We have a new 1200+acre high fence ranch being started about 2 miles from our home. My question is how does a person tell the difference in a Sika and an Axis doe? The pics I have pulled up from the internet show them to look a lot alike. Thanks

Shape of antlers.

Axis almost always grow six points. The more mature they get the more mass and length the points become.

Sika will vary in color depending on species. They will have multiple points and really good mass the more mature they get. Their antlers usually grow more height than spread.

Axis antlers will usually have more spread to them.

Some time during the year our dybowski sika does look exactly like an axis doe, about the only way to tell the difference is the sika has a white puffy butt, almost like an elk.
I have had axis and sika does at the feeder at the same time and had a hard time telling the difference.

taste?

Sika as said will have white around the tail. Also if you get a look at the black stripe going down the back axis will have spots inside the black and sika the spots will run straight down the sides of the stripe.

Pitchfork, do the females of the two species have antlers? Thanks

Simple Searcher and OneShotDrop, How much difference, if any, in body size of two doe species is there?

No. They can be harder to tell apart until mature. Axis are bigger bodied when mature.

Pitchfork, I was picking at you, go back and reread my original post. Thanks Daniel

I like them. I’ve only eaten the small Japanese Sika but I enjoy eating them

As far as comparing them to axis I think they are just ascgood