Many hunters prefer mule deer hunting over whitetail hunting, and many hunters prefer the other way around. With that being said, there are many things that make each animal unique. Here are a four things about muleys you may or may not know:
- Using their sensitive snouts, deer can detect water below ground and then use their hooves to dig it up. (link)
- The unusual form of bounding (called stotting) where all four legs leave the ground simultaneously, is unique to mule deer and was adapted to escape predators in mountainous terrain.(link)
- The average home range for a deer is approximately .6 square miles, but they are highly adaptable, and will evacuate due to pressure their home range to escape pressure. (link)
- Elk compete directly with mule deer, especially on winter ranges. (link)
The most obvious distinctions between mule deer and whitetail are the size of their ears, tail color, and antler growth patterns, but there are many more things that make the mule deer so unique. Regardless of what you like to hunt, they are pretty cool creatures.
(some info via http://zenbowhunter.com/9-surprising-facts-mule-deer/)
