Western north america has more mule deer and black tailed deer. I have a copy and its very well written and has incredible pictures also. Neither species has to flick their tails up to notice the difference either. While blacktails have similar ears, they are noticeably smaller than the mules, which is a great identification trick! This white portion of the tail can only be seen when the deer "flags" or . Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) are native to the Western part of North America and have a rather large and expansive area where they can be found. Be educated. It was a means of survival for our early ancestors. 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? Damn Dan. Do you need this information in an alternative format or language? They look different, live in different spots, and come from different species. Mule deer have a white rump and a tail with a black tip at the end of it. 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. And solidly in Blacktail country. Whitetail are the oldest living species of deer at 3.5 million years old. They raise their tails in alarm when they detect threats. 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. The white-tailed deer is larger than the black-tailed deer in every measure. Whitetail are the oldest living species of deer at 3.5 million years old. 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. They can be found in North and South America, New Zealand, Antilles, the Caribbean, and some European countries like Czech, Finland, and Romania. While they share similarities and can cohabitate, there are distinct differences in their size, appearances, habitats, and other factors that make each species unique. Many plant and animal species exhibit albinism (including humans). Thanks Orygun. Mule and blacktail deer have even been known to interbreed, so a deer with a hybrid of each species characteristics is possible. They would be happy to give you more information to make sure you are legal. 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. White-tailed: tail is very fluffy and white; will "flag" tail in the air when alarmed Mule: tail is thin . Deer in the north have to have thicker hiders and fat layers to resist the chill. Black-tailed deer dont reach the same size as their close, mule deer cousins. Be it the mountains or the desert. Seeing a white deer can be a good omen in this regard. Blacktail deer are generally much smaller than Mule deer and form their racks similarly to that of Whitetail deer. And it comes down to what side of the line they died upon. Its estimated that there are 30 million deer worldwide. Whitetail deer is probably the most common deer found in North America. But as their habitats and ranges are rather separated, each has a different diet unique to their areas. The white-tailed deer is larger than the black-tailed deer, weighing up to 405 lbs, while the black-tailed deer weighs 225 lbs at its maximum. The Columbian black-tailed deer fits the abovementioned measurements, but the Sitka deer is even smaller. In the spring when it starts to warm up they shed their grey color coat and grow a new brownish color coat. Dr. Valerius Geist is considered the #1 mule deer authority in the world. 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. Ribbon snakes love water, but are excellent climbers too. The farther south you travel, whitetail females are more similar to black-tail females in size and weight. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'outdoorsmecca_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_10',107,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-outdoorsmecca_com-medrectangle-4-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'outdoorsmecca_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_11',107,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-outdoorsmecca_com-medrectangle-4-0_1');.medrectangle-4-multi-107{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:15px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:15px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:250px;min-width:250px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}. In Iowa, people chase some of the worlds largest Whitetail deer. Black-tail deer live in forested mountainous areas, making them less common. Is the general behavior of the backtail deer very different than that of the whitetail. Have more success. Size varies greatly from region to region and from one subspecies to another. The Sitka black-tailed deer ( Odocoileus hemionus sitkensis) is smaller, stockier, and has a shorter face than other members of the black-tailed group. That's 30-inches difference in antler material! Mule deer also have much darker foreheads than whitetails, too. in SW Oregon you have some chaparral/oaks/ with doug fir forests. Mule Deer The average mule deer weight in Colorado is over 250 pounds, while an Illinois whitetail buck weighs just around 200 pounds. Their size diversity isnt much diversity at all, with most adult males reaching 200 to 205lbs. Albinism is a congenital condition defined by the absence of pigment, resulting in an all-white appearance and pink eyes. Blacktail behavior vs. whitetail behavior? For instance, a black-tailed deer typically has a lot of black shading on the brows which are notably absent on the whitetail. Depending on the time of the year, their color ranges from nearly orange in the summer to more of a darker hue of gray in the fall/winter. Blacktails, on the other hand, have all black tails. Cost Breakdown of a Deer Shoulder Mount . Most deer hunters field dress their game prior to bringing it in from the field. Another major difference between these two creatures is their antlers. On their own, its easy to tell if you are looking at a Mule