Mule deer hunting? Things to learn before your hunting trip
Brownish-gray in color and robustly built, the mule deer is found throughout western Canada and the western United States, as well as the eastern states of Wisconsin and Texas. They have gotten their name from their long, mule-like ears that can reach lengths of 10 inches. Although hunting white-tailed deer is also a popular sport, people give greater preference to hunting mule deer, as its population is much larger. Plus, the mule venison meat is delicious! In fact, mule deer hunting is extremely popular in North America!
Keeping track of the animal’s habitat and habits will lead to a more successful hunt.
The mule deer chooses several habitats. Generally, they prefer to be high in the mountains. Only in the case of the Chisos Mountains (Texas), they exchange positions with the white-tailed deer and settle in different parts of the valley. Mule deer can also be found on the edges of forests; for the most part, they do not venture into deep forests. Therefore, forest areas are best for hunting mule deer.
The rusty red color of their coats, which remains throughout the summer, changes color in late fall. The mule deer and the background appear to appear as one since the color of their skins is grayish. Therefore, mule deer hunting presents a challenge during this open season.
They are larger than the white-tailed deer. Average height is about 3 1/2 feet. The female specimen weighs the same as a male white-tailed deer. It weighs around 100 to 150 pounds. Males or males weigh between 125 and 400 pounds. Despite its size, a male mule deer can run at a speed of 40 miles per hour. The hunter has to be vigilant so that the deer does not come to charge him when he hunts the mule deer!
As they are not very picky about food, these animals can feed on any type of vegetation. If they could choose their diet, they would go for yew, willow, berries, Douglas fir, grapes, mushrooms, and aspen. In contrast, white-tailed deer have choice preferences with regard to food. So they are easier to hunt than their older cousins.
Conception takes place around November; so the young are born between April and June (spring). When the mule deer hunting season comes around, the fawns are around six months old. The population is growing by leaps and bounds because four fawns can be born at the same time, as opposed to two fawns that are born to a white-tailed doe. Since they are abundant, very few regulations are established on the hunting of mule deer. It is not necessary to record a mule deer kill even on land without a special permit in the state of Texas. The same is not the case with the white-tailed deer, which has a smaller population.