how much do mule deer weigh

Mature white-tailed deer can be heavy, but much of their weight is distributed in non-meat areas. Does may mate with more than one buck and go back into estrus within a month if they did not become pregnant. Stored this way while still wet can cause the weight of the antler beams to cave in the skull plate thereby "shrinking" the spread by as much as 2 or 3 inches. in nearly all of the continental United States. California and Nevada are the exceptions for the time being, but whitetails are constantly expanding their range into new areas. So exactly How Much Meat Do You Get From A Deer? Edible Meat Weight will vary depending upon: How the deer is processed and How many times the deer was shot and what part(s) of the deer was shot. The average gross energy content of the consumed forage material is 4.5 kcal/g. However, some larger species can easily exceed 1000 pounds, such as the Polar Bear. Certain breeds of mares do not … This process usually involves removing the entrails, reproductive tract, heart, lungs, diaphragm and part of the esophagus. It’s likely that several factors, many of which mule deer could withstand on an individual basis, are adding up to a much larger problem. Behavior For Example, if the whole deer is boned out completely, you will receive approximately 50% to 60% of the Hanging Weight in Edible Meat. It must work well against coyotes and mountain lions, but it has been the demise of many a mule deer that thought they were out of reach from a human threat. meaning they most actively feed and travel near dawn and dusk. An extremely large buck can stand 42 inches at the shoulder, measure 7 feet long and weigh up to 330 pounds, with the average mature buck usually weighing between 200-250 pounds. Stotting is unique to mule deer, as no other deer species utilizes this stiff-legged, high bouncing gait. The weight of white-tailed deer varies by sex, with the male of the species, which is known as a stag or a buck, averaging anywhere from 150 to 300 pounds. (live weights in parenthesis) Hide Factor. Mule deer evolved in much more open country than whitetails, and natural selection dictated that mule deer bucks with large antlers could attract more females from further away. When is the peak of mule deer breeding season? In the U.S. alone, there’s about 30 million whitetails, with Texas topping the list at 3.6 million. Wherever they’re found, they rarely travel more than a few miles from their birthplace. The mule deer's tail is black-tipped, whereas the white-tailed deer's is not. Their generally larger antlers tend to make the Western deer appear considerably bigger although statistics indicate that both the whitetail and the mule deer range in size according to their habitat. How big are mule deer? How many times the deer was shot and what part(s) of the deer was shot. What does that mean? As the youngest deer species in the world, it’s possible mule deer haven’t had time to evolve away from this trait. 191 to 258 lbs. In addition to movements related to available shelter and food, the breeding cycle is important in understanding deer behavior. Where the two species differ greatly is the whitetail’s incredible adaptability, which has allowed it to thrive alongside humans. He had a massive inside spread of 36 4/8″ and scored 228 5/8″. Because food resources are plentiful and winters manageable, lowland whitetails don’t need to travel long distances to survive. These days, mule deer are my true love when it comes to big game hunting. Mule deer usually live 9-11 years in the wild and can live to be much older when in captivity. Hanging Weight is the field dressed deer minus the head, feet and hide. If you want to use the recurve to hunt for the most popular game (deer, elk, turkey), you need 40 lbs. Some of this is intentional on the part of state wildlife managers who are encouraging hunters to harvest more deer, especially does, in areas where whitetail deer densities are extremely high and numbers are above management objectives. Whitetail and mule deer are the most common species of deer here in the US; therefore, antlers taken from them are generally the least expensive. It can be hunted in the Parque Fernando and Silver Ridge Peaks. ... mule deer weigh 175 to 200 pounds. Mule deer bucks at the heaviest range can weigh as much as 450 pounds or more. Pull the guts out of your animal, hang it and weigh it on a scale, pull up the calculator on your Smartphone and multiply the deer’s field-dressed weight by 1.28. The autumn air is crisp in the high country, and mule deer seasons across the west are about to open. It’s likely that several factors, many of which mule deer could withstand on an individual basis, are adding up to a much larger problem. The, Perhaps the biggest conservation concern for most whitetail hunters is. Whitetails were my first childhood hunting crush and hunting them brings back fond memories. Below, we've highlighted 9 types of bears and how much they weigh so that you can get a better idea of the size of these creatures. SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE ADD TO FAV ORTIES. While a few mules can carry live weight up to 160 kg (353 lb), the superiority of the mule becomes apparent in their additional endurance. Wildlife agencies discourage such efforts, which cause harm to mule deer populations by spreading disease (such as tuberculosis and chronic wasting disease) when deer congregate for feed, disrupting migratory patterns, causing overpopulation of local mule deer populations, and cause habitat destruction overbrowsing of shrubs and forbs. Large bucks rarely exceed 95 kg (210 pounds); does weigh about a third less. All animals are built … How much do mule deer weigh? 