Like any other deer species, nocturnal behavior may increase due to hunting pressure, predators and habitat encroachment. Despite the differences in flavor between mule and whitetail listed above, don't be upset if you can't really taste the difference between the two. Albinism is a congenital condition defined by the absence of pigment, resulting in an all-white appearance and pink eyes. At first glance, mule deer and whitetail deer look the same. They're usually set at an angle of about 30 degrees from the mule deer's head, whereas a white-tail's ears are usually more vertical. Also, black-tailed deer have longer ears than white-tailed deer due to their closeness to the mule deer ancestry. Whitetail deer will have a different pattern all together. What I did not know is the actual cost breakdown of what it takes for a taxidermist to get the job done on the business side of things. The average mule deer will grow between 95 and 330 pounds in weight, 2.8-3.9 feet in height, and between 4 and 7 feet in length. Depending on the location, the climate, and the time of the year, it should be fairly easy to tell the difference between the two. In Montana, they have trophy Mule deer. Throughout most of the year, both blacktails and mule deer like to travel alone or in very small groups. Interesting. We may receive a commission with purchases through certain links. And solidly in Blacktail country. Do you want to enter your opinion about a specific issue into the public record? You must log in or register to reply here. in SW Oregon you have some chaparral/oaks/ with doug fir forests. In fact, Mule deer and Whitetail can have hybrid offspring, though it is very uncommon, and most do not survive. This will be at no cost to you. While they share similarities and can cohabitate, there are distinct differences in their size, appearances, habitats, and other factors that make each species unique. Its not reliable enough on its own. An adult buck will weigh from 150 to . Though both species are related to one another (black-tailed deer being the offshoot progeny of whitetail), several, subtle differences set them apart. Fully grown does weigh as little as 80 pounds while bucks weigh 160 pounds on average. The mule deer and the black-tailed deer have different ranges. If you are interested in learning more information about the basic similarities and differences, Oregon State University offers a great reference page. Axis deer are generally considered by most hunters to be the best-tasting game meat.. What is the difference between whitetail and blacktail deer? While blacktails have similar ears, they are noticeably smaller than the mules, which is a great identification trick! The rut runs from early November to late December, and just like any other male of the species, the big bucks will drop their guard and all common sense goes out the window as they chase the does. Thanks for visiting eatingthewild.com. Hello, and thank you for visiting Outdoors Mecca. Deer Meat: 10 Things You Should Know About Venison, Discover The Largest Whitetail Deer Ever Caught in Maine, British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan in Canada. Whitetail deer gallop away when they are scared. Thanks for the great feedback. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. are interesting. Alfalfa is easily digestible but will not come cheap. All in all, the white-tailed deer and the black-tailed deer are very different creatures. With a shoulder height of 31 42 and a nose-to-tail length of 3.9 6.9 ft. A mature mule deer buck will tip the scales from 160 to 330 lbs. Cost Breakdown of a Deer Shoulder Mount . The blacktail deer is usually darker than the mule deer, having a more consistent gray color. Or as difficult as finding them. White-Tailed Deer vs Black-Tailed Deer: What Are the Differences? Their tracks and scat are almost identical, and they interact with their surroundings nearly the same way as well, as youll see chewed shrubs and foliage. You may observe theres almost no white on a whitetail deer from nose to the eyes. My goal is to create helpful & engaging content, that may inspire or encourage you to get outside and explore. Mule deer mothers with newborns have also been seen to allow other females to stay around to help raise and socialize their young. White-tailed deer are one of the most common in the Americas, but there are some less-known creatures, like black-tailed deer. Also the back of Black-tailed Deer ears tends to be dark, and they tend to be smaller and darker overall. Blacktail behavior vs. whitetail behavior? Deer Population by State: How Many Deer are in the U.S.? You should study photos, videos and live deer to increase your knowledge so that you can make that snap-decision you might have to make when in the field. The rule is pretty straightforwardspecies that live farthest from the equator grow larger than species living closer to the equator. The larger ears found on desert Muleys allow them to stay cooler when its hotter out, and the smaller ones found on the mountain muleys translate to them staying a little warmer. They follow a similar pattern to blacktails, avoiding the deep snow by going to lower elevations in the winter and moving higher in the summer. They just tuck tail (or, raise tail, rather) and run for the hills. Whitetail tines all grow off a single, primary beam. They try to see what is making the noise before bounding off. A white- tail/mule deer hybrid has metatarsal glands that split the difference in location, appearance and length (between 2 to 4 inches). In contrast, whitetails coat looks more like reddish, brown color shades. This is not a common phenomenon for blacktail deer. