“Watch out!” I shouted to my husband as the deer ran in front of our SUV. Joe slammed on the brakes, as the deer disappeared into the woods. Or so I thought. But wait……it was still there peeking out from behind a tree just across the entrance road to Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. Joe backed up. The deer raised its pretty head. I could see the spike antlers. I raised my camera. In that split second, I realized that this was not the normal white-tailed deer I was used to seeing. It was mocha colored and appeared smaller. I made a quick adjustment to my camera’s ISO setting to adjust for the darkness of the deer against the shady woods background, and started shooting. The deer lowered its head and started browsing beneath the tree. When Joe turned off the engine, the deer jerked its head up. I snapped another few photos and then, as quickly as it appeared, it vanished into the misty forest.
“I think that was a sika deer!” I exclaimed. “Well, it’s a wildlife refuge,” Joe replied.
I had done a little homework prior to our trip to Virginia’s Eastern Shore. The sika deer is actually a small, brown elk that lives in quiet marshes and forested wetlands. This small elk is a native of eastern Asia and was introduced onto Assateague Island in the mid 1920s. It’s seen quite often on neighboring Chincoteague NWR. I read that they eat the leaves of myrtle bushes, grasses, persimmons, shrubs, and other plants, including poison ivy! I was feeling very lucky to have seen and photographed this elk!
I emailed my photos for confirmation to two biologists at VA Department of Game and Inland Fisheries that I know, and also to Chincoteague NWR. All three verified my sighting.
I am overjoyed that this small young, male elk will adorn my Christmas cards this year!
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