Sitka deer hunting

Anybody ever been sitka deer hunting. We have these little things running around our eastern shore and their numbers are getting pretty good. They were brought here from somewhere in Aisia years ago and now they are running wild and their population has been steadily expanding. If you are not familiar with them they are like little elk, but they live in the marshes/swamps. I'm thinking of trying to hunt these little guys this fall.

What type of season do they have? If you do, make sure you get some footage and share your tactics...

I have never hunted them, but know what you are talking about. they sure do look like mini elk.

I would go after them if I had the chance

We sure will have the cameras rolling. Their season is the same as our deer season. Sept. 15 - Jan 31. Romer come on down, I dont have any spots to hunt them so we are going with an outfitter. It's only $185 a day. Going to call about booking something tomorrow.

I haven't only on XBOX. LOL But i would love to.

Camoed Assassin wrote:

We sure will have the cameras rolling. Their season is the same as our deer season. Sept. 15 - Jan 31. Romer come on down, I dont have any spots to hunt them so we are going with an outfitter. It's only $185 a day. Going to call about booking something tomorrow.

Sounds like a WA hunt to me @ that price surely we could all get together for 2 or 3 days. Get all the info you can Don and let me know something,I'm down for hanging one on the wall (or trying to anyways)

Let me know who's interested and I'll see if I can't haggle the price down a bit.

I would love too! However with the baby conming around that time, I am not sure if it would be feasible. Keep me in the loop though.

That would be something that would be a fun time. I have seen them on tv. I think they are really hard to hunt but it would be fun

mathewsguy wrote:

That would be something that would be a fun time. I have seen them on tv. I think they are really hard to hunt but it would be fun

They are pretty nocturnal but they been having pretty good success lately. I know some places use feeders, it's legal in Md.

This idea has me going. Anyone wanna share a ride

Robert wrote:

This idea has me going. Anyone wanna share a ride

If I can get away...

Dave wrote:

Robert wrote:

This idea has me going. Anyone wanna share a ride

If I can get away...

I don't mean this in any bad way at all but something tells me you aren't going to far from home this fall. wink wink. The Chamberlain family has more important things happening then a hunt but if you work it out then you are more than welcome in my truck anytime. There is plenty of room in the back for several Sitka

I know very little about them. Didn't even know MD has them free roaming. Anyone know what time of year they rut? If it's early that'll fit my schedule nicely. If they carry on like elk that's only a 5 hour drive VS 35 hours.

What about hunting them on public ground? After a little poking around there seems to be a few large public WMA's to hunt them on.

I had some friends hunt them on public ground and they are hard to pattern and get to. I don't know if the $185 includes lodging or not but that price is hard to beat when the stands are already hung and they take you to them. I have never been there to hunt them but they say that they are tough if you don't know where to go. Now don't get me wrong they have killed some out of there but they also have been going to down there for a couple of years and know where to go.

Well sitkas deer are a subspecies of blacktails that are from the alaska coastal area. I grew up hunting blacktails and they are definitely not as easy to pattern as whitetails. They stick to the woods more than the fields. If you can get that price with an outfitter with a pretty good success rate I WILL go with you!

The one place I called today run at about 48% shot opp. and it's bow only. I'm gonna call a few others tonight.

You already know i'm in. What The Guide said about the deer being hard to pattern is the same that I heard from a few of my friends that have went before. The other obsticals you have if you don't know the area and have not had time to scout it out is walking through the marshes. Some marsh area can be deep. My buddies had to take a boat down the river to get to their hunting area. I am also thinking that with it being near tidal waters where you walk in the morning might not be the way you come out once the tide changes.

OOPS! I was thinking Sitka blacktail deer but you guys are hunting the sika deer, very different but wow, even cooler! Really can't wait to hunt them now that I googled sika deer!