I went hunting yesterday (WED) and saw squat. SO my buddy and I went over to where Patuxant River State Park (section off of Browns Church Rd. if any one is interested) and private land meet. When we started walking the boarder we saw deer bedded 50+ yards into private land getting up and running deeper into private land. I feel like all the deer are off the public land due to the high pressure and have moved onto private land until they're either pushed off and back onto public or they calm down enough to walk around freely. I am starting to think that maybe I'll give it up until the first Saturday of late muzzleloader and the Saturday shotgun in January. There just isn't the hunter presense to make them move where I hunt. What do you guys think? Anyone hunt that land?

I also went hunting on wed in montgomery county. I believe that area where i was hunting was called patuxent river. I am new to hunting that area went with a freind there mon and wed. But anyway I never saw anything on mon and nothing wed morning. About 12:00 wed i figured i would walk through some thick brush to see if i could getanything to run out of there. Man it was thick, i walked around in there for about an hour then decided to try to get out of there cause i kept getting turned around in the brush and thought i was going the wrong way. Well i found my way back to the path and walked up it about a hundred yards when 4 of the biggest does i have ever seen came walking out of that brush i was in. I shot at the last 1 that came out and it weighed in at 150lbs after feild dressed. The butcher said he never seen a doe so big. Walking through that brush for about an hour and getting lost a few times really paid off.

That place is an awesome place to hunt. I shot a 96" 8pt off there 3 years ago. You can still take deer off there, it just gets harder. It's been 2 years since we moved away, and I'm tempted each year to make the 2 hour drive jsut to hunt there.

So what are some of your strategies for days after opening day in that area or any shot up public land? Take to the thick stuff? Just curious. I know I have tried that and all I do is walk through some thick stuff and end up having to pull out my gerber field cutting pack and cut my way out.

I got lucky that day saxman, usually you need more than 1 person to ever shoot any deer coming out of the thick stuff. 1 to get in a clearing and the other start going through the brush from the other side towards your buddy.
Another way is to find the deer trackes where they are coming in and out of the thicket Then find you a place about 25-50yrds away where you can still see that path. But get set up there at least a half hour to an hour before legal shooting times and stay theretill legal shooting times end.
They are most likely going in early morning and coming out late afternoon.

where you live at now, paco?

I live in Capon Bridge, WV. I never had luck without a treestand. I took 5 deer off that property in 3 years hunting it (2buttons, 2 does, 1 8pt). The 8pt is my biggest ever. It seems most people are mobile during gun season, but I always had my luck with a treestand. Mornings seem to be better than evenings althought my 8pt came on an evening hunt sitting in hours of cold rain a week before gun season. I won't tell you spots, but all four other deer were shot between 10am - 10:45am. My friends used to laught at me because once i learned the property I could almost always predict when I would shoot the deer. 1 button and 2 does came after opening day. The crowds were smaller but you can still find the deer moving around.

Thats the way it is here also. everyone and their brother is out on opening day. then in the days that follow you hardly see anyone. I usually hunt on the eastern shore but this year my cousin has been taking me to that spot in montgomery county. Man those hills are steep. give me the flat land on the eastern shore any time, lol. But it shore was pretty in those hills. i will definetly be going back up there next week. This weekend i am going to the eastern shore though.

HILLS, man you don't know what Hills are! Come to WV and you will see what Hills are. I used to huff and puff up the hills in Mont county now I wish I had those hills to hunt. Up here in WV I hunt on the Mountains, it takes 1 hour to walk from the base to the top. I once went to GW forest and walked and walked for 2 hours and still didn't get to the top of the mountain.

I bet you see some nice bucks on the Eastern Shore. I've done some bird hunting at Native Shore Reserve. I salivate at the horns they find on their property. Here in WV the bucks are smaller. I shot a 3 1/2 8 yr old pt this year and the rack doesn't even come close to my Mont Co buck.

craig

I have seen some big bucks over there on the shore. But never really got a shot at any of the big ones. i did manage to bag a 6pt. last year that weighed in at 160lbs. It rain and snowed all day. Finally about 4pm it stopped and the clouds moved out. just before last light this 6pt walked right up on me. I am a ground hunter and this buck was within 12-15 yrds from me looking right at me. my gun was leaning against the tree and i dared not reach for it. he looked at me then turned and started walking across this stream. i grabbed my gun while he was walking away from me. He stopped on the other side of the stream and looked at me again. He was about 50-60 yrds away when i finally got my shot. Then i had to wade acroos that ice cold stream with the water up to my crotch to retreive him. i never noticed how cold i was till i got him back to the truck and was turning on some heat.
I love it over there. just to get out and soak up the scenery.