Mule Deer Taxidermy for Sale SKU 1078

Description of Species

The most noticeable differences between white-tailed and mule deer are the size of their ears, the color of their tails, and the configuration of their antlers. In many cases, body size is also a key difference. The mule deer's tail is black-tipped, whereas the whitetail's is not. Mule deer antlers are bifurcated; they "fork" as they grow, rather than branching from a single main beam, as is the case with white-tails. Each spring, a buck's antlers start to regrow almost immediately after the old antlers are shed. Shedding typically takes place in mid-February, with variations occurring by locale. Although capable of running, mule deer are often seen stotting (also called pronking), with all four feet coming down together. The mule deer is the larger of the two Odocoileus species on average, with a height of 31–42 in at the shoulders and a nose-to-tail length ranging from 3.9 to 6.9 ft. Of this, the tail may comprise 4.6 to 9.1 in. Adult bucks normally weigh 121–331 lb, averaging around 203 lb, although trophy specimens may weigh up to 460 lb. Does (female deer) are rather smaller and typically weigh from 95 to 198 lb, with an average of around 150 lb. Unlike the whitetail, the mule deer does not generally show marked size variation across its range, although environmental conditions can cause considerable weight fluctuations in any given population. An exception to this is the subspecies the Sitka deer (O. h. sitkensis). This race is markedly smaller than other mule deer, with an average weight of120 lb and 79 lb in males and females, respectively.