Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus)

Size

• Bucks average weight is about 100 kilograms (220 pounds).
• Average weight for does is about 70 kilograms (155 pounds).

Appearance

• Mule deer get their name from their large, mule-like ears.
• Both male and female mule deer have seasonal colour variations. The coat is greyish-brown in winter and reddish-brown in summer.
• The thin, brown tail has a black tip and is surrounded by a white rump patch.
• The antlers of bucks are a distinguishing trait. The beam of each antler divides into two equal tines, and in older bucks these may divide again.
• Mule deer exhibit a distinct, stiff-legged, bouncing gait when running.

• Mule deer are found throughout the province, but are most plentiful in southern and western Alberta. They are more common in mountainous areas than white-tailed deer.

Habitat

• Preferred habitat includes:
  • Edges of coniferous forests
  • Hilly areas
  • Mixed-wood forests

Food

• Mule deer browse aspen, willow and other shrubs.

Breeding Behaviour

• In Alberta, the rut usually occurs in November.
• One or two spotted fawns are born to each doe the following spring.

Status

Mule deer are classified as Secure in the General Status of Alberta Wild Species report. See:

• General Status of Alberta Wild Species

Current management

Hunting

See details in the Alberta Guide to Hunting Regulations. To view the guide online or to order a printed copy, visit the My Wild Alberta website at:

• Hunting: Regulations

• White-tailed Deer
  • Mule deer and white-tailed deer are similar in seasonal colouring and overall appearance, and both species possess excellent senses of sight, smell and hearing.
  • Antlers, tails and overall size help distinguish mule and white-tailed deer species from one another:
    • Antlers of white-tailed bucks have unbranched tines extending from single beams, whereas the beams of mule deer antlers divide into two equal tines.
    • White-tailed deer have a broader tail than mule deer, and lack the white rump patch.
    • White-tailed deer are slightly smaller than mule deer.
  • Unlike the wary white-tail, mule deer are often inquisitive. When alarmed and running, they often stop for a last look before bounding out of sight.