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Mule deer can be found throughout
the entire western United States, including the deserts of the American Southwest,
Mule deer
have large ears that
move constantly and independently, as do mules, hence the name, "Mule Deer." This
stocky deer has sturdy legs and is 4 to 6-1/2 feet in length and 3
to 3-1/2 feet high at the shoulder. Most Mule deer are brown or gray in
color with
a small white rump patch and a small, black-tipped tail. Mule deer
their fawns have white spots at birth. Buck deer have antlers that start
growth
in spring and are shed around December, these antlers are high and
branch forward and reach a spread up to 4 feet in width bucks are larger
than does.
The life span of a mule deer in the wild is 10 years, but mule deer
have lived for up to 25 years in captivity.
Mule deer can thrive nearly anyplace; their habitats include woodland chaparral, Sonoran desert, semi-desert, shrub woodland, Great Plains grasslands, shrub land forest, sagebrush steppe, and boreal forest. Mule deer are remarkably adaptable, of at least sixty types of habitat west of the 100th meridian in the United States, all but two or three are or once were home to mule Deer.
Mountain mule deer seasonally migrate from
the higher elevations of the sub-alpine forests they inhabit during summer
to lower
elevations of the mountain valleys and desert lowlands. Deer prefer rocky
windswept buttes where it is easier for them to find food during the winter
and that provide escape from predators as needed. The mule deer of the arid
southwest may migrate in response to rainfall patterns and a mule deers
large feet have evolved to enable them to dig for water as much as two feet
deep. Mule deer tend to confine their daily movements to their home ranges.
Most mule deer use the same winter and summer home ranges in consecutive
years
A Mule deers social systems consist of herds
of does related by maternal descent and bucks that mix with the does only
in fall and winter.
During
winter and spring, dominance hierarchies maintain the stability of female
herds and small male groups. If deer population densities increase, play
among fawns decrease and strife and alarm behavior increases in the adults.
In the spring, the wintering group breaks up, the does go off by themselves
and give birth and nurse rear their fawns; Bucks wander in friendly small
buddy packs throughout the summer months as their antlers grow so they can
fight one another in the fall.
Dominance of a buck is largely a function
of his size, the larger a bucks, antlers, the better his chances are of
winning the acceptance of does and fighting off his challengers. Genetics,
nutrition and age have
much to do with antler size. During spring and summer antlers are grow at
an awesome rate, large bucks attain growth rates of up to a quarter of an
inch per day. Mule deer breed in late fall at which time bucks round up females
and fight for their right to keep them. Doe's begin to come into heat in
November and bucks are naturally drawn to the does at this time. Many bucks
are willing to fight to the death over breeding rights with a doe. After
the breeding season from mid-January to about mid-April a buck sheds his
antlers. The annual cycle of antler growth in mule deer is initiated and
controlled by changes in day length acting on several cell types of the anterior
pituitary.
A mule deer's diet is quite varied, muleys
are browsers and in spring and summer they feeds on grasses, weeds, and herbs
and eat
a great variety of
vegetable matter, including fresh green leaves, twigs, lower branches of
trees, and grasses. As are most hoofed animals (ungulates) mule deer are
active in mornings, evenings and during the middle of the day mule deer
bed down in a secluded and safe place. Common predators of mule deer include
mountain lions, coyotes, bobcats, golden eagles, and black bears. Mule deer
like the cow have a multi-part stomach, the first two chambers of which
act as temporary storage bins. Food stored in these storage bins can be
digested later when the deer chews its cud. When startled, a Mule deer will
move in a series of jumps with all four feet hitting the ground together.
They do not run as other deer, their distinctive bounding leap that can
launch them distances of up to 20 plus feet, they can reach a speed of 45
m.p.h. for short periods doing their leaps. When necessary, they can turn
or completely reverse direction in the course of a single leap. Their leap
offers two advantages: it enables the deer to out-distance predators in
rough terrain, and mid-leap they can see above the thick brush. Mule deer
have several strategies for avoiding predators, they specializes in detecting
danger at a very long range by means their large ears and excellent vision.
