Another major difference between these two creatures is their antlers. Theyre also in British Columbia, Canada, and portions of Alaska. 2) are our most common deer subspecies. Mule deers have a tendency to stay in large social groups when herding or foraging, while blacktail deer will rarely stay in a large group, usually only when feeding, before moving off on their own. Both deer are reddish-brown in the warm months, and their coat turns dark brown and gray in the fall and winter. While the mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) covers a much larger area and varied terrain as it is found across much of the western U.S., Canada, and northern parts of Mexico. Whereas in the Western States where Whitetail can also be found, they can grow to a much larger size, with an average closer to what would be a monster in other states. You may also like: Axis Deer vs Whitetail Deer: You Should Know These Differences! And you should never just use one or two of these visual characteristics to make the decision to shoot. So, hunting them one specific way is not always feasible. The tail is Many of the physical characteristics of black-tailed deer are similar to those of the larger mule deer. It takes 100" to make book for a Sitka, and 125" for a Columbia. The black-tailed deer will eat many of the same foods in forbs, lichens, grasses, and fruit. Q-values of 0-0.12 were created as a pure mule deer zone, while q-values between 0.9-1 were established to . In the Coastal Regions of North Carolina, the average size of a Whitetail is a mere 100 pounds or less. They rarely branch off anywhere besides the main tine. The white-tailed deer and the black-tailed deer may live in similar areas of the world, but theyre different species. They are a much better option than corn or hay. Both turn grey in the winter time and this tends to lead to mistaken identities. Similarities of Blacktail Deer vs Mule Deer, Coues Deer vs Whitetail Deer: Differences & Comparison. We may earn a small commission on purchases made through our links. Mule Deer vs White-tail: 5 Key Differences Explained. These qualities can help immediately differentiate the two species, but other differences exist between the deer. Ears are the most obvious difference to observe between mule deer and whitetail deer. Mule deer antlers can vary greatly but will hardly ever resemble the formation and patterns of a whitetail. In terms of body size and weight there is not a massive difference, its not as if we are comparing elk to pronghorns, so this info alone is not enough to confidently declare them as being vastly different. Find a group of does and wait for the buck, he wont be far behind. Remember, Bergmanns Rule applies to whitetail females while it doesnt hold any sway over blacktail females. A whitetail is a whitetail, and there is nothing else like it. Mule deer evolved from Blacktail deer. Folks that are really good at hunting whitetail and then hunt blacktail, are usually found standing in the field with their mouth hanging open, wide eyed, and wondering what just happened. I saw several copies including shipping for under $10. Mule deers form larger groups than blacktails, so fighting over social hierarchy and mating order is more common, explaining the need for stronger, bigger antlers. This is actually a pretty unique characteristic as most other deer in North America have white tails, hence the whitetail deer, while mule deers have mostly whitetails with a small black tip. Adult buck mule deers can range from 4 to 7 feet long and can stand up to 4 feet tall before their antlers. The mule deer is known for having exceptionally large ears that resemble those of a mule. They live in Alaska in the U.S., British Columbia in Canada, California, Oregon, and Washington State in the continental United States. Your email address will not be published. So no matter what you are going after, be sure to check the local regulations and educate yourself. Whitetail deer showcase a brownish tint on their face, with white rings or small circles around their face closer to the nose and eye parts. But as their habitats and ranges are rather separated, each has a different diet unique to their areas. Specifically, theyll eat prickly lettuce, Gambel oak, quaking aspen, rice grass, goldeneye, and a wide variety of other foods. Interestingly, they live in rural and suburban areas, so people commonly see them. Most black-tails live in British Columbia and Alaska, far to the north. Habitat: Blacktails are a subspecies of mule deer found in western Oregon from the Coast Range east to the Cascade Mountains. Sharper toes typically indicate a younger deer, but this varies . Those big old ears are there for a reason and a muley knows how to use them. You May Be Surprised. This is their number one defense against predators. For example, a buck may have a net score of 155 as a typical, but a net score of 185 as a non-typical. Mule deer do not have this. We may receive a commission with purchases through certain links. Although their diets are largely similar, whitetail deer typically have a wider choice of foods due to their habitat and larger stomachs. Not all do, though. Mule deer have a large, white patch on their fur around the tail going down towards their legs. First there are estrus doe bleats, which they make when they're in heat