Description
Mule Deer have large ears that can move and independently.
Males are larger than females.
The bucks' antlers, which start growth in spring and are shed
between December and February each year, are high and
branch forward, forking equally into 2 tines with
a spread up to 4 feet.
During the summer, the coat on its upper body is yellow- or
reddish-brown, while in winter more gray. The throat patch, rump
patch, inside ears and inside legs are white with lower portions
running cream to tan. A dark V-shaped mark, extending from a
point between the eyes upward and laterally is characteristic of
all Mule Deer but is more obvious in males.
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Tail
The tail is usually tipped in black with a white basal portion, and its
under parts are white.
Ears
The Mule Deer large ear is gray on the outside and white on the inside.
Vocalization
Mule Deer are not especially vocal, although young fawns bleat on
occasion. The male sometimes makes wheezing sound just to stay in touch
with his harem. Injured deer utter a startlingly loud "blatt"
or bawl.
Internal
Mule Deer has a multi-part stomach, the first two chambers of which act
as temporary storage bins. Food stored here can be digested later when
the deer chews its cud.
Where to find them:
Primarily active in morning, evening, and on moonlit nights,
this deer may also be seen at midday in winter. While the Mule Deer
occupies almost all types of habitat within its range, it seems to
prefer open areas and rocky hillsides in the summer months. Generally in mountainous
areas they will be found at higher elevations early in hunting season
and in the lower forested valleys as winter comes on. Although it
is a good swimmer it is not likely to frequent the marshes as does
the Moose.
During the middle of the day, the Mule Deer beds down in a cool,
secluded place. The mature buck seems to prefer rocky ridges for bedding
grounds, while the doe and fawn is more likely to bed down in the open.
Many bucks are solitary, but some band
together before and after the rutting season. The buck has a larger home
range than the doe; during the rutting season both buck and doe may
leave their home range. The buck is polygamous and seeks out does in
estrus, but generally the herds will not be larger than a total of
5 -7 adults.
Foraging habits:
It's summer forage is chiefly herbaceous plants and grasses,
but will also include most of the edible berry bushes. Winter browse
includes twigs of Douglas fir, cedar, yew, aspen, willow, dogwood,
serviceberry, juniper, sage and the bark of a wide variety of trees. This
will cause a different flavour This deer while not the nuisance as is
the Whitetail, also feeds on cultivated crops especially corn and
alfalfa. They also visit orchards to feed on pears and apples.
Hunting
methods: Because many methods can be utilized in hunting various
type of game we encourage you to view the page devoted to this subject.
Identification
The Mule Deer, while closely related to the eastern species-the
white-tailed deer, are remarkably distinct in their biological,
ecological, and behavioral attributes.
The Mule Deer carries its thin, black-tipped tail drooped, unlike the
uplifted, bushy white tail of its cousin. They have a distinctly
different gait from the leisurely, graceful leaps of the white-tail.
When startled, a Mule Deer has a stiff-legged bounding gait, with
back legs and front legs moving together.
Mule Deer are usually a dark gray-brown, with a small white rump patch
and a small, black-tipped tail. Their large ears are distinctive.
White-tail deer are tan in color, with a larger tail.
Mule Deer antlers are normally smaller and branch to form 2 equal forks,
while the male White-tailed Deer has forward curving antlers
with a number of points (tines) branching from the main beam.
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Mule Deer rack as compared to the Whitetail |
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Whitetail Deer Rack |
