Mule Deer
White-Tail Deer
White-Tail and Mule Deer both call the West Bragg Creek area home and are a common sight both within the busy trail network and on the drive to the trailhead. The two look similar but there are species-defining characteristics that will allow you to determine which is which. This guide will share some of the physical differences between the two species so the next time you spot one in the wild, you’ll know what you’re looking at.
Let’s start with the antlers. Only the bucks (males) of both species grow antlers. Typically, White-Tails will grow a single beam with individual tines growing off of that main beam whereas the tines on the antlers of Mule Deer will fork, meaning they split in two. Both species also shed their antlers after rutting season has concluded, so how do we distinguish them apart when antlers aren’t present or if we’re looking at does (females)?
Another difference that is relatively easy to spot are their tails. White-Tails earned their name due to their distinctive white tail. When the broad triangular tail is held down, their rumps appear to be brown. However, when they sense danger and flee, their tails stand straight up flashing the bright white underside in a process known as flagging. By contrast, Mule Deer have a thin, rope-like tail with a black tip, which means their cream-coloured rump patch is always visible.
Another way to determine one species from the other is their ears. Mule Deer get their name from their very large ears that resemble those of a mule. White-Tails also have big ears, but are noticeably smaller than those of the Muleys.
Fawns can be more difficult to distinguish as the babies of both species are almost identical at birth. It’s not until they start to lose their spots (between 3 and 4 months of age) that their tails will be more well defined to resemble those of their parents.
Unfortunately, colour is not a good indicator of species. Coat colour can change slightly with the seasons where Muleys tend to be darker grey in the fall and winter while White-Tails are generally more of a greyish-brown colour. In the spring and summer White-Tails are reddish-brown whereas Mule Deer are a lighter grey colour. At times the colour differences between the species is too close to make an accurate identification, so using the characteristics listed above is recommended.
Hopefully this brief guide between Mule Deer and White-Tails will help you to correctly identify the species the next time you spot some in the wild.
