An Opportunity Of My First Sika Stag

[EnglishStalker]

While scrolling through my Facebook news feed I came across a post in a deer stalking group asking if anyone would like to swap a hunt for a representative muntjac buck and in return go out with him after a sika stag. So I sent him a private message with photos of a couple of muntjac bucks that I'd shot last season to see if he was interested and I'm very pleased to say that later this month I'll be travelling down to Dorset after my first sika stag. Michael said he's certain that he'll find a good 8 pointer and if it makes a medal then lucky me. All I need to do is now find him a good muntjac buck on my ground.

 

[EnglishStalker]

Here's a silver medal stag that Michael has shot.

 

[Dave N]

Good luck to you both!

 

[1_pointer]

They are neat critters! Good luck on chasing them. Someday I may have to head to Maryland and try their swamps out for one.

 

[EnglishStalker]

Thanks to both of you.

Until now I thought the only sika in America were on high fence shooting establishments in Texas! I didn't know that you had a free ranging huntable population, how interesting.

 

[Dave N]

Road trip!

 

[1_pointer]

Thanks to both of you.

Until now I thought the only sika in America were on high fence shooting establishments in Texas! I didn't know that you had a free ranging huntable population, how interesting.

There are quite a few in TX as well that are not behind a high fence. They escaped those places and have taken up residence outside the wire. Here's a crappy pic of some free ranging ones I took

 

[Little Big Man MT Chris]

have a great hunt , looking forward to the follow up on your hunt

 

[Southwind]

Sounds like a great swap, sika are definitely on my list.

Keep us posted!

 

[EnglishStalker]

Sounds like a great swap, sika are definitely on my list.

Keep us posted!

have a great hunt , looking forward to the follow up on your hunt

Thank you both.

 

[EnglishStalker]

There are quite a few in TX as well that are not behind a high fence. They escaped those places and have taken up residence outside the wire. Here's a crappy pic of some free ranging ones I took

I hate to say it but those are 2 fallow bucks. If you look at the two photos below you'll soon see the difference between fallow and sika. Sika have a white rump patch and a shorter tail, fallow having 4 different colour phases can be varied but on the black phase the rump patch will be solid black and fallow have a longer tail. Also the Sika's metatarsal gland will be white and stand out. Lastly look at the young buck in your photo, fallow bucks have tufts of hair at the end of their penis sheaths, sika do not and its quite visible on that youngster.

 

[1_pointer]

HA! Shows what I know. Talk about a fail on my part...

 

[EnglishStalker]

No worries, they are hardly 2 species of deer that you'll be overly familiar with or I wouldn't of thought so anyway.

 

[1_pointer]

First time I saw either of them in the flesh was on that trip. I did end up shooting a doe/hind and thought it could've been a sika but now am sure it was a fallow. I was on a no antler/horns restriction, but other than that was free to shoot what I wanted.