Sitka Deer

Thursday Jim brought home his first Sitka deer. We are both very excited and ready to try this meat that we hear so much about.

The Sitka Deer or Sitka Black-tailed Deer (Odocoileus hemionus sitkensis), is a subspecies of Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus), and similar to another subspecies the Black-tailed Deer (O. h. colombianus). Their name originates from Sitka, Alaska.

Weighing in on average between 80 and 120 pounds (36 and 54 kg) , Sitka deer are characteristically smaller than other types of black-tailed deer. Reddish-brown in the summer, their coats darken to a gray-brown in the winter. They are also good swimmers, and can occasionally be seen crossing deep channels between islands.

Their average life span is about 10 years but a few are known to have attained an age of 15.