Males can quickly detect and visually track another animal as far as 600
yards away. While unable to detect motionless objects mule deer are extraordinarily
sensitive to moving objects.
Wildlife management agencies and hunters recognize the need to maintain mule deer ranges and keep them habitable and productive so most western states have purchased critical game areas, especially winter ranges, to help maintain healthy populations of this valuable resource.
Mule deer ranges bring economic benefit to some and economic damage to others. For Native Americans and early European settlers, deer meat (venison) provided one of the most important sources of protein. Deer hides were used to make buckskin jackets, moccasins and other leather articles. Today artists and furniture makers still value the antlers as a commodity, the hunters value them as trophies and most everyone values mule deer for their venison. There are still tanneries around for those that still value the hide. There is some competition between the mule deer and livestock on the range, deer easily hop fences and eat at the expenses of farmers and ranchers. In our national forests and BLM lands both wildlife and livestock share the range. Diseases like Hoof and Mouth Disease, Chronic Wasting Disease, Brucellosis as well as other diseases can be transmitted from deer to the livestock and vice versa. Douglas fir and Ponderosa pine are a valuable economic resource for the timber industry that helps sustain many mountain towns in the west. Douglas fir is harvested largely by clear cutting and is regenerated by replanting. Mule deer are attracted to clear-cuts, where young, recently planted Douglas fir trees are a forage species. This dynamic causes sufficient browsing of an intensity that retards forest regeneration. Practices that encourage the growth of mule deer populations can therefore also enable damage to the timber industry.
All federal, state, and provincial land and
wildlife management agencies recognize the need to maintain mule deer range.
To counter the trend
of development
of critical habitat areas, especially winter ranges, these agencies have
purchased various mule deer habitats. The problem is mule deer habitat programs
involve coordination between government bureaucracies that often have missions
that do not share the same goal. Since mule deer production is not a primary
goal on most private or public lands in west, habitat protection projects
often suffer. Due to a scarcity of funds and political opposition to government
buying privately owned lands, the government has acquired only a small fraction
of mule deer range. However hunting/conservation organizations like the
Mule Deer Foundation, Ducks Unlimited and The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
pick up some of the governments lack of ability. Although mule deer were
not the targets of all these private conservation /hunting groups they are
still beneficiaries of these elk/duck habitat acquisitions.
Mule Deer are one the most exciting and beautiful big game animals in the world. Large mule deer bucks are very crafty and are a challenging hunt. Sport hunters kill about 1 million mule deer annually and hunting generates hundreds of millions of dollars and maybe billions in revenue for the economy of the west and is a valuable asset for hunting communities. Mule deer are also an asset to the thousands of people in cities that manufacture hunting and camping products.
Southeastern Idaho and western Wyoming are
both famous for producing big mule deer bucks. Most early hunting expeditions
were by
pack train to the fabulous
backcountry and todays hunts remain quite the same. For many this remains
part of the attraction, to saddle up the horses and load up the packhorses
and mules and setting out for hunting camp high in the mountains. Many outfitters
in the Greater Yellowstone region hunt this old time style, with packhorses
and tent frame camps because this is still the most efficient way to get
to the remote areas where the hunting is best. Many bighorn sheep and elk
outfitters provide hunting camps like this as well.
Your best hunting will probably be in the higher elevations where rugged country limits access to all but the most hardcore hunters and outfitters in the know. This area has long been known for its excellent deer habitat and herd genetics. Controlled hunts in the Upper Snake region are coveted for the opportunity to hunt mule deer during the rut in late November.
Why do some areas produce giant bucks, while
others do not? The answer is genetics. If you were to check the Boone and
Crockett
record book, you'd
find that some area's have produced many giant bucks. You can also find
area's that have never produced a record buck. Genetics are clearly better
in some areas. Big buck hunters are looking for bucks with 30-inch spreads
of better. If you' hunt an area like the Greys River Range of Wyoming the
Big holes in Idaho that are known for wide bucks, you'll have a better chance
of getting a shot at one.
