The Sitka deer or Sitka black-tailed deer (''Odocoileus hemionus sitkensis'') is a subspecies of

mule deer The mule deer (''Odocoileus hemionus'') is a deer indigenous to western North America; it is named for its ears, which are large like those of the mule. Two subspecies of mule deer are grouped into the black-tailed deer. Unlike the related whit ...

(''Odocoileus hemionus''), similar to the Columbian black-tailed subspecies (''O. h. colombianus''). Their name originates from

Sitka, Alaska Sitka (; ) is a municipal home rule, unified Consolidated city-county, city-borough in the southeast portion of the U.S. state of Alaska. It was under Russian America, Russian rule from 1799 to 1867. The city is situated on the west side of Ba ...

, and it is not to be confused with the similarly named

sika deer The sika deer (''Cervus nippon''), also known as the northern spotted deer or the Japanese deer, is a species of deer native to much of East Asia and introduced to other parts of the world. Previously found from northern Vietnam in the south t ...

. Weighing in on average between , Sitka deer are characteristically smaller than other subspecies of mule deer. Reddish-brown in the summer, their coats darken to a gray-brown in mid- to late August. They are also good swimmers, and can occasionally be seen crossing deep channels between islands. Their average lifespan is about 10 years, but a few are known to have attained an age of 15.

Habitat and life patterns

Sitka deer inhabit the coastal rainforests of northern

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

and southeastern

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

. Their natural distribution included the Alexander Archipelago in Alaska and the adjacent mainland coast north to Yakutat. They were also introduced to Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands) in the 1890s, Prince William Sound during 1917–1923, the Kodiak Island Archipelago in 1924 and 1930, Yakutat in 1924, and the Skagway and Haines area during the 1950s. Sitka deer can be both migratory and residential depending on their habitat; but during winter, they primarily reside in old or mixed-age forest growth below , except on the southern two-thirds of Kodiak Island, where forest cover is absent. The rut peaks in mid-November and fawns are born in early June; they weigh . Bucks can weigh up to and does can weigh .

Diet

Sitka deer primarily eat green vegetation. However, during the intense Alaskan winters, they also feed on woody vegetation and lichens. Sitka deer have no upper incisors, and digest vegetation through grinding plant material between their upper and lower molars. All ''Odocoileus'' species are ruminants, in that they have four-chambered stomachs which allow them to "ruminate" (rechew) their food, and contains bacteria specialized in breaking down cellulose. Since these bacteria are so specialized, they have tremendous difficulty digesting strange material and can die of starvation with their bellies full of food. Sitka deer feed on several plants and algae natural to their environment, including "Red Alder" Alnus rubra, "fireweed" Chamaenerion angustifolium, "dandelion" Taraxacum officinale, "skunk cabbage" Lysichiton americanus, "deer heart" Maianthemum dilatatum, "Salmonberry" Rubus spectabilis and "bull kelp" Nereocystis luetkeana. Sitka deer will also opportunistically feed on domestic plants and trees including, apple trees, cherry trees, plum trees, strawberry plants, raspberry plants and black berry plants.

Population and hunting

Sitka deer population fluctuate considerably due to the harsh Alaskan winters and are typically estimated using pellet surveys, DNA, photo traps and other methods. However, they are an abundant species that rapidly recovers from low populations, especially on Admiralty, Baranof, Chichagof, Kodiak, and other islands where wolves are naturally absent. They are not designated at risk. Introduced in the 19th century, Sitka deer have become abundant on the islands of

Haida Gwaii Haida Gwaii (; / , literally "Islands of the Haida people"), previously known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, is an archipelago located between off the British Columbia Coast, northern Pacific coast in the Canadian province of British Columbia ...

overgrazing Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without sufficient recovery periods. It can be caused by either livestock in poorly managed agricultural applications, game reserves, or nature ...

local flora, so the Haida Nation forest guardian program encourages meat hunting to reduce total numbers. Natural predators include

wolves The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, including the dog and dingo, though gr ...

mountain lion The cougar (''Puma concolor'') (, ''Help:Pronunciation respelling key, KOO-gər''), also called puma, mountain lion, catamount and panther is a large small cat native to the Americas. It inhabits North America, North, Central America, Cent ...

grizzly bear The grizzly bear (''Ursus arctos horribilis''), also known as the North American brown bear or simply grizzly, is a population or subspecies of the brown bear inhabiting North America. In addition to the mainland grizzly (''Ursus arctos horr ...

s, and

American black bear The American black bear (''Ursus americanus''), or simply black bear, is a species of medium-sized bear which is Endemism, endemic to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most widely distributed bear species. It is an omnivore, with ...

s; credible reports have reported killer whales taking them while swimming in deeper water. Human predation seems to have little to no effect on Sitka deer populations. However, habitat loss from clear-cutting old growth forests may contribute to population decline. Normal adult antlers are often small in size; very few deer score above a 110 on the Boone and Crockett system. Logging practices can affect the populations of the Sitka black-tailed deer. While clearcutting is thought to provide more and better habitat for the Sitka deer clear-cutting can also have a diverse effect on the deer. Hunters have always focused on these clearcut areas and for good reason. However, when the winter has deep snow these clearcut areas are covered leaving less food when the Sitka needs it most. A secondary problem is the energy that is needed for the deer to travel through these areas when the snow is so deep.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2474346 Odocoileus Deer, Sitka Mammals described in 1898 Taxa named by Clinton Hart Merriam