The Sitka black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus sitkensis) is a subspecies of mule deer found in the temperate rainforests and island archipelagos of southeastern Alaska, coastal British Columbia, and parts of Washington state. It is smaller than other mule deer subspecies, adapted to life in dense old-growth forest and alpine meadows.
Sitka deer are a critically important food source for Indigenous communities of the Pacific Northwest coast, including the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian peoples, and remain central to subsistence hunting in rural Alaska. The meat is lean, fine-grained, and mild in flavour compared to some other wild game.
This species is not found in Australia. Its inclusion in food databases reflects its significance in the traditional and contemporary diets of North American Indigenous and rural communities.
How it's produced
Sitka black-tailed deer are exclusively wild-hunted. They are not farmed or ranched. Subsistence and recreational hunting is the sole means of harvest, managed by state and federal wildlife agencies in the United States and Canada.
Hunters typically pursue Sitka deer on foot through dense coastal rainforest or in alpine areas above the treeline during late summer and autumn. The terrain is rugged and often rain-soaked. Deer are field-dressed and transported by boat or on foot, as many hunting areas in southeastern Alaska are accessible only by water or air.
What it costs the planet (per kilo)
≈ Estimated from its category — typical for other red meat, not measured for this item yet. Sources & methods →
What comes from this
Your household's take
One thumb per person, shared with your household — it steers what the wider-web shelf and the swap chips offer you. Tap again to take it back.
✎ Spotted something wrong? Suggest a correction
Checking who you are...