Stalking is the most popular tactic for hunting mule deer but tree stands and still hunting are fruitful as well. Stalking involves spotting deer from a distance using binoculars or spotting scope, then stalking to within shooting range. Upon spotting your deer, scout for other deer and other wildlife between you and your target; they can end a stalk prematurely. If everything looks good plan your route, consider the wind, terrain, and available cover, Sneak quietly like an Indian and you can meet success stalking your prey by judging the speed and direction of travel, circling around and setting up an ambush.
If you arent going to hire a guide the key to the success of a mule deer hunt is preseason scouting. Its
best to do your scouting a couple of weeks before your hunt. Glassing with
binoculars or spotting scope in the mornings and evenings can pay off well
during your hunt. Because mule deer hunters tend to do a lot of walking
in rough, steep terrain it is helpful to go into hunting season in good
physical condition and be familiar with your weapon because muleys often
require shooting from several hundred yards after a long hard grunt up a
mountain.
B&C WORLD'S RECORDS MULE DEER
WORLD'S RECORDS TYPICAL MULE DEER
SCORE: 226 4/8
LOCATION: Dolores County, CO
HUNTER: Doug Burris, Jr.
OWNER: Cabela's, Inc.
DATE: 1972
KEY MEASUREMENTS:
Length of main beam: Right 30 1/8 - Left 28 6/8
Inside spread: 30 7/8
Circ. of smallest place between burr and first point: Right 5 2/8 - Left 5 3/8
Number of points: Right 6 - Left 5
WORLD'S RECORDS NON-TYPICAL MULE DEER
SCORE: 355 2/8
LOCATION: Chip Lake, AB
HUNTER: Ed Broder
OWNER: Ed Broder
DATE: 1926
KEY MEASUREMENTS:
Length of main beam: Right 26 2/8 - Left 26 1/8
Inside spread: 22 1/8
Circ. of smallest place between burr and first point: Right 5 - Left 4 7/8
Number of points: Right 22 - Left 21
WORLD'S RECORDS COLUMBIA BLACKTAIL DEER
SCORE: 182 2/8
LOCATION: Lewis County, WA
HUNTER: Lester H. Miller
OWNER: D.J. Hollinger & B. Howard
DATE: 1953
KEY MEASUREMENTS:
Length of main beam: Right 24 2/8 - Left 24 5/8
Inside spread: 20 2/8
Circ. of smallest place between burr and first point: Right 5 2/8 - Left 5 2/8
Number of points: Right 5 - Left 5
WORLD'S RECORDS NON-TYPICAL COLUMBIA BLACKTAIL DEER
SCORE: 208 1/8
LOCATION: Polk County, OR
HUNTER: Frank S. Foldi
OWNER: Bass Pro Shops
DATE: 1962
KEY MEASUREMENTS:
Length of main beam: Right 21 7/8 - Left 20 4/8
Inside spread: 17 5/8
Circ. of smallest place between burr and first point: Right 4 2/8 - Left 4 3/8
Number of points: Right 9 - Left 9
WORLD'S RECORDS TYPICAL SITKA BLACKTAIL DEER
SCORE: 133
LOCATION: Juskatla, BC
HUNTER: Peter Bond
OWNER: D.J. Hollinger & B. Howard
DATE: 1970
KEY MEASUREMENTS:
Length of main beam: Right 20 4/8 - Left 19 4/8
Inside spread: 19 6/8
Circ. of smallest place between burr and first point: Right 3 6/8 - Left 3 6/8
Number of points: Right 5 - Left 5
WORLD'S RECORDS NON-TYPICAL SITKA BLACKTAIL DEER
SCORE: 134
LOCATION: Control Lake, AK
HUNTER: William B. Steele, Jr.
OWNER: William B. Steele, Jr.
DATE: 1987
KEY MEASUREMENTS:
Length of main beam: Right 19 6/8 - Left 20 3/8
Inside spread: 16 3/8
Circ. of smallest place between burr and first point: Right 4 5/8 - Left 4 4/8
Number of points: Right 5 - Left 6
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