Louisville Sika Deer

[Timp2]

Unfortunately lost the farm I hunted in the middle of this season. Had several encounters with these the last few years and just wasn’t able to get one. Always bad timing, or I’d have to watch them right across the property line on many occasions. Thought I’d share some trail camera pics. From what the landowner told me the property right next to the one I hunted raised these in a 15 acre pen and eventually they let the fences go and they all escaped in the 60’s. Now on several pieces of land in the area and you’ll see one show up at local taxidermists or processors on occasion.

 

[Meatstick]

Cool as hell. I've seen em from the Gene Snyder over the years, but that's the first trail cam pics I've seen.

 

[FF/EMT516]

That’s really cool. I never knew there were any up there. I haven’t looked at the regs, but I assume there’s a season for them? I’ve never talked to anyone that hunts them.

 

[bgkyarcher]

Wonder if they have bred with whitetails?

 

[Meatstick]

That’s really cool. I never knew there were any up there. I haven’t looked at the regs, but I assume there’s a season for them? I’ve never talked to anyone that hunts them.

No season on them. Just like groundhogs or coyotes I reckon

 

[FF/EMT516]

Either way that’s really cool. Is there a pretty good population of them?

 

[Timp2]

No season, treated as invasive species. I learned my lesson early on about always taking a rifle. Had 4 of the stags go past me at 40 yards while shed hunting and just had to stand and watch. There seems to be quite a few of them. I’ll see the females in groups of 12-15 sometimes with 3-4 stags. The property next door is several hundred acres and owner hasn’t allowed hunting in many years. I think there are a lot of them there. I know someone who hunts close by who has killed 2 stags

 

[Timp2]

Wonder if they have bred with whitetails?

I haven’t seen any that I would say look like a cross between the two but who knows. The Sika rut seems to get going a month or so ahead of whitetail. The high pitch bugle they make is crazy to hear

 

[1wildcatfan]

Use to see them years ago.

 

[CRFmxracer]

View attachment 96525 View attachment 96526 View attachment 96527 View attachment 96528 View attachment 96529 Unfortunately lost the farm I hunted in the middle of this season. Had several encounters with these the last few years and just wasn’t able to get one. Always bad timing, or I’d have to watch them right across the property line on many occasions. Thought I’d share some trail camera pics. From what the landowner told me the property right next to the one I hunted raised these in a 15 acre pen and eventually they let the fences go and they all escaped in the 60’s. Now on several pieces of land in the area and you’ll see one show up at local taxidermists or processors on occasion.

I was told they were running an illegal game farm and the guy was about to be caught so he let ‘Em all go. Said there was mule deer let go too, which have bred with whitetails over the years. Any truth to that?

 

[Timp2]

I was told they were running an illegal game farm and the guy was about to be caught so he let ‘Em all go. Said there was mule deer let go too, which have bred with whitetails over the years. Any truth to that?

Never heard anything about Mule deer. The landowner who let me hunt has had this farm in the family since the early 60’s, far enough back where he remembers seeing the Sika when they were fenced in still on the property next-door. Not sure about the exact means of their release. He didn’t ever say anything about seeing mule deer though.

 

[Feedman]

Great pictures,
Thanks for sharing those. I have heard about Skia's in the Louisville area

 

[GTbowhunter]

Im not an expert, but I would be shocked if Sika could produce offspring with Whitetail.

 

[Lady Hunter]

Roughly where on the Snyder do folks see these on occasion? The Kid lives off of Beulah Church near McNeely Lake and would get a kick out of spotting them.

p.s. He just sent me a link where someone was trying to find a tracking dog after shooting a deer yesterday just off of Cooper Chapel.

 

[Meatstick]

Roughly where on the Snyder do folks see these on occasion? The Kid lives off of Beulah Church near McNeely Lake and would get a kick out of spotting them.

p.s. He just sent me a link where someone was trying to find a tracking dog after shooting a deer yesterday just off of Cooper Chapel.

Around the Billtown Rd exit, IIRC. Big pretty hillside runs up from the highway