The mule deer is a mammal from the Family:  Cervidae  Sub Family:  Odocoileinae  Genus:  Odocoileus  Species:  O. hemionus.  The mule deer is the largest deer of the Odocoileus genus.  The mule deer  on average stands 40 ins to 42 ins at the shoulders and stretches some 80 ins from nose  to tail.  An adult buck can weigh between 150 to 300 pounds whilst occasional trophy-sized animal may way up to 400 pounds. 

The habitat of the mule deer ranges within the western  half of North America and the animal is named a “mule” deer because of its long mule like ears.  The mule deer prefers habitat that fringes  where grasslands meet treed terrain at higher elevations although it seems to prefer arid, open areas and rocky hillsides. The mule deer rarely travel far from forage or water and they tend to rest within close proximity of these two prime necessities.

This animal is predominantly a herbivore and they forage within family groups per se although the bucks tend to remain solitary or meet up with other bucks.  Depending on the season, the mule deer in summer prefers to forage on herbaceous plants and various berries.  In winter, it forages on coniferous trees especially the twigs of cedar, aspen, willow, dogwood, juniper,  sage and Douglas fir.  Both Douglas Fir and Ponderosa Pine are timbers that are valued as highly economic importance for commercial timber.  The mule deer’s constant browsing of these tree woods helps to generate and stimulate more growth thus resulting in forest regeneration in many areas.

Unfortunately, mule deer are hunted as a sport.  The mule deer prefer to forage  around dawn and dusk, but they will also forage at night  upon open agricultural land or when being pursued by hunters.

The conservation status of the mule deer is “of Least Concern” although it is well recognized that the deer’s natural habitat is being threatened by humans,  and conscious efforts are being made to try and acquire both government and private land holdings where the mule deer is not threatened by the habits of humans i.e.  mining, agriculture, and the construction of roads and highways to name but  a few. 

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This entry was posted on Thursday, April 2nd, 2009 at 4:13 pm and is filed under Wildlife and Habitat. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.