NZ Sika deer success

I first hunted Sika deer (Cervus Nippon) that inhabit the forests, scrub and tussock land East of Lake Taupo over 50yrs ago as a green 20yr old. Jap deer as we called them then, were a far harder quarry than the red deer I had been used to. Sika are a third of the size of reds and super sneaky. They will stand watching you with one eye around a tree with body hidden then will let out a high pitched scream come whistle that scares the hell out of you, then nip away without you even catching a glimpse. Other deer in the area often start this alarm call just to let all their mates know your around.
Sika deer are very close genetically to Elk but a lot smaller and more vocal, with over 10 individual screams, whistles and calls that some "gun" Sika hunters claim they know what they're on about.
Sika mature early with a typical head being a maximum 8 points (4x4) and thrive where red deer would starve.
I only hunted these tricky but fun *******s for a few years as my meat hunting concentrated on red deer being closer to home and the bigger carcase worth a lot more. Sika rut starts about the second week of April (2 weeks later than reds) with stags making small scraps and pads to mark their territory and roaring in a high pitched scream/whistle or a high pitched donkey like call. The bush fills up with hunters and it's all on. The hills come alive with the sound of hunters and Sika calls, both real and man made. About 10yrs ago electronic game callers came out and while they work to get some stags to answer or come in, they call in other hunters and given the tight cover that Sika inhabit "accidents" have happened.
When hunting mates have asked me to come Sika hunting, my stock answer has always been that "I'm not old enough to hunt Sika", but with my meat hunting days finishing about 15yrs back by regulation and the hills just getting a bit steeper, maybe I'm old enough.
Not wanting to join the hundreds of other hunters in many areas I searched on Google Earth and chose an area of kanuka/teatree and scrub that is not far off a highway but ugly to hunt. Kanuka/teatree grows as thick as hair on a dogs back, but as it gets higher it thins it's self out with the poorer trees dying out then falling criss/cross in a tangle with an evergreen understory.
I headed the 2hrs South to case the joint and just as I'd hoped, plenty of deer marks on the walking tracks, with just the odd boot mark but best of all a Sika stag giving the odd roar maybe 200m off. I headed in but made slow progress and he was traveling on another ridge with a bluff below me. I backed out but cut a track with my folding pruning saw from a place I found to access across to the ridge he was on. I stayed the night and at first light was able to quickly access his ridge with the wind right but man it was shitty where he was. I sat watching a narrow gap I may be able to whistle stop him on if he crossed but it was not to be and he moved on and went quiet. My dog could smell him go past but too thick to see. With deer traveling tracks all over the place I chose another place with a bit bigger view area and waited in the hope he would come traveling. A Sika hind bounced up about 2pm, froze at 6m then shot away without a beep. I quit about 1hr before dark and 100m off the vehicle he started up again. Too late and I was starving after a full day on just an apple.
Six days later I was back with my wife who is a keen and successful hunter but had never hunted Sika before. We arrived at daybreak, got the thermos out, the stag roared and "come on. No time for a coffee'. The cut track in was a God send and we made good time, but the wind was from behind as we came up onto his ridge, but fortunately he had moved down the ridge to our right. We headed left up the ridge finding a pad or two of his then over the ridge to gain wind advantage. Sqeeall, a hind alarmed at us and was gone. I grinned at my wife as she'd never heard that before. We found a place to sit and watch the various traveling tracks and he roared again maybe 100m down the ridge.
Off we headed but the going was hands and knees in places. We found a spot with a few gaps we could see, sat and waited. Ten minutes later he roared again maybe 50m off, so forward we go, then sit and wait. I could see one narrow gap of about 20m long with my wife out to my right looking at another narrow gap. My dog was sitting next to me but with the wind being right to left he showed no sign of scent. The stag roared again, twice and close so I eased off the safety and covered my gap as I saw a stags body just push through the understory 4 metres from my barrel. Too close for scope, just sight down side of barrel but put bullet between those 2 trees and boom. The stag leaped in the air and was gone. I never saw his head or legs. It was just deer hair. I stood up, removed my balaclava as my wife came over saying she'd seen me shoot but not seen the deer. I paced out 4 steps from my barrel to his take off marks. What a buzz. Because of the two 100mm (4") size trees I had to shoot between I was worried I may have hit him a bit far back, but we found a little blood and with the dog on lead came across the deer down 30m off. My shot broke the front left shoulder, quartering through his vitals.
He was maybe 3 or 4yrs old and never going to be a trophy as such but any deer shot in close stuff like this is one to remember.
It was only 9am with a deer down and just 400m off the vehicle.
This was fun. Maybe I should have been "old enough" when I was younger.

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Nice story & photos. Thanks for posting.

Great story. I’ve hunted blacktail in the thick stuff and it requires patience. New Zealand is on my bucket list too see, maybe even a hunt while I’m there.

Great story, thanks for sharing...cool to hear about hunting from the south side of the world..

Hope I can give that a try next spring when I’m there.

nice looking beast.

Hmmmm well done..great looking deer..
Steven

nice looking deer, congrats and thanks for sharing

Thanks for sharing your hunt and success.....I was in NZ in ‘87 and hope to get back one day soon for some hunting. Cheers