Saw My First Sika Deer
 

I was at my in-law's for the weekend down on the Eastern Shore in southern Maryland. We decided to take a hike over at Chincoteague. Not only did I see a couple of whitetails, but I saw my first live sika deer. There were four of them. These are pretty cool deer. Does anyone hunt them? I hear it's a challenge.

Scott Meier
White Oak Lodge

RE: Saw My First Sika Deer
 

I also understand that they're not truly deer, but more closely related to elk. I heard that they bugle just like their larger cousins out west.

RE: Saw My First Sika Deer
 

Barnes they do have deer hunts on Assoteague island every year for both Whitetail and Sika. I do not remember the year, but I beleive the sika were introduced to the island by the boy scouts. The hunts are by drawing I think, and are tightly controled.

The Tazman

RE: Saw My First Sika Deer
 

I hunt them, and Mizzou's right on. They're a miniature elk from SE Asia that were "stocked" by a boyscout troop around the turn of the century. They spread out and live in all the wetlands in that area.
Everyone calls them deer anyway, but the males are usually called stags, and the females, does. I love hunting those guys, and only the whitetail rut pulls me away.
Very challenging, with a completely different set of tactics. Very fun.

RE: Saw My First Sika Deer
 

6ptsika, do you hunt them on the Va. or Md. part of the Island? How do they work the permits and what kind of weapons are allowed? Limits?

The Tazman

RE: Saw My First Sika Deer
 

Cool, I seen some already neat little critters

RE: Saw My First Sika Deer
 

No, leave them alone. They are quite nasty, have big fangs and will chase you...They stink, are not a good challenge, explode when shot, cost lots and lots of money to hunt, will make your hair turn grey, can climb trees and will attack treestand occupants. They'll trash your truck if left unattended and they can spit tobacco juice 100yds, accurately.

They taste, at best, like a soyburger dipped in axle grease.

Go away, do not hunt them.....:):)

RE: Saw My First Sika Deer
 

I don't hunt them on the Island, I hunt in MD, Dorchester County. You can probably get the info off the Va website, or the MD DNR website. In Md, you're allowed, 2 per season, only one buck. That gives you 2/ea for bow, rifle, and MZ. If you hunt public land, there's no permit, just the regular liscense. I'm not sure about the permit fee for the Island, maybe like $25. I don't think it's difficult to get a permit, but I think it's only for bow and MZ. In MD, you can hunt them with any weapon in the regular seasons, they have the same basic season dates as whitetails.
And I forgot, they do taste like soyburger, they stink, are mean, bite hunters...

RE: Saw My First Sika Deer
 

Bite hunters? I was trying not to scare anyone now 6pt....but, since you mentioned it, yes, they will sneak up and bite you in the arse....or at least blast this incredibly loud whistle in your ear...

RE: Saw My First Sika Deer
 

6-point, I think you're trying to keep me out of Dorchester county! I'm sure that being cousin to elk, they taste terrible, right?