9 Examples Of Adult Bear Weights During hunting seasons, whitetails prefer thick, brushy bedding areas, while mule deer often choose shady spots near the tops of ridges where they can survey a large area for danger. The annual cycle of antler growth is regulated by changes in the length of the day. They’re accessible, abundant and widespread. This phenomena is known as Bergmann’s principle, which doesn’t seem to have nearly as much influence on mule deer body size. In the U.S. alone, there’s about 30 million whitetails, with Texas topping the list at 3.6 million. Perhaps the biggest conservation concern for most whitetail hunters is Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), which seems to be popping up in new areas on a daily basis. 113-121 in J. Emerick, et aI., eds., Proc. Each spring, a buck's antlers start to regrow almost immediately after the old antlers are shed. This deer is one of the biggest that I have ever seen and one that could hold the record for a very long time! This procedure normally includes evacuating the innards, reproductive tract, lungs, hearts, stomach and part of the throat. Meanwhile, the overall range of mule deer is smaller and their numbers significantly lower. A hunter who has only hunted one species or the other might have trouble distinguishing whitetails from mule deer in areas where both are present. mule deer weigh 175 to 200 pounds. In fact, it's not uncommon for a high-quality set of moose antlers to sell for $400 or more. Joined Mar 17, 2018 Messages 65 Location Madison, WI. They’re also common in several Canadian provinces, with a northern limit near the arctic circle in the Yukon Territory. Total body fat is a measure of the individual's energy reserves, while thyroid hormone concentrations are a metric to determine the deer's ability to use the fat reserves. What Do Elk Antlers Weigh? On rare occasions, you can successfully pull off a still hunt in these places, but it’s difficult to say the least. 125-300. joeym Jeannette & Joey @ Dunn's Falls. Go. Since most of these deer will be field dressed before being checked out and weighed, many hunters are curious as to how much their deer would have weighed whole. A fawn's age can … In critical migration corridors, barriers created by energy extraction are obstructing historical mule deer travel routes. Mule deer, on the other hand, are considered the world’s “youngest” deer species, having evolved into their current form as a post-glacial species only 10 thousand years ago. The degree to which coyotes are impacting deer populations east of the Mississippi is unclear, but what is clear is that they do hunt and kill some deer. Technical hunting apparel and purpose-built gear for the avid hunter. Edible Meat Weight will vary depending upon: How the deer is processed and How many times the deer was shot and what part(s) of the deer was shot. Mule deer antlers are referred to as _____ bifurcated. The gestation period is about 190–200 days, with fawns born in the spring. Groups are smallest during fawning season (June and July in Saskatchewan and Alberta) and largest in early gestation (winter; February and March in Saskatchewan and Alberta). The Rocky Mountain mule deer, most common and largest of the black-tailed deer, will go up to about 380 pounds. HOW MUCH DID YOUR DEER WEIGH? For a typical doe, the bones are about 13% of the total body mass. Where do you find Mule deer? [15], A buck's antlers fall off during the winter, then grow again in preparation for the next season's rut. John, to get a good estimate of a buck’s or a doe’s live weight, hoist your gutted deer and weigh it on a scale. From a distance, they look pretty similar to one another. January 8, 2021 There’s a lot of theories behind why whitetails evolved this “flagging” display system. Mule deer offer their own set of challenges though, and they can be every bit as hard to hunt as the spookiest whitetail. It’s thought that their large ears are an evolutionary trait that allows them to more easily dissipate body heat in hot desert environments. Mule deer and whitetails are both primarily browsers as opposed to grazers, like elk. Seasonal behaviors. [32], Due to fluctuations in forage quality and availability, mule deer fat storage varies throughout the year, with the most fat stored in October, which is depleted throughout the winter to the lowest levels of fat storage in March. The typical. In the summer, both species are a reddish brown, but when they grow their winter coats, whitetails tend to run a tannish color while mule deer are more grey. Thus, the field-dressed weight is the main weight most hunters acquire for their deer, leaving the entire weight of their quarry totally unidentified. We have more whitetails now, by far, than at the time of European contact. How the deer is processed. I know I’ve been busted by muleys hundreds