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. It has a high protein content of 15-20%, depending on the cut. The mule deer has a larger maximum size than the black-tailed deer. Blacktails, on the other hand, have all black tails. Black-tailed females can reach up to 130lbs while whitetail females generally reach 155lbs. Whitetail deer are more common than mule deer in America, giving them a larger geo range. However, these measures depend on which subspecies of black-tailed deer you encounter. Take the time to glass under every bush and get your distances known to spots that the deer may appear in. Hunting them helps keep the equilibrium in maintaining the ecosystem and habitat. Two of these species are often confused with one another because they share many similarities; the mule and blacktail deer. In some cases, the many barriers to crossbreeding fail and . Mule deer do not have this. There are some similarities between the two animals. Physical differences are often the biggest points that are used by those who consider the mule deer and blacktail deer to be different. Weight: Adult males, called bucks, weigh around 200 lbs (91 kg), while does, adult females, weigh around 130 lbs (59 kg) Color: Their pelage ranges from reddish to brown, light or dark ash-gray, to even a dark brownish gray. Size also generally depends on where the deer is located. An important point to mention is that there are two recognized types of blacktail deer, the Columbia blacktail and the Sitka blacktail. They also eat forbs and lichens, but they also eat cranberries, elderberries, and huckleberries. Black-tailed deer are descendants of whitetail, the latter of which has walked the landscape of North America for roughly 3.5 million years. They may look alike at first glance, but their unique qualities make it simple to tell them apart. Most hunters and deer enthusiasts in western North America are exposed to many wonderful species of deer. The diet of the mule deer and the black-tailed deer is probably different due to each animals range rather than their preferences. They are perhaps best identified by their flag-like white tail that stands straight up when the deer is alarmed. Assume those links are affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you click and buy. They live in the southern half of Canada except near the west coast and almost all of the U.S. except for the Southwest near the Rocky Mountains. Black-tailed deer primarily range in Britain Columbia and Alaska. That's why we have theOregon Hunting In mating season and other times of the year, however, mule deer appear to form larger herds of females who all share the same mother and males from different families. Fun Fact: They are the only British deer with palmate antlers (meaning a similar shape to hands or feet). Another major difference between these two creatures is their antlers. Their favorite meals are ferns, huckleberry, blackberries, apples, cranberry, elderberry, and more. Mule deer have this antler formation that roots up like a fork; it further fragments it into two more forks on each prong stemming from its skull. They live in Alaska in the U.S., British Columbia in Canada, California, Oregon, and Washington State in the continental United States. I'm a freelance writer with 8 years of experience. Yet, the obvious difference between the two deer is that the blacktail has less white on the rump and a blacker, thicker tail than the mule deer. White-tailed deer tend to live in a variety of places. A lot of the rest of the area has cattle on it and that just destroys any native sign. Thanks for visiting eatingthewild.com. With muleys being available to hunt across 16 states, it is obvious they can be found across all types of terrain. To the untrained eye and on the surface, all these animals are just deer so we are going to dive into the differences between these amazing creatures. Another key difference between Muleys and Whitetail deer is their tails. Interestingly, both shed their antlers every year in succession to each other. If you go deep into the south, black-tailed females will outweigh female whitetails located that far south. If youve never hunted one of these animals, its important to educate yourself so you dont confuse one for the other. But there are telltale things to look for. So, hunting them one specific way is not always feasible. Are you adeer hunter thirsty for knowledge? Most tracks are between 2 and 3 inches long on relatively hard ground. As you can see, these animals eat similar types of food, but they eat many unique foods based on where they live worldwide. From a distance, their antlers seem similar, but on close inspection, there is a distinct difference. A whitetail is a whitetail, and there is nothing else like it. These deer are found throughout all of Central America and portions of northern South America. The most obvious difference between these two species is their tails. The further north you go the bigger in body they get, as per Bergman's law. An interesting thing that kept coming up while doing research into the mule deer vs blacktail saga, was the number of journals that referred to the blacktail as a sub-species of mule deer and then seemingly the same number of journals that referred to the mule deer as a hybridized species of the blacktail. In some seasons, antler shape can be easily used to distinguish species of male deer . Not all do, though. Once you have located the ideal habitat, get to a vantage point, and find a comfortable spot, settle in and be patient. 2019 -2022Outdoorworld.reviews - Reliable Outdoor Reviews. Dr. Valerius Geist is considered the #1 mule deer authority in the world. They are edge-adapted species using the region's dense forest cover . This color variation doesnt occur in black-tailed deer. I've written in a variety of niches such as video games, animals, and managed service providers. Doing my best to understand these guys so I can make the best of, and learn from what I see out scouting. Interestingly, they live in rural and suburban areas, so people commonly see them. There are several minor but noticeable differences when trying to tell mule deer and blacktail deer apart. Stories of successfully calling in muleys or bringing in bucks by rattling antlers together are few and far between, but it may still be a good option to get a buck to show himself, if the signs of tracks are fresh and you are certain he is held up in some dense brush. 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