Sika Hunt and Ice Fishing Cutthroats

Bobby went on two big trips near the end of 2018. First he hunted the isolated population of Sika deer on the Delmarva peninsula with a good group of hunting buddies. Shortly after, he went ice fishing in Utah for the first time in his life, catching a good bag of cutthroat trout. We discuss that first-time ice fishing trip first, then dive into the Sika hunt in greater depth.

Sika deer are not native to the United States. A very small group of them was brought from overseas, where they slowly populated the peninsula of land containing bits of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. Despite the name, they are actually more closely related to elk than deer. However, they are similar in size to a whitetail fawn.

Hunting strategies for Sika deer vary based on game laws and time of year. Maryland manages their Sika herd, whereas Virginia allows for more of a depopulation strategy, where hunters can take liberal daily bags of the non-native on a national wildlife refuge. Early season bowhunters can stand hunt or call if they're willing to brave the mosquitos. Later season gun hunts tend to revolve around still hunting, stand hunting, or making small pushes in the watery swamp.