of yards away by making the slightest noise on calm days. [5] The two main groups have been treated as separate species, but they hybridize, and virtually all recent authorities treat the mule deer and black-tailed deer as conspecific. This puts the average bone weight of a … But if someone doesn't specify, you pretty much have to ask what they mean, because in different locales in the country, I think the standards are different. Big antlers and long-range attraction was unnecessary. • Rump has a large patch of white partly covered by a rope-like tail with a black tip. peninsulae. It’s thought that their large ears are an evolutionary trait that allows them to more easily dissipate body heat in hot desert environments. While there’s some general similarities, shared behavioral traits, and habitat overlaps between two of America’s most popular big game species, they are very different animals. Field dressed bucks average between 102 – 207 lbs and the boneless meat weighs 49 – 99 lbs. Another major difference is how their antlers are configured. Management of mule deer in relation to oil and gas development in Montana's overthrust belt. This magnificent buck was a 5x5 and his main beams measured in excess of 27″ & 29″ respectively. dressed. I really believe most hunters over estimate the weight of their deer, just like fishermen do their fish. [1][5][6][7][8][9], Unlike the related white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), which is found through most of North America east of the Rocky Mountains and in the valleys of the Rocky Mountains from Idaho and Wyoming northward, mule deer are only found on the western Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, the southwest United States, and on the west coast of North America. How Much Do Elk Weigh? Ecology of mule deer on a sagebrush-grassland habitat in northeastern Montana. The most common types include red deer which weigh 200 KG (440 lbs), reindeer which weigh around 170 KG (374 lbs), and roe deer which weigh around 55 lbs (25 kg). A mule deer has much more white on their face than a whitetail. How Much Does A Deer Weigh: Easily Calculate Weight Of Any Deer 150-300 Lbs for mature bucks. Shedding typically takes place in mid-February, with variations occurring by locale. It looks more like a horse with long ears and looks very much like a mule. Magic is in the air, and big mule deer bucks on our minds. Young deer are known as fawns or calves, and they weigh anywhere from 4 to 8 pounds when they are born. Riparian corridors and young forests adjacent to crop fields such as corn, wheat, and soybeans are some of the most productive whitetail habitat. Some of these tactics are used on occasion by western mule deer hunters. It’s not uncommon to see mule deer in colder climates with chunks of their ears missing due to frostbite. A fawn’s weight varies with age. 4ft 11″ (59″) 94 to 119 lbs. In general, whitetails can be considered a little more paranoid than mule deer when it comes to hunting pressure, but they’ve got a few million more years of evolutionary experience avoiding predators and thousands of years more experience evading human hunters. No one weighs deer. It’s unclear how or if it’s used for display purposes, but it sure makes them easier to spot on a distant hillside. Males and females also have varied weight ranges. The main difference I’ve noticed between spooked whitetails and mule deer is that mule deer often take more time than whitetails to confirm whether something is an actual threat or not. how does the population affect the deer weight? How To Determine The Life Weight Of Your Whitetail Deer; The Best Hunting Rain Gear You Just Can’t Miss; When Should You Carry Arrows in the Nocked Position; Why is Good Marksmanship Important: The Fundamentals of Good Marksmanship and why it is so important; What Does Deer Poop Look Like – A Fascinating Guide On How To Identify Deer Droppings ; Hunting … Stotting allows mule deer to cover a lot of ground at steep uphill or downhill angles, and change directions quickly in uneven terrain. Bucks yielded, on average, 55 lbs of boneless meat and does yielded 44 lbs. California and Nevada are the exceptions for the time being, but whitetails are constantly expanding their range into new areas. We have more whitetails now, by far, than at the time of European contact. Physically, however, there’s some pretty distinguishing features that separate whitetails from mule deer. Although capable of running, mule deer are often seen stotting (also called pronking), with all four feet coming down together. proteins, starches, sugars, and hemicellulose) than those consumed in the winter. bifurcated. They’re also common in several Canadian provinces, with a northern limit near the arctic circle in the Yukon Territory. [25] Where available, mule deer also eat a variety of wild mushrooms, which are most abundant in late summer and fall in the southern Rocky Mountains; mushrooms provide moisture, protein, phosphorus, and potassium. While whitetail bucks are constantly on the move at this time, they don’t cover nearly as much ground as mule deer bucks during the rut. What do Mule deer look like? This makes sense when you consider mule deer live in steep, open country. Thread starter skunk; Start date Sep 22, 2018; 1; 