Mule Deer

The mule deer is the largest of the small deer, outweighing its smaller cousin the whitetail, who comes in second. Mule deer live in the western half of North America, and are so named because of their large mule-like ears. The major difference between mule deer and whitetail deer is the difference in tail color, and antler configuration. Mule deer antlers bifurcate (fork out) as they grow, rather than branching off the main stem like that of white tails. The mule deer can stand over 40 inches high at the shoulder and be over 80 inches long, and weigh more than 300 lbs, with trophy size bucks occasionally weighing over 500 lbs. Females are typically smaller than the males. In the summer and fall the mule deer is mainly a forager, sticking mostly to leafy plants and berries, but it also eats acorns and apples, if they can get them. In the wintertime it feeds on conifers, like fir and juniper trees, and twigs from hardwood trees and bushes. In the winter its metabolism slows and the mule deer becomes less active so it can survive on less food. A large percentage of mule deer deaths occur during the winter months, especially when the deer is still in the first two years of its life. There are over 3000 mule deer in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem. Their main predators are wolves, bears, mountain lions, and occasionally coyotes.