Mule Deer

(Odocoileus heminus)

The mule deer is an iconic ungulate of the American West. Mule deer have a distinctive black forehead and a light grey face. Their bodies are brownish-gray in color with a white rump patch and a small, white tail with a black tip. The mule deer’s most distinctive feature is its large, mule-like ears.

Mature mule deer bucks have antlers with main beams that sweep outward and upward, forking once and then forking again. Mature bucks typically have 4 or 5 points on each side, often including brow tines. The antlers are shed and re-grown each year.

The gestation period for pregnant does is 189 to 210 days and typically one or two fawns are born to each doe. Twins are common in does after their first pregnancy. Fawns are born in late-May through mid-June.

Wyoming’s mule deer are valued for the important aesthetic, cultural, economic, and ecological roles they fulfill.

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Cervidae
Subfamily: Capreolinae
Genus: Odocoileus
Species: Hemionus

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Deer running through a field
Deer grazing at the foot of a tree

Size and Weight

Behavior

Social or Solitary

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Most Active

Mule Deers are crepuscular, meaning they are most active during the twilight hours.

Docile or Agressive

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Sounds & Other Calls

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Collage of several types of flowers and shrubs

Diet & Prey

Mule Deer are herbivores. Like most hooved animals, its stomach has four compartments that help it to digest tough woody plants. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo.

Preferred Plants

Mule Deer are primarily browsers eating woody shrubs, though depending on the time of year their diets include other plants including forbs (flowering plants) and grasses.
Geranium, lupinus, poa, artemisia tridentata

two deer partially hidden in brush, gazing at camera

Habitat

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Mating & Reproduction

Greatest Predators & Threats

Mountain Lions
Black Bears
Vehicle Collisions - 85% of wildlife collisions are with Mule Deer
Invasive and noxious weeds such as cheatgrass have also compromised the integrity of many deer ranges throughout the West
Chronic wasting Disease,
Adenovirus Hemmoragic disease

Antlers & Other Adaptations

Antler Shot 1

Antler shot 2

Antler shot 3

Antler shot 4

Frequently Asked Questions

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The White-Tailed Deer is the closest relative to the Mule Deer.

What makes them different?

Mule Deer Video Gallery

Wyoming Distribution & Species range map

The mule deer’s native range spans throughout western North America, as far north as the coastal islands of Alaska and as far south as Mexico. In Wyoming, mule deer are found from the lower elevation sagebrush deserts and creek bottoms to above timberline in the mountains. Common habitats range from salt desert shrublands to alpine tundra.

Wyoming Population Graph

The estimated statewide population of mule deer sits just under 400,000 and has been increasing a bit in recent years. This comes with favorable spring and early summer moisture providing for improved habitat conditions and increased fawn survival. Also, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department has increased focus on mule deer conservation through the Mule Deer Initiative, which brought together people at the local level to develop solutions and management direction for mule deer throughout the State.