Duck, Rick and I walked a lot of the places and located stands in the Cedar Swamp area and then we went to the Ennis Farm and walked in and located stand #3, which stand do you usually use, and what are the restrictions on leaving the stand , like how far away to put up a portable.. once you sign up for a particular stand...

First of all, welcome back DJ! Glad you are home safe and sound and looking forward to getting back in the stand. I will be out tomorrow as well. I dumped corn at the leased place today. The place is majorly flooded and I found ZERO deer sign anywhere. Its like ever since the corn was cut, they disappeared. But, the wind is good and its better than staying home. I'll post up what I see when I get home.

Ron and Rick. I was out down the McCay farm today looking for a duck blind to hunt in Dec. Found it. They have some nice stands over that way. Never hunted it though. As for the Ennis Farm, I dont hunt on that side of the place. I hang closer to the refuge by the cabin area. NO one has been hunting with a bow in there since the end of Sept if the sign in board is accurate. As for how far you can stray from the stands in an area, I cant really answer that. I just try to stay pretty close as to not piss someone else off that comes into the area to hunt. I never hunt from the stands after the 1st week of the season. The Deer have them pegged. I get on the ground and use the natural cover to help set up spots. As for portables, use them where ever you like just remember you have to take them in and then out with you when you are done. No setting them up early or leaving them there. If you go, let me know how you do. I've hunted it 3 times this year and havent seen a deer, but they are there. You just need to catch them coming out of the swamp. I'm sure you know its a QDM area too. MAkes it all the better!

Good Luck all! It'll soon be time for the Nov Thread!

We stopped athe Waterfowl check station and sign up board at the HQ and I saw Cabin area listed but have no clue where it is.. When we were at the Ennis Farm on Rt 9 there was a Dodge PU there with NRA tags didnt think it was you, left there and went to the farm to make some copies of maps , then went over to Walker School rd and had luch about 2 pm with my buddies. Muskrat and bean soup. what a combo... We also walked around the McKay and Berman farms , we just got the crops off them also. last week.We did not see much deer sign anywhere, 2 or 3 rubs is all.

Not the way to end October. What an evening. As I sip on my scotch trying to calm down, let me explain. Hunted the small private lease. Was stood up by 3pm. The woods is now flooded timber because the farmer to the east has allowed the beavers to damn the field drainage so they can duck hunt it. It has drawn Wood Ducks to the area. Anyhow 5pm, POW! I mean close to my stand. Thought some was shooting deer on the other farm to the West but then the steel rain falls all around me. I'm thinking "Great, now the other farm is shooting it up, no wonder there's been no deer sign" Well I wait 20 mins and I here wood breaking behind me, to the east where I havethe old wooden deer stand up. I'm thinking, if its those duck hunters, they are now trespassing and could be F'ing with the stand. So I get down and head over. Stand is fine. Its now 20 mins AFTER sunset. POW! right across from me. I yell in "Hey!" Someone yells back "YEAH!" I yell "Nice spray job a$$hole!". I hear them paddling around in there.

The hell with this. I pull out my wallet looking for theGame Theft #. I find it and as I'm calling, POW POW!!. Now these shots didn't rain on me, they whistled over my head. Are they shooting at me or low flying ducks?!? The first time the line was busy, the redial someone picks up and I explain my situation. POW POW POW!! I'm like "You hear that!" The operator is like "Yes, where are you?" I give the best detail I can and he said someone else just called as well and an officer was on his way. I give my name and cell number and bail out. They shot at least 10 more rounds as I was heading back to the truck. I mean its 535 now!

As I get to the truck the Game Officer called. Explained where I was and he pulled up. I pointed where they were, explained it was flooded woods, they are in a boat, and I wasn't accusing anyone, but farm to east hunts it often, can pull right up to the woods and uses a boat. He said he'd try and down there and see if he could catch them coming out of the woods. He asked if I was sprayed with shot and I said yes, twice. We'll see what, if anything happens.

What a sucky way to end the Month. And I take time off from work for this! Why the hell bother!

Wow Duck, glad you made it out of there safe without a confrontation. I think after seeing what I saw I will leave it alone. I have spent a total of 3 hours bowhunting this yearand that was over in Mdaside from my elk hunt. It really sucks having to deal with public land, I would rather not hunt than deal with the hassels of public land hunting. Worse part is I'm on vac next week but I can go a few days with a friend in NE md about an 85 mile drive away.

You know what Rick, you wont deal with this sh@t on public land. Its some of the private farms that dont seem to respect their neighbors anymore. Im getting more and more pissed off about it as I re-hash it in my mind. Unfreakin real.

Duck I releize your incident didn't happen on public land but stuff like that and than somehappens more oftenthan not on public land. It's scary to see it invading the private sector especialy when you have to pay a lease to be free of it and find you are not. Good luck and keep us posted on the outcome if you hear anything.