Mini Elk

[Shane13]

Sika are cool little critters. They're like miniature elk. They're cousins to elk and red deer. They are free ranging in parts of the Texas Hill Country (along with axis, fallow, blackbuck, aoudad, mouflon, and some other exotics). We have a decent herd of sika on the ranch we hunt. We're not killing them yet, as we're trying to let them build up their numbers even more first. October was fun. Saw several bucks during the rut. This was the biggest one, and I managed to get some shots of him with my big camera one day. 4x4 racks are as big as they typically get, when mature.

 

[AKaviator]

Great photo!

 

[D. Robert Franz]

Cool animal. Saw some of everything when I was in TX last week

 

[Shane13]

Cool animal. Saw some of everything when I was in TX last week

The Hill Country is almost like hunting Africa. There are tons of different animals free ranging now, after decades of escaping from high fence places. Our place is low fence. Some people don't like exotics and prefer native whitetail. I like 'em all, and I love the variety - even the doggone hogs. You never know what might show up, and it creates year-round hunting opportunities.

I grew up in the Panhandle hunting the canyons of the Caprock country. There are mule deer, whitetail, and aoudad there - and hogs. That is a nice variety as well. But axis have become my favorite deer of all. I think they're the most beautiful deer on earth. They're the best venison of all for the table. And you can hunt them year round. No matter what month it is, there are always some in the herd that are rutting and in hard antler stage. God made them just for hunters, I think.

Guided my dad on this hunt recently...

 

[Bonecollector]

They are beautiful animals for sure!

 

[dirtclod Az.]

The Hill Country is almost like hunting Africa. There are tons of different animals free ranging now, after decades of escaping from high fence places. Our place is low fence. Some people don't like exotics and prefer native whitetail. I like 'em all, and I love the variety - even the doggone hogs. You never know what might show up, and it creates year-round hunting opportunities.

I grew up in the Panhandle hunting the canyons of the Caprock country. There are mule deer, whitetail, and aoudad there - and hogs. That is a nice variety as well. But axis have become my favorite deer of all. I think they're the most beautiful deer on earth. They're the best venison of all for the table. And you can hunt them year round. No matter what month it is, there are always some in the herd that are rutting and in hard antler stage. God made them just for hunters, I think.

Guided my dad on this hunt recently...

Great diversity of animals,wish Az. had more.

 

[AKaviator]

I need to get an Axis deer someday. Everyone says they are great to eat, and certainly beautiful!

 

[Shane13]

They're fun to hunt. They behave more like elk than like whitetail. They're not as patternable (if that's a word) as whitetail. They're more nomadic. They are very vocal, like elk. Cow elk calls are very similar to axis does, in fact. But the axis buck bellow is WAY different than an elk bugle. Similar in how they use their vocalizations though.

 

[88man]

Do the sika deer taste just like elk???

 

[Shane13]

Do the sika deer taste just like elk???

I've never eaten sika, but I hear it's excellent eating too. Probably fairly similar to elk, I'd imagine.