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What states are mule deer found in – what states are mule deer found in
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Wildlife Informer is reader-supported. When you click and buy we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. Learn more. Deer are one of the most populous and hunted big game animals in North America. Found in forests as well as the suburbs, deer are often thought to have spiritual meaning and can bring nature close to home since they are often seen in backyards and neighborhoods.
The total population estimate for deer living in the U. Deer species in the U. That brings us to the topic of this article, where we will dive into what the deer population is in each U. While caribou, elk and moose are all Cervids, that is members of the deer family, we are not discussing them in this article.
We will be looking at the population of white-tailed deer, mule deer, and black-tailed deer. The following population estimates were taken from state government websites and other authoritative sources. They are accurate to the best of our knowledge. In the early s not many deer remained in Alabama after overhunting, estimates were down to about 2, By the deer population in the state was estimated at 1.
Deer hunting has become a major industry in Alabama, the state has 33 wildlife management areas totaling over , acres where white-tailed deer can be hunted with a permit. Upwards of , deer are hunted in the state each year. Outdoor Alabama: Deer hunting information and regulations. The Sitka blacktail deer is native to the coastal rainforests of southeastern Alaska, and has been introduced to areas of South Central Alaska.
Trying to figure out their population in the state is challenging due to the remote and densely forested areas where they live. Also, their numbers can fluctuate quite a bit based on how severe the winters are from year to year.
This study from says that while imprecise, their best estimate is , — , black tailed deer live across Alaska. White-tailed deer and mule deer are not native to the area. However the Alaska Department of Fish and Game says that they are both crossing the border with Canada and starting to colonize.
It will be something the state keeps an eye on going forward. Hunting of black-tailed deer is allowed, and at the time of writing this article so is hunting of mule and white-tailed deer, in order to help get more information on these new populations entering the state. Arizona is home to two main types of deer, the mule deer and the white-tailed deer.
Mule deer are the most populous with a estimate of 85,, mule deer in Arizona. The white-tailed deer found in Arizona belongs to the subspecies called Coues. The Coues deer are most commonly found in the southeastern mountains but also up through the Mogollon Rim and White Mountains. This article states the Arizona Big Game Management estimated Coues population at about 50,, deer. They are small deer with fully grown males rarely weighing over pounds.
However they are a popular game species for the state, perhaps because they inhabit less hospitable terrain and are better at staying hidden than the mule deer, offering hunters more of a challenge. Deer numbers in Arkansas significantly declined due to unrestricted market hunting during the s until The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission starting putting limits on hunting in to try and turn the tide, with an estimated 2, deer remaining in the state.
But things got worse. In a huge flood in the eastern part of the state forced deer into small areas of high ground where they were unfortunately picked off by opportunistic hunters.
By less than deer remained. Things began to turn around when state refuges were created and periodic deer stocking occurred. Today Arkansas enjoys plenty of deer, with a estimate of , white-tailed deer. There are six subspecies of mule deer found across California. A study by the Mule Deer Working Group put total deer population including black-tailed and mule deer in California at , While overall the deer population is considered to be stable, the migratory populations in the Sierra Nevada and the black-tailed deer in the northwest are likely in decline, while suburban populations are increasing.
But by that time, damage to deer herds had already been happening for almost 30 years. Cattle and sheep began competing with deer for space and grazing by the s, combined with the Gold Rush that brought , people into the state soon to be followed by a railroad bringing even more settlers.
Habitat loss, decrease in forgeable food and hunting brought species to the brink by the early s. By the turn of the century people began to realize they needed conservation programs or the deer would go the way of the buffalo. Long story short, conservation and advances in wildlife management brought the deer back. While populations still continue to fluctuate due to habitat loss, weather, disease and other factors, it remains in the hundreds of thousands. The estimated population total today is , mule deer and white-tailed deer.
Mule deer make up the majority, with white-tailed deer mainly found in eastern parts of the state and a few pockets in central and mountain areas. Due to many factors including over-harvesting, hunting and habitat loss the white-tailed deer became uncommon in Connecticut between — With laws enacted and amount of farmed land decreasing, deer began to rebound. In the state passed the Deer Management Act and had its first deer hunting season the following year.
Factors causing deer populations to grow in recent years include expansion of homes into rural areas that are hospitable for deer but are not suitable for hunting. Connecticut DEEP: hunting and trapping information. According to this article , the DNREC estimated the deer population at the start of the season at 45, white-tailed deer. They consider the population stable.