2; Next. Whitetail deer are the world’s “oldest” deer species; they’ve been around in basically the same form for nearly 4 million years. III: Issues and technology in the management of impacted wildlife, Thome Ecological Institute, Boulder, Colo. Jackson, S.D. In the upper midwest, wolf populations are growing enough that it is believed they are having a significant impact on certain deer herds. Stay up to date on new products and offerings. The Roosevelt elk is the largest elk, and these enormous deer weighs between 570 pounds and 1,100 pounds (258 to 498 kg). Mule deer also have much darker foreheads than whitetails, too. • Humped appearance is from the muscled shoulder augmented by the low rump, short tail, and very long legs. A bull's antler, which the cow does not have, also adds about 40 pounds to its weight. Changes in hormone levels are indications of physiological adjustments to the changes in the habitat. Height: Weight: Normal: Overweight: Obesity: Severe obesity: 4ft 10″ (58″) 91 to 115 lbs. [34], The 10 valid subspecies, based on the third edition of Mammal Species of the World, are:[5], "Tails with a Dark Side: The truth about whitetail–mule deer hybrids", "North American Deer: Mule, Whitetail and Coastal Blacktail Deer", "Mule Deer Odocoileus hemionus (Rafinesque)", "Sitka Black-tailed Deer Hunting Information", "DWR Biologists Use Helicopter Rides, Ultrasound, To Check on Deer Pregnancies", "Infectious Disease and Grouping Patterns in Mule Deer", "Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus) Fact Sheet", "Lichens in relation to management issues in the Sierra Nevada national parks", Mule Deer: Changing Landscapes, Changing Perspectives: Supplemental Feeding—Just Say No, "Causes and consequences of sociality in mule deer", "Comparing radio-tracking and visual detection methods to quantify group size measures", "Herbivore Body Condition Response in Altered Environments: Mule Deer and Habitat Management", "Status of the name Odocoileus hemionus crooki (Mammalia: Cervidae)", Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, Encyclopedia of Life page on the mule deer, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mule_deer&oldid=1005329818, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 7 February 2021, at 03:37. How much do mature mule deer weigh? As a result, the only weight many hunters obtain for their deer is a field-dressed weight, leaving the whole weight of their quarry unknown. Tule elk are the smallest sub-species of elk, weighing in at between 370 to 550 pounds (167 to 249 kg). Earlier I mentioned that Colorado has over 400,000 mule deer; the state supported well over 500,000 just over a decade ago. It’s mid-October. A large mule deer buck will be in the 120-200lbs and you can have 65-80lbs of meat, the buck very a lot but the large, rutted up bucks will weigh in at the same as a yearling cow elk. This is the most popular method of mule deer hunting out west. This is the heaviest whitetail deer ever killed. During full rut though, the necks can get massive. Trophy Non-Typical Mule Deer buck from HooCairs scoring 418.382. Seven … Confirming whether it’s necessary or not to run a long ways prevents them from wasting valuable calories. Mule deer also have striking pelage markings, large antlers, and scent glands. Bobcats, Canada lynx, wolverines, American black bears, and grizzly bears may prey upon adult deer, but most often only attack fawns or infirm specimens, or eat a deer after it has died naturally. Southward, whitetails extend into Mexico and the tropical jungles of Central and South America. [22][23] In the Sierra Nevada range, mule deer depend on the lichen Bryoria fremontii as a winter food source.[24]. There are a few advantages to the hunter between the two species. Mule deer range is more limited than whitetails, but they’re found from the deserts of Mexico in the south, all the way north into the remote mountains of British Columbia and the Yukon Territory. As far as smell goes, both species of deer rely on their exceptional sense of smell to avoid being eaten or shot at. Fawn: (100 pounds) 6.7 percent; Adult doe: (140 pounds) 7.9 percent; Adult buck (160 pounds) 8.7 percent ; Bucks: more than 160 pounds 9 percent; Bone Factor. Still hunting works very well for mule deer, but whitetail hunters east of the Mississippi rarely have the opportunity for a spot and stalk hunt. [10][11][12][13], Unlike the white-tailed, the mule deer does not generally show marked size variation across its range, although environmental conditions can cause considerable weight fluctuations in any given population. As a result, the only weight many hunters obtain for their deer is a field-dressed weight, leaving the whole weight of their quarry unknown. If given the chance, mule deer can live up to approximately 12 years of age. Here’s simple math for estimating a deer’s live weight. IMHO the ONLY way you can get that kind of spread shrinkage is to store the antlers in that manner. John, to get a good estimate of a buck’s or a doe’s live weight, hoist your gutted deer and weigh it on a scale. I will add that big, old mule deer bucks rarely give a hunter this opportunity anymore, so maybe they are adjusting to humans carrying high-powered rifles.

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