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19. Mule Deer---Colorado

map showing range of mule deer along western area of Canada, United States and south into MexicoFound in the western United States, the mule deer is so named because of its large ears. The mule deer is found throughout the west, but populations have dropped over the past 20 years. One reason is that whitetails have moved west, following river bottoms, and when whitetails move into an area, mule deer numbers decrease. Where both species overlap, hybridization occurs, but is not common, and the hybrids cannot breed successfully. Interestingly, you cannot distinguish a hybrid by its antlers.


mounted mule deerThis 174-inch buck was taken with a recurve bow in 1974. He only went 60 yards, but died in a large badger hole in thick brush. After a long evening search, I returned the next morning and a huge bear burst from that brush. I knew then that this great buck was in there and sure enough, the bear had found him. He’d eaten most of the meat, but my taxidermist got a new cape and here he is.