Could any of you inform me in what situation the sika use this sound? http://www.webbyen.dk/hentfil.asp?hentfil=67237'

Grettings..........S�ren
http://www.webbyen.dk/vishjemmeside_privat.asp?mode=top_frame&id=94120&side=&webside=1154007

Sorry, this link works:
http://www.webbyen.dk/hentfil.asp?hentfil=67237 (I hope)

Greetings.........S�ren

Soren,

I can't listen to those sounds right now, but if its the "whistle" or "screech" which sika are famous for, i believe the stags make it in the rut.

There is quite a bit of info on sika, including some vocal recordings at:

http://www.deer-uk.com

Regards,

Pete

Hi!
Sikas are very vocal!!!!!! While in NZ I got squealed at quite a few times. It was a great thrill trying to sneak up on a rutting stag in the thick NZ bush!!! Although I heard quite a few sounds I never heard this one so this is a guess: If compared to the sound a female moose makes when irritated on another moose (last years calf in may, a rutting bull when she's not ready etc) it comes quite close so that is my guess - an irritation sound.
Cheers
K9

Hi
I spend a couple of days every winter stalking Sika in the south of England. IMO they are the hardest species of deer to stalk in the UK.

I cannot listen to the sounds here at the office PC but if it the whistling sound then this as an alarm call, at least that is the only time I have heard it!!!

Deerdogs,

I would love to stalk sika on a regular basis; i agree they must be the most difficult of our deer to stalk. I few years ago a friend and i were stalking roe on a bit of ground near Bonnar (sp?) Bridge in Scotland and were staying in a small B&B on a croft which was surrounded by forest on 3 sides. I can't remember exactly what the date was but it must have been during the sika rut as at night you could hear the stags whistling back and forth across the valley...it was a really primevil sound that made the hair on the back of your neck stand up!. I have only been out after sika a couple of times and as yet not been lucky but they are certainly on my wish list!

Incidently, have you seen that article by Peter Carne in the latest issue of "Stalking" magazine with regards different number of deer species that may be in the UK? Very thought provoking indeed...

Regards,

Pete

Pete, the first deer I shot was a sika spiker in the Fermanagh border.

Since then it is the Lulworth hinds that get my attention. They are very frustrating to stalk, at least for a roe/fallow/muntjac man like me!

I have seen some very nice stags in south Dorset and they certainly look at you in a pretty hard way if you bump into them during the rut. Real 8x57 country!

I have stopped buying Stalking magazine. I went off it as I thought it was becoming rather repetative. I may well resubscribe at some time in the future...

Deerdogs
I too have stalked sika down south only once though and counted somewhere in the region of 20+ hinds and 2 spikers but 11 of the hinds were snow white. They were just out of season and had to do with a spiker instead. My friend lost the ground unfortunately he was not in the best of health to do the best job.It was down in Hampshire near Poole I think. A friend who also went there did manage to get one of the white hinds. He still has the pelt in one of the bedrooms it makes a nice conversation amongst fellow stalkers that visit.

Interestingly enough there is a large introduced herd of Sika living on the Eastern Shore (Delaware, Virginia, Maryland). The deer are doing quite well and can often be hunted along with the native whitetails for sort of a poor man's combo. Haven't gone after them as of yet but definitely plan to in the future.