Can sika climb trees?

caorach

Well-Known Member
I was out yesterday sitting in a high seat for sika. I was getting cold and about to call quits while scanning the ground below me with the binos when I heard a noise to my left. I turned round to see a wee sika stag (they are in season here) running about on the frozen snow and looking very nervous. However, he wasn't looking at me and I don't know what he was watching or what had bugged him. To my 11 o'clock position was a single pine tree at about 40 yards and when he settled down he calmly walked behind this tree. I took advantage of him being out of sight to get the rifle up ready for the shot as he walked out from behind the tree and... he never reappeared.

The tree stands all on its own and he was only a few yards behind it when he vanished so I can only conclude that he must have climbed the tree, that I could see he didn't go anywhere else. Has anyone else had sika climb trees in order to escape?
 
or maybe as he reached the tree he turned and walked directly away from you keeping the tree exactly between you and him. In which case I am too thick to work out whether there would be a distance at which you should have been able to see him as he got further away or whether the tree would continue to obscure him as he would be getting smaller (relatively speaking ) as he went. I haven't explained that well but I'm sure you know what I mean.
 
I had the same thing happen to me I was sitting against a tree in the middle of a wood watching a ride when 30 yards away a roe buck came walking down the ride, I was sitting in full view so I though when the buck went behind a big beach tree I would get ready, so up with the rifle but the buck never appeared from behind the tree.
Eventually I went to look behind the tree and there was nowhere for the buck to hide
Could he possible be sitting up the same tree as your stag
 
After many years of stalking and managing Sika I have never seen one climb a tree :lol: as Jingzy has said possibly gone to sleep behind the tree, or walked away with the tree between you and the deer. Sika have a knack of disapearing into thin air, I have had it happen on a few occcassions over the years ;);)

ATB

Sikamalc
 
what drugs you on mate :eek::lol::lol::lol::lol:no have had the same thing happen deer has just walked off in line with the tree but know your frustraton do you get down from the high seat or spend the next couple of hours looking waiting for it to walk out in to the ride but if you ever get a picture of a deer up a tree post it bet that would be a talking point
 
I have to agree that it is more probable that the deer just walked away from me behind the tree. However when he vanished behind the tree he looked like a deer on a mission and I didn't think anything would divert him from his path. The tree was only a few yards across, say 5 deer lengths, so he made a pretty significant diversion. I did get a good laugh as there I was ready for the shot and...

However, I prefer to consider that he did climb the tree. I got down from my highseat just after the event and didn't notice him run from behind the tree so I don't think he took a nap. In saying that with all the puffing and scrambling that goes with me climbing down a tree he could have strolled off while I was doing that, actually he could have held a BBQ for his mates while I was doing that.
 
Back
Top