Be educated. Blacktail behavior vs. whitetail behavior? Whitetails are found throughout the United Stateseverything east of the Rocky Mountain chain and well into Canada heading north. . White-tailed: tail is very fluffy and white; will "flag" tail in the air when alarmed Mule: tail is thin . 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}. To recap, the basic idea is that bucks tend to have proportionally larger front versus hind feet than does. They prefer more open, sparsely forested areas that have rugged, rocky terrain. Whitetail deer is probably the most common deer found in North America. Outdoors Mecca is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. You can find it pretty cheap online if you search. 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. This site contains affiliate links to products. Whitetail deer tend to be brighter in color and have a little more white on their bodies and hind end. Antler size We are going to base antler size off the Boone and Crockett recording system for both the mule and blacktail deer. Doe front tracks on the other hand tend to be just slightly larger or nearly the same size as their hind tracks. Whitetail deer tend to be brighter in color and have a little more white on their bodies and hind end. This will be evident in the tracks they leave. Dont fret. Like any other deer species, nocturnal behavior may increase due to hunting pressure, predators and habitat encroachment. We may earn a small commission on purchases made through our links. 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. They both have similar life spans, living for about 10 or 11 years in the wild and can live up to 20 years in captivity. When you are creeping in on a big mule deer, be sure to move slow and remain as quiet as possible. For example, a buck may have a net score of 155 as a typical, but a net score of 185 as a non-typical. Since mule deer live in less vegetative areas with harsher climates, they feed more on various grasses, clover, herbs, and brush such as sagebrush, pasture sage, bitterbrush, and prickly lettuce. 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. In the south part of the state they migrate down in North Cal. Ears are normally larger than a whitetail but smaller than a mule deer. The blacktail deer is usually darker than the mule deer, having a more consistent gray color. Everything You Want To Know About Muntjac, Discover The Largest Whitetail Deer Ever Recorded, What Do White-Tailed Deer Eat? Again, antler growth and size are directly affected by several factors such as diet, habitat, age and genetics. This is another quick way to identify one from the other. However, the black-tailed deer has a black non-bushy tail. Of course, Bergmanns Rule makes plenty of sense when you think about colder climates versus warmer climates. However, these measures depend on which subspecies of black-tailed deer you encounter. The blacktail deer doesnt have this feature, with the fur on its rump being the same color as the rest of its body. Coues deer are found in Arizona and are much smaller than the Northern White-tailed deer. What to put in water when boiling deer skull. Black-tail deer live in forested mountainous areas, making them less common. Adult buck mule deers can range from 4 to 7 feet long and can stand up to 4 feet tall before their antlers. Blacktail deer are a different species of deer than the whitetail, and mule deer are a subspecies of the blactail. Alfalfa is easily digestible but will not come cheap. The Antlers Most pure mule deer have forks in their antlers. White-Tailed Deer vs Black-Tailed Deer: What Are the Differences? Most deer hunters field dress their game prior to bringing it in from the field. Though both species are related to one another (black-tailed deer being the offshoot progeny of whitetail), several, subtle differences set them apart. So, hunting them one specific way is not always feasible. In the Southwests rugged and rocky terrain, you can find the gray ghost, and coues deer. Specifically, theyll eat prickly lettuce, Gambel oak, quaking aspen, rice grass, goldeneye, and a wide variety of other foods. It may not display this or other websites correctly. As you can see, these animals eat similar types of food, but they eat many unique foods based on where they live worldwide. Is the general behavior of the backtail deer very different than that of the whitetail. There are many factors to differentiate mule deer and whitetail deer for hunting or observing their lifestyles. You are using an out of date browser. A white- tail/mule deer hybrid has metatarsal glands that split the difference in location, appearance and length (between 2 to 4 inches). This type of deer is polyestrous and is a short day breeder. 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. You may also observe that mule deer tails are thinner, look more like a rope, and is black on the tip. Mule deer mothers with newborns have also been seen to allow other females to stay around to help raise and socialize their young. Have some feedback for us? Whitetails have smaller, more streamlined heads with white around the eyes. But there are certainly more differences. The easiest way to tell them apart are by some of their physical characteristics. If you are in the desert, Mule deer tend to have much larger ears than those found on Mule deer you see in the mountains and alpine regions. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. A whitetail is a whitetail, and there is nothing else like it. 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. Alfalfa bales are another commonly used feed for deer. Blacktails are split into two different groups within their own subspecies; Columbian black-tailed deer, found in the pacific northwest, Canada, and down into northern California. Mule deer developed as a hybridized species between blacktail deer and whitetail deer, probably on the Rocky Mountain front. Named for Sitka, Alaska, as they are found mostly in Alaska. In fact, Whitetail deer can be found down in South and Central America as well. Thanks, Mule Deer vs Whitetail 8 Key Differences To Tell Them Apart, Mule Deer vs. Whitetail Deer Visual Differences, indigenous to the Western North American belt, Mounting And Sighting In A Rifle Scope Updated [2021], Elk vs Moose The 7 Key Differences To Help You Tell The Two Apart, Best Single Stage Reloading Press Top 5 For 2021, Best Rubber Hunting Boots Reviews And Buyers Guide, Best Light For Coyote Hunting Full Buyers Guide, Best Night Vision Scope For Coyote Hunting Full Buyers Guide, Best Coyote Decoy For 2021 Full Buyers Guide. The mule deer is most common throughout the western half of the United States. First there are estrus doe bleats, which they make when they're in heat but there aren't any bucks around. (800) 720-6339. This is not a common phenomenon for blacktail deer. 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? It has a high protein content of 15-20%, depending on the cut. Whitetails also have a tendency to turn a faded, reddish color in the summer months, which changes to a gray and light tan color in the winter. A whitetail gets its name from its tail. 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. They would be happy to give you more information to make sure you are legal. Ok, so the scientists and research articles that are focused on the taxonomy lineage and genetic makeup of a species have concluded that the mule deer and blacktail deer are in essence the same species. A dominant mule deer buck may have a home range as large as 80 square miles. Patterning is as simple as finding the migration trails. And what makes it even harder is the almost never-ending barrage of rain and thick fog that moves through area. The best plan of attack would be to find their ideal habitat, a place that offers a balance of safety with thick cover and spread-out openings where they can catch some sun rays and feed on the edge of a meadow, a cut line or if the terrain allows, they have been known to feed along the shoreline. What is the difference between whitetail and blacktail deer? Whitetail deer have spread out more than mule deer. Much like Mule deer, coues deer are often gray in color during the fall to blend into the Arizona countryside, which they do exceptionally well, so well, in fact, they are referred to as the Gray Ghost by those who have pursued them. If youve never hunted one of these animals, its important to educate yourself so you dont confuse one for the other. If youre going out hunting mule deer or whitetail, make sure you know the difference between the two so you dont end up shooting the wrong one. A mule deer will generally be larger than a whitetail. This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. At first glance, mule deer and whitetail deer look the same. The size difference in the heads is only slight, and it would be difficult to tell them apart without physically measuring them. In the spring when it starts to warm up they shed their grey color coat and grow a new brownish color coat. United States Department of Agriculture, Available here: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs142p2_042116.pdf, State of Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Available here: https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=deer.main, N.C. Mule deer have a white rump and a tail with a black tip at the end of it. 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