In 1916, five or six Japanese sika deer were released on James Island in Maryland's Chesapeake Bay. That small introduction became the foundation of a population that would eventually spread across much of the lower Eastern Shore. Sika deer are native to southern Japan, but Maryland's population began with the animals brought to James Island. Maryland's wildlife agency now records sika deer in Dorchester, Wicomico, Somerset and Worcester counties, as well as on Assateague Island. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources identifies Henry's release of five or six animals as the start of the state's population.
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