1st Sika Deer Harvest

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  • itsslow98

    Ultimate Member
    Nov 8, 2010
    2,018
    Harford County, MD
    Went to my new club down in Dorchester county last week from wednesday to sunday and despite not seeing much I was able to harvest my first sika hind. It was taken with a T/C muzzleloader that I picked up here in the classifieds.

    I learned quite a bit since this is the first time I've hunted sika and I do admit it's not a whole lot like whitetail hunting IMO.

    She field dressed at about 30-35lbs but man were the backstraps and tenderloins the best venison I've ever had in my life.

    She came out with about 5 min of shooting light left. She was quartering to me and I put the sabot right above her left front shoulder and it exited where you see. It completely destroyed the top of the heart and both lungs which caused her to drop on the spot.
     

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    budman93

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 1, 2013
    5,267
    Frederick County
    Nice. I go camping every year on Assateague and the sika there are super tame. I've seen bucks sporting some pretty decent racks for such small animals. I had one take a hotdog off a stick when I was roasting it on a campfire once lol.
     

    mark71211

    Ultimate Member
    Sep 10, 2012
    2,234
    Edgewater
    Congrats!! I must say I'm a little jealous, always wanted to do some sika deer hunting. I hear they are great tasting little critter.
     

    Derwood

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 2, 2011
    1,075
    DC area
    Very cool. I always read through all the state regs each year and every time I read the sika regs I think about figuring out how to go hunt them.

    What made hunting them so different from whitetail?
     

    Fordfan

    Active Member
    Oct 24, 2010
    119
    AA county
    Great Job and congrats. I basically live over there on Friday/Saturdays this time of year.

    Welcome to the Sika Addiction!
     

    itsslow98

    Ultimate Member
    Nov 8, 2010
    2,018
    Harford County, MD
    Very cool. I always read through all the state regs each year and every time I read the sika regs I think about figuring out how to go hunt them.

    What made hunting them so different from whitetail?
    They did not seem affected by the wind at all.....it was blowing 25-30mph saturday and a lot of us saw deer on their feet walking around carefree. The wetter the better in most instances, they arent afraid to walk through belly high water to get where they want to go. Definetly more nocturnal then whitetail IMO. I had a ton of trail cam pics at my feeder and 99.9% were at night.
    I'm not man enough/healthy enough for marsh hunting. If I was, I can assure everyone I would be on The Eastern Shore hunting Sika every chance I had. They are one of the best meats I have ever eaten- I'm not just talking just about game!!!
    I skinned it out the second day and quartered it. We threw the backstraps and tenderloins on the grill with just some montreal steak seasoning and it was by far the bets vension I have ever had in my life.
    Had no idea they were so small.

    Is this a baby or an adult deer?
    With my inexperience I asked the guys at camp and they siad this was about average for a hind. Maybe slightly on the smaller side of average. Apparently a 60lb hind is a pretty big sika. Bucks are usually under 100lbs as well.
     

    xtreme43s10

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 19, 2007
    1,163
    maryland, in Mont county
    They did not seem affected by the wind at all.....it was blowing 25-30mph saturday and a lot of us saw deer on their feet walking around carefree. The wetter the better in most instances, they arent afraid to walk through belly high water to get where they want to go. Definetly more nocturnal then whitetail IMO. I had a ton of trail cam pics at my feeder and 99.9% were at night.

    I have a property this year that had decent pressure last year and most pictures where at night. This year we did things differently and didnt hunt it till last thrus. Tons of day pictures now and sightings where much higher. Another thing is Sika deer roam much more then whitetails. I have a stag that shows up about once every 6-7 days, where as whitetails show up daily.
     

    itsslow98

    Ultimate Member
    Nov 8, 2010
    2,018
    Harford County, MD
    I have a property this year that had decent pressure last year and most pictures where at night. This year we did things differently and didnt hunt it till last thrus. Tons of day pictures now and sightings where much higher. Another thing is Sika deer roam much more then whitetails. I have a stag that shows up about once every 6-7 days, where as whitetails show up daily.

    Yea, no one bow hunts the club I am in besides myself and like 2 other guys. None of us were in there more then a couple times till last week. It's 1,300 acres too so not much pressure on that huge area. It's defintly fun trying to learn though. Scouting on the atv is a good time too haha.
     

    xtreme43s10

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 19, 2007
    1,163
    maryland, in Mont county
    Yea, no one bow hunts the club I am in besides myself and like 2 other guys. None of us were in there more then a couple times till last week. It's 1,300 acres too so not much pressure on that huge area. It's defintly fun trying to learn though. Scouting on the atv is a good time too haha.

    Have you gotten a sika seducer yet and tried calling? I called a stag in last year while bow hunting and it's a rush to say the least.
     

    itsslow98

    Ultimate Member
    Nov 8, 2010
    2,018
    Harford County, MD
    Have you gotten a sika seducer yet and tried calling? I called a stag in last year while bow hunting and it's a rush to say the least.

    This is the first year I have ever hunted sika. I was in the woods twice with a bow and thursday, friday and saturday last week. I know they rut in october so I may have to look into it but of course its doe only this week lol.
     

    MdPrep

    Tactically Tactless
    Sep 24, 2014
    212
    Congrats! How was the hunting, in your opinion, of the Sitka vs whitetail different? Curious to know as I've never hunted Sitka before.
     

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