Hunting is now an important part in keeping populations managed in the state, especially to help reduce populations in urban areas. White-tailed deer in Florida tend to be a little smaller than in other states, due in part to the warm climate.
Deer are found throughout the state with three subspecies broken up by geographic location. But numbers have been on the rise since then, from an estimated 20, in to , in I could not find an exact count that was more recent, however based on estimated deer harvest numbers the total population in Florida as of may be closer to , Key deer are the smallest subspecies of white-tailed deer in North America, weighing only about pounds.
They are only found in the Florida keys and are an endangered species. Their numbers rebounded through conservation efforts from 25 in to in more recent years. However they are not out of the woods with continued habitat loss and disease such as the screwworm epidemic that killed a large portion of male Key deer threatening their numbers. In the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division reported an estimated population of 1. As conservation efforts increased, deer restocking programs helped bring in just over 4, deer from other states between and Restrictive game laws also helped allow the population to grow.
Georgia Wildlife Resources Division: deer hunting information. While deer are not naturally found in Hawaii, an invasive species has taken over in the last years, the Axis deer. The Axis deer, also known as the chital, is native to the Indian subcontinent. They are an attractive deer with a bright orange-brown coat covered in white spots, much like the fawn of white-tailed deer.
These eight ended up on Molokai and have since been introduced to most of the other Hawaiian islands. With no natural predators the population boomed.
According to this article current estimates are about 40, — 60, on Molokai, 20, on Lanai and 30, — 50, on Maui. It is a tough balance for the Axis deer on the islands. On the one hand they cause a lot of damage to crops and use up many natural resources. On the other hand, hunting them provides food for many and their meat is very prized. There is also a small population of black-tailed deer on the island of Kauai that were introduced from Oregon in In public hunting areas the population is estimated at deer.
Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife: hunting rules and regulations. Idaho is home to both mule deer and white-tailed deer. The estimate for mule deer is , For white-tailed deer, the last mention I could find was about , around According to one source , the introduction of the white-tailed deer did not negatively impact the mule deer, elk or moose in the state as they occupy different types of habitat.
Mule deer are found in the central mountains and southern deserts of the state, while white-tailed deer are most populous in the northern forested areas. The first game laws restricting hunting went into effect in There is a really nice timeline of events affecting the deer on the states history of deer management page. As recently as the in-state population estimate was only 25,, but through conservation and management by that number skyrocketed to , Today, the population sits around , Illinois Department of Natural Resources: deer hunting information.
According to this article in the Washington Times Herald, as of the white-tailed deer population in Indiana was estimated at , That number sure has come a long way from when they were thought to have been completely wiped out with no wild populations left. Careful management slowly brought the population back and by hunters were able to harvest 32, deer. Like many other states, deer and other large game in Iowa was hunted to near extinction by the early s.
Thing have come a long way from the first post-conservation deer estimate of deer in Iowa Department of Natural Resources: Deer hunting information.
Kansas is home to two kinds of deer, white-tailed deer and mule deer.
What states are mule deer found in – what states are mule deer found in
Guide L Revised by Louis C. Print friendly PDF. Mule deer Odocoileus hemionusFigure 1 are one of the most important game animals in New Mexico and the West. The size of the mule deer population in New Mexico is unknown, and densities of mule deer can vary greatly among areas and over time.
Bender, unpublished data. In general, mule deer have been declining in numbers in New Mexico since populations peaked around the s, similar to declines seen throughout the West Heffelfinger and Messmer, Despite declines, mule deer are still present in all 33 counties in New Mexico. Figure 1. Mule deer are New Mexico's most important big game species. Rocky Mountain mule deer are found in the northern two-thirds of the state and desert mule deer in the southern third.
The Rocky Mountain mule deer is larger; the average field-dressed weight of mature 6 years or older males bucks is around lb, нажмите чтобы перейти larger deer weighing more than lb. Mature desert mule deer average about lb field-dressed, with the largest deer approaching lb. Mule deer are extremely varied in their habitats. Rocky Mountain mule deer are found from above the timberline to low-elevation short grasslands, and frequently in urban areas. During winter, deer that use higher elevations usually what states are mule deer found in – what states are mule deer found in to lower elevations where food is more easily obtainable and deep snow does not limit their movements.
