Mule Deer
Art by Jackie Blurton
Nature Note by the late Dr. Roland Shook
Deer belong in the family Cervidae which includes those hoofed mammals that have antlers which are shed each year. They all chew their cud and members of this family include deer, elk, moose, and caribou.
Deer are known as digitigrade animals in that they walk on their digits, i.e., toes, of which the end is covered with a hoof. Deer have an even number of toes as opposed to horses and their like, which have an odd number of toes.
This species can be identified by its large ears and black on its tail. Mule Deer are most active in mornings, evenings and moonlit nights. They occur singly or in small groups but are more gregarious in winter.
Many factors are involved in the natural regulation of deer populations: habitat availability, weather, food, predation, among others. The change of one or a combination of these factors can result in dramatic changes in the deer population.
And the deer ye shall know by its antlers,
And the mule ye shall know by its ears;
And the deer that has mule ears and antlers—
Ye shall know as the Mule Deer, my dears.
Mother Nature, Lessons
