Mule vs. Whitetail Deer

[Sylus]

Hello All,

So I have been hearing a lot about the whitetail invasion into region 3 and I am not to excited about it. In my mind the mule deer is just a much better looking animal and I would rather they didn't get out competed by the whitetail. This makes me think of all the times I have heard of rainbow trout out competing the cutthroat trout.

Anyway, now to the point of this post. What are your views on the two? Which do you prefer and why? (Harder to hunt, more fun to hunt, better tasting, etc.) And finally how do you think the mule deer will fair with this seemingly inexorable march of the whitetail?

Personally I think we are very blessed with the population of mule deer we have here in BC and I would like it to be around for a long time. I am heading out this weekend with 2 tags (mule and whitetail) and if I see a whitetail doe she is headed for my freezer! :cool:

[Fisher-Dude]

Lots of research on the symbiotic interactions between the two species.

One paper of interest talks about the effects of WT deer keeping cat populations high when MD are declining, which leads to even further MD decline as the cat population no longer follows the rise and fall of MD numbers. Read it here, very interesting: http://environment.wsu.edu/facilities/carnivore/pdf/deer.pdf

I enjoy hunting both. I do like the flavour of a young, early season mule deer buck over WT, but the edge is small.

Good luck on the hunt, hope you find a nice doe for the freezer!

[luckofthedraw]

I enjoy hunting both. I hunt mostly on foot and carry a bow. Mule deer are a much easier deer to hunt. This is my first year targeting wt, and I'm having trouble locating them of late. As far as rack, I need a monster of each lol. I'm glad region 3 opened the limit to 2 wt in an effort to get on top of the problem right away. I probaly see a 25:1 mule to wt ratio out there.

[adriaticum]

There is no invasion. Simple survival of the fittest.
Whitetails are smarter, more careful, more aggressive.
From my limited exposure to both they both have a place here because they generally occupy slightly different habitat.
What is invading both of their habitats is cattle.

[Sylus]

There is no invasion. Simple survival of the fittest.
Whitetails are smarter, more careful, more aggressive.
From my limited exposure to both they both have a place here because they generally occupy slightly different habitat.
What is invading both of their habitats is cattle.

Interesting, I don't have to much hunting experience but I just have taken a shine to the Mule Deer, but that would be ideal if they could both stick around. I was hunting in 3-19 last weekend and it looked like someone had taken a lawnmower to grass, that has to be removing key deer food sources. Is anyone else of the same opinion?

[adriaticum]

Interesting, I don't have to much hunting experience but I just have taken a shine to the Mule Deer, but that would be ideal if they could both stick around. I was hunting in 3-19 last weekend and it looked like someone had taken a lawnmower to grass, that has to be removing key deer food sources. Is anyone else of the same opinion?

That's because the first romance novel you read was about Mule Deer.
Don't worry about it, you'll figure it out with exposure.
They are both great in their own way.
Alpine hunters definitely like mule deer better. Much like the coastal rainforest dwellers like hunting blacktails in the rain most of all.
It's good to have choices.

[Sylus]

My theory is that whitetail deer are the hunting equivalent of bass; a lot of fun, resilient, and the Americans can't get enough.

[swampthing]

They should have some cull hunts to get rid of the "coarse" whitetails .

[REDGREEN]

Whitetail out of wheat fields taste much better than a mule hands down. They are smarter, harder to hunt and hide in places that a rabbit would need a map to navigate.

[Bugle M In]

When I was very little, my Dad had a book from Jack O'Connors.
I couldn't read at the time, but I would study that book every day, looking at the amazing
Artist rendered pictures inside, they were magnificent to look at.
There were pictures of every North American Game Species Illustrated inside this book.
But 2 species, the Elk and the Mule deer, always drew my attention back to them specifically.
I always dreamed of hunting them, because their surroundings in which they were illustrated in this book,
looked like the areas that I just wanted to be in, to walk and hunt in.
Thus my appeal for Mule Deer hunting.
Ironically, I have yet to take either an Elk or Mule Deer in exactly the same terrain they were portrayed/ illustrated to be in:confused:.
But what the hell, maybe one day!

I would think any deer that spends its days in apple orchards or blueberry fields for example....must be tastier! ( now let the debate begin over that:-D)

[one-shot-wonder]

Because of the resiliency of Whitetail and their ability to grow in population quickly, I choose to harvest them. As a high country hunter at heart I prefer mule deer and do not welcome the shift in WT-MD numbers.

[Mikey Rafiki]

I was raised a whitetail hunter and was taught a LOT of patience trying to still hunt these hyper-aware, hyper-sensitive creatures.

Starting to really get into mule deer hunting, and appreciating the different skills and tactics it takes to harvest a mature muley compared to a whitetail; notably the physical effort it takes to get where they often hang out.

Mule deer descend from the whitetail (and blacktail) and are a relatively new species compared to the whitetail that has had much longer to evolve to it's current state. This is part of the reason I don't appreciate the comments that sometimes arise about the whitetail "rat" invasion, when in fact the whitetail were here long before the mule deer ever existed. However, IF it took knocking the whitetail down to help the mule deer I would be fine with it, especially with the numbers in region 4.

[325]

I grew-up hunting mule deer, and they are fun to hunt and a beautiful trophy, however, for my freezer, I will take a whitetail over a mulie anyday.

[Doostien]

Personally, I think the White Tails taste better than Mule. Mule still makes great sausage/pepperoni, but I would much rather have chops or roast from a white tail.

[Wild one]

Like to hunt both and eat both. Early season I would rather hunt mule deer spot&stalk and late season I like calling WT.

BC will have both species and terrain will dictate the numbers as WT expand their range. I don't buy into the shoot a WT save a mule deer theory 1 bit.

Get out and enjoy hunting both species as they are different styles of hunt.

[Montana]

We've had both whitetail and mule deer here in my part of Montana for a very long time... I've been here 34 years. I'd say about equal numbers of both overall. I've seen no evidence of whitetails pushing mule deer out....they tend to co-exist quite well around here. As far as eating, I see no difference but I think how a deer tastes depends more on what they've been feeding on, how they were cared for in the field, etc. rather than whether they are a mule deer or a whitetail. I dare say if someone didn't know whether they were eating a whitetail or a mule deer, they couldn't tell the difference....that's with the deer around here anyways.

[HarryToolips]

Both species taste the same to me...both are fun to hunt in their own way, whitetails much more wary, yet more predictable...

[#49]

Thanks Fisher Dude for posting the link,it gives a lot to ponder.Ive noticed a drop in both species last couple years in 4 18 seems more in town less in bush.Perhaps predators have pushed them to change habits,or traditional areas?Maybe its just me and the numbers are still there

[digger dogger]

Eating wise.
Blk tail#1.
W/T #2.
Mulie #3.

Hunting
Mulie easiest
Then blktail
Then W/T

For looks
Mulie#1.
Blktail#2.
W/T. #3