In several areas of Japan including the scared temple cities of Nara and Miyajima the Sika deer roam around the cities with the tourists. They can be fed by hand and are very tame and accepting of human contact. In other countries such as the Britain, France, Australia, New Zealand, Germany and Denmark there are both managed herds and completely wild populations. In European areas the Sika deer will breed with native Red Deer, resulting in a hybrid species that is considered to be a risk to the preservation of the purebred Sika and Red Deer populations. In the United States the species is found in wild and managed herds in Texas and Maryland. They can also be found on private reserves and zoos throughout the rest of the country.

Although they are a moderately large deer species, this deer is an expert at camouflage and blending into the natural surroundings. The experienced hunter may be surprised at the tricks that the Sika deer will use to evade being spotted. They will crouch down and even get into very thick wooded areas and stand amazingly still, allowing hunters to pass at close range without moving a muscle.

The Sika is also fast and runs in a relatively unpredictable pattern when started. They can leap, turn and dodge trees at an amazing speed, plus they are notoriously hard to hit with a kill shot unless the hunter is very accurate. This combination of intelligence, wiles and speed make them a true hunting challenge.