deer or a Whitetail. Whitetails almost always have brown rumps. Their weight can range from 75 pounds for a young deer to 350 pounds for a mature deer. Salem, OR 97302 The blacktail and the whitetail are different species. At first glance, mule deer and whitetail deer look the same. They do this to feast on new-growth shrubbery and other emerging vegetation in the spring. Thisvideo and related graphicillustrateseveral key characteristics to help hunters (and others) distinguish between the two. Their antlers have one long tine that stems from their skull. Our blacktails in the Cascades have some muley influence and migrate. Their ranges occasionally intercept, where you would be able to find both species in the same area. That said, telling a buck from a doe track is an art. Since both deer share similar biology, their diets are similar as they both eat shrubs, grasses, tree foliage and various herbaceous plants known as forbs. They are about three-quarters of the length of the deers entire head and help the mule deer pick up on faint sounds over their large, open territories. Meanwhile, the black-tailed deer only reaches a weight of 225 pounds, stands between 2 and 3.7 feet tall, and grows between 4 and 5.5 feet long. Sitkas also are larger in the body. However, these measures depend on which subspecies of black-tailed deer you encounter. White-Tailed Deer vs Black-Tailed Deer: What Are the Differences? As the name suggests, black-tailed deer have a wide, triangular tail with a dark brown or black top and a white underside. Black-tailed females can reach up to 130lbs while whitetail females generally reach 155lbs. Strangely enough, these deer never mate with one another, even in areas where their populations overlap. Mule deer will also, usually, have more prongs and points, and be broader, than the antlers of the black tail which are shorter and narrower. Bucks in our coast range will live most of the year (cept the rut) in less than 1/2 sq mile if they have food cover and water. Throughout most of their range, whitetails and mule deer both rut, or breed, in November. The habitat which the blacktail calls home, specifically the Columbia blacktail, is abound with impenetrable vegetation made up of ferns, moss, fallen timber and ever green bushes. Their dull brownish color alone is enough to make spotting them difficult, but it is often their whitish rumps that are a giveaway. Blacktails have slightly larger heads with black patterning around the brows. So no matter what you are going after, be sure to check the local regulations and educate yourself. 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. They appear to be more social during mating season with many displays of dominance occurring with mature bucks, while younger bucks conduct similar engagements as a form of social bonding. Two forms of black-tailed deer or blacktail deer that occupy coastal woodlands in the Pacific Northwest of North America are subspecies of the mule deer . Cooperative Extension, Available here: https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/white-tailed-deer, The University of Chicago Press, Available here: https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/284096, Forest and Wildlife Research Center, Available here: https://www.msudeer.msstate.edu/deer-diet.php. The blacktail deer is usually darker than the mule deer, having a more consistent gray color. White-tailed deer are one of the most common in the Americas, but there are some less-known creatures, like black-tailed deer. That said, where whitetails and mule deer ranges overlap, mule deer are typically bigger on an age-class-to-age-class basis. Meaning that they fork as they grow. Mule Deer vs Black-tailed Deer: What Are the Differences? A whitetail gets its name from its tail. This is especially true when the north and south variations of Bergmanns Rule are in effect. Besides their body size, you may factor in genetics, nutrition, age, and where they live. Most tracks are between 2 and 3 inches long on relatively hard ground. . Any alfalfa farmer will tell you, alfalfa can attract deer as well as any other type of feed. Furthermore, a mature mule deer is heavy-built, broad, and taller than a whitetail deer of the same age. Also, black-tailed deer have longer ears than white-tailed deer due to their closeness to the mule deer ancestry. Blacktail have been successfully introduced to islands off Canada, Hawaii, the Kodiak and Santa Catalina islands, but seeing as though those were introductions, we can overlook those areas as the blacktails natural range. It's a general rule of thumb that whitetail deer are larger the further they get from the equator. Assume those links are affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you click and buy. Hello, and thank you for visiting Outdoors Mecca. If you have any questions for me, fill out a form on the contact page, send me an email at karson@huntinggearinsiders.com or leave a comment on the below. Check outourstories, videos and hard-hitting how-to'sondeer hunting. Both mule deer hunting and whitetail hunting are extremely popular, especially in the U.S. To new hunters and people who dont know what to look for, telling a mule deer and a whitetail apart may be difficult. Assume those links are affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you click and buy. Add the lengths of the G2, G3 and G4 (if present) multiply by 2 and add 95. Enter your email in the box below to get the most mind-blowing animal stories and videos delivered directly to your inbox every day. So, these creatures have a small overlap in their range, but white-tail deer are much more widespread. Those big old ears are there for a reason and a muley knows how to use them. 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