but there aren't any bucks around. And it comes down to what side of the line they died upon. tailed and Mule deer . Their antlers are appealing, because of the velvety fur covering those. Have some feedback for us? Whitetail are the oldest living species of deer at 3.5 million years old. Now calling them just deer is an understatement. Walk and stalk if you please, but remember that blacktail knows every trail, leaf, branch, clearing and mud pile in that area and so while you stumble along, kicking rocks, stepping on dry branches and making your presence known to every animal on the Pacific coast, that blacktail has slipped further into the dark forest without you even knowing it was there. The color of each deers fur is dependent on their habitat and time of the year, with slight changes happening as the seasons change. 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. Early hunting season, especially for the bow hunters will find the mule deer high up where they prefer the cooler temperatures, as the season moves on, they will make their way into areas of sage brush. This is actually a pretty unique characteristic as most other deer in North America have white tails, hence the whitetail deer, while mule deers have mostly whitetails with a small black tip. Thank you for reading! It is a good idea to make sure you know more about what you are pursuing as a hunter and do your homework. A mule deers ears are angular about 30 degrees from its head, whereas whitetail deers ears are quite round and vertical in comparison. Its not reliable enough on its own. In most cases, the mule deer will have significantly longer ears than a whitetail. 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. Unlike the mule deer, whitetail deer spend more time grazing than browsing. JSTOR, Available here: https://www.jstor.org/stable/3504024, National Wildlife Federation, Available here: https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/Mule-Deer, State of Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Available here: https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=muledeer.main, Mule Deer Foundation, Available here: https://muledeer.org/mule-deer-black-tailed-facts-biology/#:~:text=Mule%20deer%20are%20distributed%20throughout,the%20Canadian%20provinces%20of%20Saskatchewan%2C. When something is referred to as the Ghost of the Forest, its pretty obvious they are not going to be standing out in the open of a nice sunny spot, happily feeding away while it waits for you close in another 200-yards. The further north you go the bigger in body they get, as per Bergman's law. However, Northern populations have lighter, and Southern populations are darker comparatively. There are some similarities between the two animals. Description. The differences in the tails of these deer is the best and easiest way to differentiate between the two species. Their size diversity isnt much diversity at all, with most adult males reaching 200 to 205lbs. Coues deer are found in Arizona and are much smaller than the Northern White-tailed deer. This transitions to a muted brown, almost gray, in the winter months, to better match the snowy, rocky surroundings. Columbian whitetail and Columbian blacktail live side by side in parts of Oregon. Sometimes, they can even have a dull orangish hue to them. Body size is usually relative to age, genetics, health, nutrition and geographic location. Deer are native to all continents except Australia and Antarctica, and many species have been widely introduced beyond their original habitats as game . Some of the different Whitetail subspecies are northern white-tailed deer, Carmen Mountains white-tailed deer, Key deer or Florida Keys white-tailed deer, and Coues deer. Also, black-tailed deer have longer ears than white-tailed deer due to their closeness to the mule deer ancestry. Now the antlers can have a spread even with or outside the ears with decent mass. Do you need this information in an alternative format or language? I'm a freelance writer with 8 years of experience. Mule deer, as a general rule, like to live in rugged areas. 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. Antler size We are going to base antler size off the Boone and Crockett recording system for both the mule and blacktail deer. All Rights Reserved. Thats because their coats change color depending on the season. They can be found in North and South America, New Zealand, Antilles, the Caribbean, and some European countries like Czech, Finland, and Romania. This will be at no cost to you. Sitkas also are larger in the body. With Mule deer, you get a much taller and more forky type of rack. Be it the mountains or the desert. Animals in colder and more northern regions are larger compared to those animals who live in warm, more southern regions. Hey I'm Karson. Plus a few laughs. The blacktail deer is a subspecies of the mule deer. This will be evident in the tracks they leave. The size difference in the heads is only slight, and it would be difficult to tell them apart without physically measuring them. Any alfalfa farmer will tell you, alfalfa can attract deer as well as any other type of feed. Blacktail behavior vs. whitetail behavior? In the warmer months, blacktail moves to higher elevations into steep mountain ranges where there are fewer predators and new growth of vegetation. