Sika Deer
The Sneakiest of the Deer Species.
Introduced from Asia, the Sika Deer, is sometimes referred to as the ‘Ghost Deer’ because of its elusiveness and its seemingly supernatural ability to move quickly and silently through dense bush and undergrowth.
Found only in certain areas of the North Island, the Sika population is a healthy one, due in a large part to the difficulty a Sika hunt can present to even the most experienced of hunters.
A typical trophy animal bears a 4×4 (8-point) rack. The Sika is smaller than a Red Deer but larger than the Whitetail or Fallow and it offers one of the most exciting and challenging hunting opportunities available anywhere in the world. The screech of an alarmed Sika is a sound guaranteed to startle anyone, and it will definitely stand the hairs on your neck to attention.
During their April and May ‘Rut’ the Sika stags are extremely vocal and aggressive. Their antlers remain hard from February through until September.
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
JAN
HIGH
MID
LOW
Our latest Sika Deer stories…
New Zealand Tahr Hunt
New Zealand Tahr Stalking Bulls in the Southern Alps It was early afternoon when Kerri arrived in Christchurch, New Zealand. She was coming over from Nome, Alaska for a backcountry hunting excursion. It was a 5 day hunt that we were about to embark on in...
A New Zealand Red Stag Hunt! By: Mr.Whitetail
Four Seasons Safaris New Zealand; A recap of a Red Stag Hunt! By: Larry Weishuhn In the far distance, sliding down through the bush lined canyon could faintly be heard a roar or was it a bellow? The wind was blowing so hard I wasn’t sure if I really heard the...
Red Stag Roar
This time of the year in New Zealand is the beginning of fall, and the stags that roam the hills are coming into the most exciting time of the year, the “rut.” The “rut”, or otherwise known as the “roar” for the red deer starts in the month of March and goes through April in New Zealand.