Today's photographs come from Assateague Island, I said I was not done with photos from the Island just the ones of the wild horses. These guys are called Sika Elk. When Shane and I first spotted them we only seen the little guy in the shadows, with the spots I though we were looking at a white tail fawn. I am think great, lighting is harsh and sucks but like the Pa. Wildlife Photographer http://pawildlifephotographer.blogspot.com/ I am going to get some shots of a little guy with spots. That didn't last long as something about the head and ears were not sitting right with me. Then the larger one with spots steps out, I am thinking if this was back home maybe TMI mutated them and its the largest fawn ever. We watched the five for a short time, trying to photograph them. We didn't make out very good as they were standing in shade with direct sunlight in front of them, a no win situation.
Upon reaching our next ranger lecture I decided to ask questions about what we had just watched. No what this ranger and a ranger at a different location told me I could not verify on the net, but I like what they said, that is there story and I am sticking to it. They informed me that in 1923 the Boy Scouts met there for a gathering, one of the scouts brought a few exotic Sika Elk along with him from Asia and turned them loose. Since then they have multiplied and survived on the island. Today the herd numbers around 200 and multiplies quickly, because of this they are hunted every year on the island to keep the herd at a manageable size and protect the other recourse's.
Now for a few facts about the Sika, they can be found in more than 34 states in the USA. They are native to Japan, Taiwan and eastern Asia. Sika deer are actually more closely related to the elk than they are to white tailed deer. They are smaller than whitetails, with adult males, called stags, typically weighing about 90 pounds and adult females, or hinds, weighing roughly 70 pounds. Coat color ranges from chestnut brown during winter to reddish-olive during summer. Sikas keep their white spots as adults, which are most visible during the summer months, and tend to have proportionally shorter snouts and smaller ears. Unlike whitetailed deer that raise their tails like a flag when alarmed, they have a white rump patch that flares outwards.
Like whitetails, only the males have antlers; however, they are more narrow and erect and resemble miniature elk antlers. Stags rarely have more than three points per antler; typically spikes as yearlings, which develop into four or five points as two year olds, and finally six points at three years. Trophy-class antlers are about 13 to 15 inches in length and are shed between February and April of each year.
I guess that is enough for now, with any luck I will be posting more Elk next week, but not Sika's, some from the Pennsylvania Elk herd.
By the way, I took the first photograph (it features Elk #51) and Shane took the second one.
While in Ocean City we decided to take the short trip over to Assateague Island in search of Sika Deer, Pony's and birds. We were partly successful, but the high temperatures and bright sun kept things away. We were lucky enough to see this eight day old pony with its mother. We did see some other horses and a few Sika's along with a nest of new born Barn Swallows and despite the heat we all had fun.
