. However, they easily can be adjusted by studying the following paragraphs. <br />As a quick recap, keep in mind that the seeking, chasing and breeding phases of the northern whitetail rut will occur as follows: </p>
<li>When the second full moon after the autumnal equinox falls between late October and November 12th, the seeking phase of the rut will start approximately three to four days before the full moon and run three to four days after it. The chasing phase will kick in a couple days after the full moon and be intense for about ten days following the full moon. The breeding phase will begin about seven days after the full moon and last about fourteen days thereafter if the herd is fine-tuned (meaning it has good nutrition, good habitat, a good sex ratio, and a well represented mature buck population). Note that the phases will overlap somewhat. </li>
<p>
<li>When the second full moon after the autumnal equinox occurs November 13th or later, the seeking phase will begin approximately three days before the full moon. However, the chasing phase will begin a little earlier than normal, and the breeding phase will occur from the full moon to fourteen days thereafter in fine-tuned herds. So, when the rutting moon appears late, the breeding phase takes place a little sooner than when it appears in early November. Not everyone has the flexibility to block out the whole month of November in order to have a ringside seat for the whitetail rut. The benefit of this research is the ability to let hunters and deer lovers know the optimal times to hunt and observe the whitetail rut. </li>
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