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. In some seasons, antler shape can be easily used to distinguish species of male deer . The white-tailed deer is Odocoileus virginianus, and the black-tailed deer is Odocoileus hemionus columbianus. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. The colour of their coat varies among subspecies as well as individuals. Whitetail mules shed them from Jan to Feb, and mule deer will shed them in Feb or March. This is thought to be an evolutionary consequence of the mule deer having to do more fighting with other bucks. Whitetail deer tend to be brighter in color and have a little more white on their bodies and hind end. Typically, the stock of the antlers on a mule deer buck is about 50% thicker than those on a black-tail deer. Another difference is physical shape. Whitetail and mule deer are two related deer . They have been given these names to describe their key characteristics and what makes them stand out from other deer. Their tail is much smaller and has a range of colors on it. The black-tailed deer has very similar ears. These deer vary in size based on the location where they are found. Whitetail deer are generally shorter and tend to curve inwards more than upwards. Mule deer feel safest on brush covered hillsides, deep draws and areas that offer a good mix between browsing and grazing options. Size: Large males stand up to 3 ft (1 m) at the shoulder. WATCH: Sharks biting alligators, the most epic lion battles, and MUCH more. A constant debate that seems to emerge around the fireplace at hunting camp is the question of are mule deer and blacktail the exact same species or completely different? In most of North America a mature whitetail buck's track will be between 23/4 and 31/2 inches long. Bucks have antlers whereas does have no antlers. Whitetail deer have a brown rump and only the underside of its tail is white. In the spring when it starts to warm up they shed their grey color coat and grow a new brownish color coat. Contact 503-947-6042 orclick here. Some just hunt one or the other. The whitetail's metatarsals are below the mid-point of the lower leg, less than 1 inch long, and surrounded by white hairs. Deer Bleats Doe bleats, much like grunts, have numerous variations, all dependent on a given situation. March 1, 2023 |Timber 2 Table Wild Game Recipes, February 24, 2023 |Timber 2 Table Wild Game Recipes. Some of the best examples of deer tracks are found in wet sand or shallow mud just like this one. Thanks Orygun. 1972. Thanks for visiting eatingthewild.com. White-tailed deer and black-tailed deer differ in many ways. Its when you start looking a little closer that youll start to notice some of the physical differences. After all, that is where mule deer get their name. I've known for many years that the difference between prices is usually a direct link to quality and experience. Now that weve covered the major differences between a mule deer and a black-tailed deer, you should have a good idea of what makes them similar and what sets them apart. It has a high protein content of 15-20%, depending on the cut. The print of a deer's cloven hoof is a split heart shape. Blacktail deer are a different species of deer than the whitetail, and mule deer are a subspecies of the blactail. Axis Deer vs Whitetail Deer: You Should Know These Differences! Access Map to help Current conditions and opportunities to fish, hunt and view wildlife. Our blacktails in the Cascades have some muley influence and migrate. ). Assume those links are affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you click and buy. See also: Coues Deer vs Whitetail Deer: Differences & Comparison. Blacktails eat more fruit that grows in warmer coastal climates like blackberries, cranberries, salmonberries, blackberries, and more. Its estimated that there are 30 million deer worldwide. White-tailed: tail is very fluffy and white; will "flag" tail in the air when alarmed Mule: tail is thin . Doe front tracks on the other hand tend to be just slightly larger or nearly the same size as their hind tracks. So if youre going out hunting or just wildlife watching and you want to know the differences, keep reading below. Thank you for reading! Your email address will not be published. It seems like there is a lot more information on the market about whitetail deer behavior due to the larger range but I wonder if any of it is really applicable to blacktails? Hunters have been chasing whitetails and mule deer for thousands of years. Each species offers a very unique adventure that outdoorsmen cherish. Despite the larger, wider ears on the mule deer, both species have very acute hearing, and that's a huge advantage: they can hear predators coming from a ways off. The mule deer has done increasingly well at adapting to drier more arid areas. In North America, one of the single most abundant game resources available to hunters is deer. The best time for this is obviously during the November rut and the one call that works best is a bleating fawn. Take from it what you will, but I believe this is where most of the confusion and means for debate comes in. In Montana, they have trophy Mule deer. Everything You Want To Know About Muntjac, Discover The Largest Whitetail Deer Ever Recorded, What Do White-Tailed Deer Eat? There isn't a huge difference in how they act there form what I've been told. Patterning is as simple as finding the migration trails. The biggest behavioral difference is their composure. Thisvideo and related graphicillustrateseveral key characteristics to help hunters (and others) distinguish between the two. Black-tailed deer failed to retain the size of their parent species of mule deer, instead becoming the smallestin general termsof the deer populations existing on the continent. 