VTbowman Posted November 9, 2005 Report Share Posted November 9, 2005 We have an escapee 12 point Red Deer/Stag running around my area. Apparently from a farm on the Canadain side of the border. It hangs around close to my hunting property and the locals have been told by our game wardens it is legal to shoot. Howver I do not think we can keep the meat, only the antlers and head for a mount. I was wondering about how this Red Stag would effect the local whitetails? Will they, or can they, breed a whitetail? Do the rut the same time of year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muggs Posted November 9, 2005 Report Share Posted November 9, 2005 Re: Red Stags in whitetail country?????? interesting, I bet they could breed. Why don't you go shoot it before he has time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gitcha_some Posted November 9, 2005 Report Share Posted November 9, 2005 Re: Red Stags in whitetail country?????? we in maryland had the problem with a relative of the elk called a sika deer like 50 years ago ro something....fourtounately it didnt affect the whitetail population at all...and now there is a good huntable population of sika on the eastern shore Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texan_Til_I_Die Posted November 9, 2005 Report Share Posted November 9, 2005 Re: Red Stags in whitetail country?????? No known crossing of red deer and whitetails. They can however cross breed with elk. And surprisingly for a hybrid, the offspring are fertile rather than being genectic mules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTbowman Posted November 9, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2005 Re: Red Stags in whitetail country?????? I would definately shot it if I see it during a legal deer hunting season. Just wondering if it will be under the influence of a rut as well. Also wondering if it will adversly affect the rutting behavior of the local bucks and doe? Will it push out the whitetails or live piecefully with them? I know zero about Red Stag if you can not tell by now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M00N Posted November 9, 2005 Report Share Posted November 9, 2005 Re: Red Stags in whitetail country?????? Red Deer are a relative to our native Elk. They display similar behaviors as the Elk do, but not exactly the same behaviors. As Texan_Til_I_Die said they can cross with our native Elk here in the states and crossbred offspring can reproduce. This would be a bad thing to get into our Elk genepool within the states. If the game wardens gave you permission to kill it. I'd do so as soon as you got a good chance to safely, especially if it is a male, since males can breed with numerous partners in one breeding season. Their breeding seasons are October through November. They cannot genetically crossbreed with whitetails. They would have similar effects on whitetail herds as Elk would. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom2008 Posted November 9, 2005 Report Share Posted November 9, 2005 Re: Red Stags in whitetail country?????? Nice moon. Always has all the info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beagleboy Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 Re: Red Stags in whitetail country?????? Does this stag have to be killed during gun season since you only have deer tags or can it be killed after the season like the private ranches offer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTbowman Posted November 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 Re: Red Stags in whitetail country?????? [ QUOTE ] Does this stag have to be killed during gun season since you only have deer tags or can it be killed after the season like the private ranches offer? [/ QUOTE ] I ahve heard from a guy that he was told it can be shot at anytime. Then I heard from another person that you can not keep the meat, just the rack and cape. I need to contact my gamewarden to find out for sure. I know its legal to hunt during the deer season but unsure if VT considers the Stag as a "deer" and you have to tag it as such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VtBowhunter Posted November 11, 2005 Report Share Posted November 11, 2005 Re: Red Stags in whitetail country?????? Yes, you'll have to use your tag on it. We had this happen down here a couple years ago. The law reads "deer", not whitetail specific. If you shoot it, you're done for the season. Not that it would be a bad thing........how often do you get the chance to shoot a red deer? You should get to keep the meat.........the hunters here did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevebeilgard Posted November 15, 2005 Report Share Posted November 15, 2005 Re: Red Stags in whitetail country?????? 1st, check with your game warden. since it's not a native specie in vt, it will probably handled as a vermin animal. that means just shoot it. no tag required. it's not a deer, it's a stag. same family, but different. it can breed the elk, with lesser quality animals in the gene pool. get rid of it. fast. since it's not a state animal, you should also get to keep the meat. like shooting a feral pig. but, as i said, check with your local game warden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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