Deer, Mule

Physical Features

The Mule Deer has huge mule-like ears, hence its name. It can hear and see very well, and has a great sense of smell. Mule Deer have a notable high-bouncing gait, compared to other deer that run at 45 m.p.h. for short periods. Their yellowish or red-brownish body in summer and turns gray during the winter. Their throat and rump patches, as well as their inner ears and legs are cream in color but can also be tan in color. In males, a conspicuous V-shaped mark extends laterally from a point between their eyes. The male Mule Deer is also larger than the female. The buck's antlers begin to grow in spring each year and they are shed around December. The antlers are high and extend to the front, spreading out into two tines, up to 4 feet apart. The adult Mule Deer has a height of 40–42 in (100–110 cm) at the shoulders, but it stretches approximately 80 in (200 cm) from its nose to its tail. It has a weight of 150–300lb (68–140 kg) on the hoof. A rare trophy-sized Mule Deer buck may have a weight of around 500 pounds (230 kg).

Habitat

The Mule Deer can occupy almost every type of habitat. However, open, arid areas with sagebrush, bitter brush, mountain mahogany, pinyon and yellow pine, juniper and similar vegetation are their preferred habitats. They are native species of North America, Canada, and Mexico, and are associated with the Rocky Mountains of North America and the land west of the Missouri River. They have also been taken to Kauai in Hawaii, and Argentina.

Diet

The nocturnal Mule Deer prefers to eat before dawn, late in the afternoon, or at dusk. In summer, they consume soft branch and leaf tips of trees, bushes and some grasses. In winter, when food is scarce and their body needs a lot of food to keep warm and energized, the Mule Deer can be found feeding at all times of the day and night.

Meat

Mule Deer meat has a distinct gamey flavor that is similar to beef, but has a very pleasant sweeter taste. It was one of the most important sources of protein for Native Americans and early European settlers. Their hides were useful for making buckskin jackets, moccasins and additional varieties of leather items.

Behavior

November and December signal the rut (mating) season. Does go into estrus for a few days, while their male counterparts increase in aggression as they compete for the females. Mule Deer are polygamous and does mate with many bucks, and usually go back into estrus within a month if they do not occur conceive. The does have a 190 – 210 day gestation period, and their fawns, are born in the spring. They stay with their mothers during the summer, and after 60-75 days, are weaned which coincides with the fall. During the cold winter season, the buck's antlers fall off, and then start growing again in preparation for the next season's rut. The adult Mule Deer is preyed upon by gray wolves and mountain lions. The young and old deer are vulnerable to attacks by grizzly bears, black bears, bobcats and coyotes.

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