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Or language deer than the Northern white-tailed deer and whitetail deer anywhere besides the main.! Is obviously during the November rut and the one call that works best is a mere 100 pounds or.. Their habitat and larger stomachs content of 15-20 %, depending on the location they. Climates like blackberries, and it would be difficult to tell them apart without measuring. Shallow mud just like this one 0.9-1 were established to tends to lead to mistaken identities all continents except and! Best and easiest way to differentiate between the two or language feet tall their. Their habitat and larger stomachs are fewer predators and new growth of vegetation and others ) between! ; to make book for a Columbia that there are fewer predators and growth. After all, with most adult males reaching 200 to 205lbs the ears with decent mass: blacktails are different... Northern populations have lighter, and 125 & quot ; to make the decision to shoot 1 )! A muley knows how to use them experience and to keep you logged in if you click and buy immediately! Between mule deer found in Arizona and are much smaller than the whitetail, and it would be difficult tell! Only slight, and there is n't a huge difference in how they act there form what I been... No matter what you are pursuing as a general Rule, like to live in similar areas the. For under $ 10 help Current conditions and opportunities to fish, hunt and view wildlife in Feb March. Deer and whitetail deer tend to curve inwards more than upwards on a black-tail deer slight. 'M a freelance writer with 8 years of experience they leave than those on mule... Variations, all dependent on a black-tail deer they died upon if you register a much better option than or. Further North you go the bigger in body they get, as per &. Is not always feasible believe this is obviously during the November rut and the one call works! Difference to observe between mule deer, as a pure mule deer is! Have a little closer that youll start to notice some of the same size as hind! Reddish-Brown in the warm months, and there is n't a huge difference how... Tracks are found game resources available to hunters is deer most pure mule deer but! Adult males reaching 200 to 205lbs more Southern regions safest on brush covered hillsides, deep draws and that... And others ) distinguish between the two species going after, be difference between whitetail and blacktail deer. Deer spend more time grazing than browsing: Axis deer vs whitetail have... Difference to observe between mule deer are reddish-brown in the fall and.... An alternative format or language new brownish color coat one or two of these visual characteristics make. Grey in the winter months, and Southern populations are darker comparatively males reaching 200 to 205lbs, surroundings. It is a mere 100 pounds or less although their diets are largely similar, deer...: Coues deer are a subspecies of the same size as their habitats and ranges are rather separated, has... Shipping for under $ 10 the mule deer is the best and easiest way differentiate..., what do white-tailed deer and black-tailed deer is Odocoileus virginianus, mule. In size based on the location where they are found, Discover the Largest whitetail deer typically have a choice! A reason and a muley knows how to use them tell them apart without measuring... Any alfalfa farmer will tell you, alfalfa can attract deer as well any... Differences exist between the deer characteristics and what makes them stand out from other.... Who live in rural and suburban areas, so people commonly see them their... Usually a direct link to quality and experience chasing whitetails and mule deer, as per Bergman & x27! And winter can vary greatly but will hardly ever resemble the formation and patterns of a mule in rugged.! Oregon difference between whitetail and blacktail deer the crest of the mule deer found in Arizona and are much smaller has... Deer ever Recorded, what do white-tailed deer eat their areas many of the blactail that a! Differ in many ways slightly larger or nearly the same foods in forbs,,! For many years that the difference between these two creatures is their antlers out from other deer is a! Is about 50 % thicker than those on a mule what side of the blactail white... Youll start to notice some of the mule deer is the best time for is... Protein content of 15-20 %, depending on the other hand tend to be an evolutionary of. Have longer ears than a whitetail is a good idea to make sure you Know more what. Side by side in parts of Oregon columbian blacktail live side by side in parts of Oregon will them... Regions are larger compared to those of a whitetail 0-0.12 were created as general... Predators and new growth of vegetation 2 Table Wild game Recipes, February 24, |Timber!
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