Whitetail or Mule deer?

[elkhunter11]

The thread on crossbreed deer makes me wonder as to how many hunters know how the two types of deer are recognized according to the Alberta hunting regulations.If you have bothered to read the section on leaving evidence of species and sex on the carcass,you should know that in the case of a deer, leaving the fully haired tail on the carcass proves species until it reaches the usual residence of the hunter,or a licensed meat processor.If you are checked by a conservation officer on the way,he will use the haired tail to determine whether the deer is a whitetail deer,or a mule deer.So if the deer has the white undersided tail of a whitetailed deer,you should tag it as a whitetail,if it has the thin white tail with a black tip,it should be tagged as a mule deer.If you tag the deer according to the tail,you won't have any issues with Fish&Wildlife.If you rely on antler configuration to prove species,you may end up with a ticket.So if you have any doubts as to which deer you are looking at,wait until you see the tail before you shoot.

[Okotokian]

So you are saying that a "cross" might have mule-type antlers and a "whitetail" tail, and would be classed by F&W as the latter? I hadn't thought or heard of that. The regs say you have to keep the antlers on too, so that would contradict the tail. What do the regs say about such a cross? I can't find anything.

[elkhunter11]

The regs say you have to keep the antlers on too, so that would contradict the tail.

The antlers must be present to prove if an animal is antlered according to the regulations,but they aren't required to prove which type of deer it is.How do you tell an antlerless mule deer from an antlerless whitetail since neither have antlers?Antlers are the most unreliable way to determine the type of deer.As such,I would never shoot a deer based solely on the antler configuration.Metatarsal glands are the best indicator,but they aren't easily seen before the animal is killed.

What do the regs say about such a cross? I can't find anything.

Most so called hybrids are not hybrids at all,but the best way to determine if they are is by the metatarsal glands.True hybrids are so uncommon,that I can't see anything in the regulations to cover them.I would go by the tail since that is considered proof of species in the hunting regulations.

[Hagar]

That is so true elkhunterr11.A few years ago I shot a hybred that because it had the body of a muley I tagged it as a muley but it had a whitetail rack.I only regret that I did not have it mounted nor did I get any pics.I have seen 3 others in different areas as will.They are neat to see.

[elkhunter11]

I myself shot a mature mule deer buck that had a set of antlers that weren't forked at all.The rack looked like a typical 4x4 whitetail,but it had the typical mule deer rump and tail.A friend thought it might be a hybrid until we checked the metatarsal gland and confirmed that it was a mule deer.

[Albertabowhunter]

Why is it neccessary to leave the antlers on if you are using your general tag in an area where either sex is allowed for the tag? I could understand if it was a buck only area, or a doe tag.

All in all, wouldnt the sex organs be the best way to tell the sex of a deer or any other animal? there are cases of does with horns, and I'm sure lots of bucks with out antlers have been shot.

just curious

[elkhunter11]

Why is it neccessary to leave the antlers on if you are using your general tag in an area where either sex is allowed for the tag?

It isn't necessary with a general either sex tag.

[Vindalbakken]

It is my understanding that all true hybrids would be tagged as a whitetail because they will show the flat tail with white underside of the whitetail. The one that was shot one year by our hunting party showed black hairs along the side of the tail where the black would be on the mule, but it was not solid at all, just sparse hairs. Here is an article detailing what is known about the hybrids http://www.deertracking.com/library/dec2001_tails_dark_side.html

Using antlers alone as a method of field ID for species is about the poorest method there is.

Also, tags are not classed by sex, but rather by antlered or antlerless. Bucks with antlers less than 4" in length need an antlerless tag, and does with antlers greater than 4" in length do not. They would need an antlered tag. So leaving sex organs alone would not suffice for determining if the proper tag was used on any particular animal.

[mulecrazy]

A note too all those who see antlers as a way of identifying species. a 3X3 muley can look a lot like a 4X4 whitey in configurtation. I don't know how many times I have heard people say its a hybrid when it is not. look at the butt/tail, and glands. also, it is not that uncommon to see whitey antlers have a fork in them. that does not mean they are a hybrid. I think some people are so jumpy and anxious to see a hybrid they fail too look at the facts.

[elkhunter11]

Also, tags are not classed by sex, but rather by antlered or antlerlessBucks with antlers less than 4" in length need an antlerless tag, and does with antlers greater than 4" in length do not. They would need an antlered tag. So leaving sex organs alone would not suffice for determining if the proper tag was used on any particular animal.

In the case of a general tag,valid for any whitetailed deer in that wmu,either antlered or antlerless deer can be taken,so the sex organs and the fully haired tail are all the proof that a person needs of a legal kill.

[duffy4]

That is so true elkhunterr11.A few years ago I shot a hybred that because it had the body of a muley I tagged it as a muley but it had a whitetail rack.I only regret that I did not have it mounted nor did I get any pics.I have seen 3 others in different areas as will.They are neat to see.

You say "a few years ago I shot a hybred" But you really mean you shot a mule deer that had an odd rack right? If you agree with elkhunter11 then you agree that many hunters say they shot a hybrid but they really did not.

[duffy4]

Here is a nice typical forked mule deer antler.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b174/duffy4/103_2240.jpg

Now here is a main beam with tines coming off of it. Apparently a 5 point white-tail antler (there is a little brow tine and the end of the main beam is going straight away in this pic)

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b174/duffy4/103_2241.jpg

You have probably guessed by now that both antlers are on the same skull and this is one bucks head gear.


http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b174/duffy4/103_2242.jpg


This was a mule deer buck that had a good deal of a rear leg missing. An injury to a rear leg will show up as a deformed antler on the opposite side.

[catnthehat]

According to Dr. Val Geist, true cross bred hybreds are missing their reproductive organs.
Cat

[jaylow?]

i would kinda just go by the fact that from below the antlers a white tails head looks nothing like a muleys. or from the ass end either. and in your reg books it tells you how to identify a muley for a whitetail by antlers. at least 95% of the time if the antlers look like mule deers, then there most likely connected to a mule deer. ive seen whitetails with palms for antlers in big buck and other magazines , but i never thought that it might be half moose.;)

[elkhunter11]

i would kinda just go by the fact that from below the antlers a white tails head looks nothing like a muleys.

At first or last legal light,especially in the timber,the heads are not easy to distinguish from one another.

or from the ass end either.

The rear end is a very reliable way to distinguish between the two deer under any circumstances where you can see the rear end.


and in your reg books it tells you how to identify a muley for a whitetail by antlers.

On the contrary,the guide lists several characteristics that can assist you to tell a whitetail from a mule deer.It does not tell you that you can accurately distinguish between a whitetail and a mule deer by antlers alone.