noun
Hokkaido sika deer; Yezo sika deer
Refers specifically to the subspecies of sika deer native to Hokkaido, Cervus nippon yesoensis. Often encountered in wildlife contexts.
北海道ではエゾシカがよく見られます。
In Hokkaido, you can often see Hokkaido sika deer.
エゾシカの個体数が増えすぎて、農作物への被害が問
The Hokkaido sika deer population has grown too large, causing damage to crops.
ニホンジカ is the general term for the Japanese sika deer (Cervus nippon), while エゾシカ is the Hokkaido subspecies.
Compound of 蝦夷 (Ezo, old name for Hokkaido) and 鹿 (shika, deer). The katakana spelling エゾシカ is standard in modern usage.