I hunt sika deer on the Eastern Shore of MD. I have bagged a few, one a 5 and another 8pter. Is this the only place that has an abundant supply of sika deer? I haven't really heard too many other places that people hunt them. And not that much info on them out there. I hear people mention sitka deer, but I don't think they are simular. Its a really cool animal. They are very brazen for deer and have on occasion, charged a hunter or two. They also seem to run the whitetail out. There was some footage I have seen where a sika buck (90lbs) and a 150lb whitetail was duking it out and the whitetail gave up quickly. They bugle like an elk and behave like an elk but like swampy land. Anybody else hunt them?

[ 08-17-2002, 03:23: Message edited by: bigcountry ]

Big Country,
yeah i hunt the lil bastards!...havnt killed anything worth hanging on the wall but have killed a few.......its my understanding they were brought here (maryland) in the early 1900's and put on James Island where they eventually escaped....

they (dnr) have changed the rules and limits a bit for this yr.....i believe they have cut back on the amount you can kill...... check it out.

check out this link
http://www.biggamehunt.net/sections/Maryland/

bigcountry,

I lived in Maryland for a couple of years, and camped on Assateague Island, where sika deer were introduced (I think). The first time I heard one, it sounded like a girl screeming. Raises the hair on the back if your neck. Never got a chance to hunt them, though I sure wish I had now. They do look a lot like a mini elk. Very different species from sitka deer though.

When I was stationed in Washington DC for three years in the mid 1980's I tried to find one of those Sika critters during hunting season, but failed two years in a row. Thought they were pretty neat critters and I don't know anywhere except Maryland that they can be found in the U.S.

Some if not all of the exotic ranches can get get them for a price ... around $900 at last check.

Sikas can be found in Texas too. Most are on the game ranches but there are alot of free roamers also. I have seen quite a few of them but have never hunted one. They, like axis deer, have the reputation of chasing off the native whitetail deer.

The sitka is a form of blacktail deer which inturn is I believe a small form of mule deer. I could be wrong but I'll bet that the sika deer is nothing more than a bonifide miniture elk; isolated from other elk subspecies to form the sika. We all know that the red deer is nothing more than a smaller form of the elk or wapita(sp). In parts of Ireland, England and New Zealand the wild sika has interbred with the red deer which proves the point of serious kinship. Only the shear size difference between elk and sikas would keep them from interbreeding, hopefully!

I suspect that Sitka and Sika deer are two entirely different species. If sitka are a subspecies of a native North American deer, Sika are native to the far East ie Japan ect. As you note certain subspecies of Sika will interbreed with Red and in certain parts of Ireland and Scotland it is a major problem with the genetic purity of our native Reds being in danager of being lost.

I have heard one theory that the various sub species of Sika were a result of early deer farming expirements in the Far East and this is why they will so easily breed with other species of deer.

Thanks guys for the info. I was reading a few pages about the sika being in the UK. They looked exactly like the sika's I see here on the Eastern Shore. Just got my permits to go after them again this year on Black Water Eagle Refuge. They are tough suckers to hunt. It seems if you don't get em by 9:00AM, you ain't going to get em until dusk. They taste pretty good too. Very different from Whitetails.

For all you guys in UK, are the Reds pretty abundant? Every time I go to UK, I usually work from London to Porthcurno, and don't get to see any Reds going north. Can an American go hunting for them in Scotland? Is your chances pretty good?

Bigcountry,

Take a look at:
http://www.deer-uk.com

They should have plenty of background on all 6 species of deer we can hunt.

Yes, Reds are plentiful in Scotland in fact many sources say there are too many. However if you want a truely large Red stag you are better going down south and hunting the woodland Red. They can run to almost double the size in extreme cases.

Hunting for a visitor i=to the UK is no problem. If you want to bring a rifle in (.243 to say .300win mag being usual)you need to get a local to sponsor you and fill in some paper work.
Other than that you can borrow a rifle off your stalker/guide with no formalities.
Two or three species are usually always in season, so I would bet you could walk into any country gun shop and say "I want to go stalking" and they would have you in a highseat the next morning! I have actually done this myself at times. As to costs, for commercial stalking figure on $120-$175 per day for cull beasts while trophy stalking probably goes from $250 per day plus trophy fees. A gold medal fallow or red stag is going to cost around $1000 -$1500 with a commercial stalker, but a good representive head can be any where from a bottle of scotch to a couple of hundred bucks depend who you go with and what you negociate...

Regards,

Peter

In London, you are within 2 hours of some of the finest stalking in the UK!

Mark,

You better get your mind on moose and caribou! The time is approaching fast.

GAH

I hunted Red Stag in Scotland a while back and also the Sika. The Red Stag up on the moors is the smaller version, but the Sika there make the Md Sika look tiny. The Sika in Scotland are about 2-3 times larger than anything I have seen off the Eastern Shore. If you are looking for a good outfitter in Scotland email me and I will give you the info.

Hey, GA, you know it brother. Time is fastly approaching. I got my barrel from Krieger, taking it and the gun to the smith tomorrow to be reamed and fitted and crowned, then have to run down to another place for a quick parkarizing job which will take a week, and then hopefully have a few weeks to break in, and work up a nice hunting load. Its going to be close.

Do you know of any problems on getting the gun to Canada? Or ammo? So how is the personal fitness thing going? I have kinda slacked off alot. I am trying figure out if I need some more lighter clothing. Not sure about the weather.

Mark,

I'm up to four miles a day -- six miles twice a week. Read my post and answers to it elsewhere in this same forum.

Be sure to get a Canadian firearms declaration form BEFORE you go so you can turn it in when you get to your first point of entry (along with your fifty bucks). You can get it off the internet and it saves a lot of hassle to already have it filled out. You can declare up to three guns on the form.

Where are you staying in Deer Lake? When do you arrive and depart? Maybe we can hook up there.

I'm having to write you on the open forum because the computer I'm on (library during lunch) does not have e-mail.

I'll e-mail you from home later.

GAH

bigcountry,

Is your e-mail server down? I've tried to send you a reply to your e-mail but it comes back 24 hours later as "undelivered". I just sent it again.

Later dude.