MD's little gem of a deer- the sika

[XD40coyote]

Has anyone here ever gone after sikas in MD?

I'd like this to be a thread about sikas, even if you don't hunt them. I understand that someone released them into Dorchester county nearly 100 years ago, and they bred and bred some more, and ended up in enough #'s and with enough hunters liking going after them, that the DNR, instead of going for eradication, decided to let them be and manage them as legal game.

Ok, my research yeilds that this is a subspecies of the Japanese sika from the island of Yakushima or cervus nippon yakushimae. The MD deer are supossed to be a pure stock of this, not interbred with other types of sikas or even red deer like can be found on game ranches and in NZ. In Japan, Yakushima island is over run with these little deer and they hold cull hunts. Note- cull hunts- may or may not be civilian. I have no idea if they allow recreational/trophy hunting in Japan, but if so it may be open only to Japanese citizens. In this case, that means the only place you can recreationally hunt this subspecies in it's pure form, and be a nonresident and even a hunter from another country, is in MD! That makes a MD sika a true trophy.

Sika are related to elk. The stags even have small ivory teeth, plus they bugle during the rut. The females are called hinds. The MD ones aren't very big, with stags going to 120 pounds on the hoof max ( live weight), and hinds probably 70-80 max. Many stags are 90 pounds and less. Stags often do not get antlers bigger than 3x3 and a trophy is any 3x3 with a main beam of at least 12", but I know that ANY 6 point sika is considered trophy class in MD. 6pt stags are not youngins either, so its not easy to actually even get a chance at a shot at 1 during legal hunting hours. They are nocturnal for the most part, and even in daylight hunters tell me they can hear them running through the tall marsh grasses, but can't see them. They are harder to hunt than whitetails, obviously.

The meat is said to be much better than whitetail. I was given some sika meat once and it tasted like... venison...LOL. It was probably off an old stag, and was akin to eating a doe fawn WT LOL. I know it wasn't all gamey and tough, just that it was tender and tasted like venison. I imagine of I had been given the hams off a young hind, it would have been some really good meat. BTW the hams off a young hind are probably about the size of the hams off a coyote LOL.

next post- some pics

[XD40coyote]

some pics of MD's sikas

1)Sika taken by hunter- note the habitat
2)sika mount I did- bugling- note the beard and the mane- this is typical of a mature stag
3) same mount, closer up


I am working on 3 sika stags currently and will post pics of them when done. I also made a mold of 1 set to make repro antlers from.

[glock19girl]

interesting ive never heard of a sika.
now im curious. im going to have to
google this
if you did the mounts they look nice

[keystoneman 85]

My family has a beach house right outside Assateauge Island in OCMD, Assateauge Island is loaded with Sika deer. Very cool little deer. We've also seen a few in the fields/woods around our beach house, guess they either crossed the long bridge or swam the bay over to the mainland. Primarily we have whitetail out back though.

[ruggerio]

there are two things to hunt in the wildlife refuges of the eastern shore. sika deer and waterfowl.

if im not mistaken they have a lottery in the early fall that is good for two deer. many folks get them and sell one and use the other. guides also get into the lottery to sell hunts. i have only hunted waterfowl down there.

nice mount xd. shame they could not spend some more and get some of the marsh in it. i guess it could be added later, i have seen shoulder mounts with grass and such that are super sweet.

that little deer looks pretty bad ass!

[15Truckman]

A buddy of mine is huge into sika hunting. I'm hoping to go with him this season. He says they act more like elk than white tail.

[Gun Bowanna]

Hey, this is a great Idea. You never see too much about hunting these guys.
Especially here in PA.

I've hunting them a couple o times (3 day muzzloader season = During thier Rut), at "Twin Willows Farms" http://fordinfo.com/twinw.htm

They're NEXT door from www.SikaStag.com. (neato website, check it out) and across the road from Blackwater Wildlife refuge.

It's a different sort of Hunt.
Get up REALLY early to get in the stand at least 1.5 hours BEFORE sun rise.
Hunt until (actually sit in the stand) 10am or so.
Go have lunch, fish, nap (my favorite),
Back on stand about 3pm until dark.
They are primarily nocturnal and bed down during the day, even during the Rut. So, you're basicaly trying to get them before bedding time.

And, No. You cannot "pattern" thier movements. They wander whereever they please. You'll ONLY hear them walking when in the water. Otherwise they'll walk right past you (and under your stand) on the ground and you'll NEVER hear them.

Thermacell mosquito repelers is a MUST!!!!
Also waders, but, in some instances Rubber boots will get you by.

Here's the land owner (rt) with a buddies Stag. Shot 150yds from the stand over thier shoulder.





[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

[wecroft]

There's no lottery in MD for Sika deer. Limit is two deer, no more than 1 antlered.

[Gun Bowanna]

A buddy of mine is huge into sika hunting. I'm hoping to go with him this season. He says they act more like elk than white tail.

They ARE Elk. Only smaller. Nothing at all like a Whitetail.


oh, and they are tastier then Whitetail too.

[15Truckman]

They ARE Elk. Only smaller. Nothing at all like a Whitetail.


oh, and they are tastier then Whitetail too.

Heard they taste better, too. Haven't found out myself, yet...