Beautiful Sika Deer in Dorchester Co. MD (Pics)

[redhen]

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Umm, me.

Wha!??

*venison is mighty tasty though...*

 

[Tylt33]

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I recently went to Nara, Japan, where they have thousands of Sika deer that are tame and encouraged to be fed. I have a picture of me giving one a wafer... from my mouth. I'll have to dig that out

 

[SillyChicken]

I don't believe Sika are "native" to your area... they were imported from Japan and probably abandoned/released/escaped the owner.

 

[EweSheep]

Box one up and send it to me, with dry ice!

Really, they are beautiful but not native in US. Like Silly chicken said, escaped, abandoned, released by owner...if it likes it here I would not be surprised if it was several generations from the imports.

Do they breed successfully with US native deer or they prefer their own kind?

 

[Funky Feathers]

What I meant is they are now common in my area. They have been here for a long time, many many generations. From what I have seen, they tend to stick to their own kind. I just love them, they are so cute. We have our own herd of 13 deer on our property. I know a few of them apart from the others and have given them names ("Rudy", "Big Granddaddy"). They will follow me around if I am carrying hay.

 

[sourland]

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They were released on the barrier island at Chincoteague, Va. and proliferated. They did so well that they were competing with the white tail deer and ponies for forage. They have instituted a hunting program to reduce their numbers.

 

[Funky Feathers]

I see them all over Assateague Island (MD).

 

[StevenW.]

I want one as a pet.....

And maybe some of these........

I want this one because it has whiskers

 

[Funky Feathers]

Ohhhhh, I want that tiny little monkey!!