Desert mule deer prefer shrublands and woodlands in desert mountain ranges and hills, or arroyos in arid desert flats. They normally spend summer and winter in the same general area.
Mule deer have extremely large ears, hence the name. Adults have a reddish coat in summer and a gray coat in winter. The summer coat is fine and silky in texture and the winter coat is coarser and thicker. Desert mule deer are usually lighter what is the most expensive state to live in paler than Rocky Mountain mule deer.
The reddish-brown fawns are spotted and depend on their protective south carolina state football depth chart for safety. They lose their spots two to three months after they are born. A characteristic feature of the mule deer is the large white rump patch that surrounds the base of the tail.
The tail itself is white with a small black tip. Unlike the white-tailed deer, the mule deer does not raise its tail in alarm, but holds it against the body as it flees.
Mule deer may also stot, or bounce stiff-leggedly on all four legs, when fleeing. Mule deer bucks have antlers that are forked Figure 2 instead of being like a white-tailed deer's, whose points rise from the main beam Figure 3. The antlers are shed following the breeding season each winter, and new antlers begin growing продолжить чтение after the old ones are dropped.
The dropping of antlers occurs when the length of продолжение здесь decreases, triggering glandular reactions that control the production of testosterone, insulin-like growth factor-1, and other hormones. The same process is involved in the growth of the new antlers, which are covered by a skin called velvet that contains an extensive network of blood vessels. These supply the protein and minerals needed for the growth of antlers, which are the fastest-growing tissues in the animal kingdom.
In late August or September, the velvet dries up and is rubbed off on small trees and shrubs as the antlers harden or mineralize. Antler size and number of points depend mostly on the deer's age, physical condition, and their genetic background Bender, The breeding season or rut for mule deer in New Mexico begins in late November northern areas of the state and lasts until mid-January southern areas. During breeding periods, mature bucks cover a large area in search of receptive females does.
The does are receptive for about three days. If they are not bred during this time, their cycles will continue, and 28 days later they will again be receptive. Unbred mature does are rare in New Mexico. There is little actual fighting between bucks because dominance hierarchy has usually been established before peak rutting periods occur.
The smaller or less-aggressive bucks recognize their superiors and usually give in to their dominance. The breeding class is usually the prime-aged mature bucks, plus a few younger bucks who are exceptionally large-bodied or aggressive. One buck will breed with many does, so it is not necessary to have equal numbers of males and females.
No permanent bond is formed between bucks and does. When the female is no longer receptive, the buck will leave her to seek other does. Mule deer have a gestation period of about seven months. Fawns are usually born in June and July, later in southern New Mexico and later if does are in poor condition.
Normally, a doe has one fawn the first time she gives birth. After this, she may have multiple fawns if she is in good condition. After about age seven the number of fawns will decrease again. Fawns get up on their feet only hours after birth, but they are rather unsteady and very susceptible to predation. During their first few days, they remain hidden and alone except when feeding Figure 4. At about three weeks of age, the fawns begin sampling what states are mule deer found in – what states are mule deer found in foods, and shortly thereafter they begin to accompany the doe almost constantly.
Most fawns are weaned by October or November, after which they are dependent on their competitive ability to obtain adequate nutrition. Fawns that are larger at birth, or born earlier, tend to be larger at weaning and therefore are more likely to survive. Figure 4. Fawns depend upon hiding and lying перейти for survival during their first few weeks.
Photo by Mara Weisenberger. Malnutrition is the most common cause of death excluding hunting in studied mule deer populations in New Mexico. Malnutrition is the most common disease of mule deer Bender et al. Probably the most publicized diseases of mule deer are the epizootic hemorrhagic disease-bluetongue complex collectively called hemorrhagic disease [HD] and chronic wasting disease CWD. HD is a viral disease that affects deer, pronghorn, and bighorn sheep; it is spread by biting gnats or midges Culicoides spp.
Although HD can be enzootic always present in low frequencyin mule deer it is most commonly seen in infrequent epizootics outbreakswhich can result in a large number of deaths when deer and vector conditions are conducive to outbreaks.
Outbreaks occur during late summer or early autumn, usually what states are mule deer found in – what states are mule deer found in close proximity to wet areas. During outbreaks, some deer die quickly with no apparent signs of disease, others may die within a week, some recover but are debilitated, and still other deer show no sign of disease during outbreaks, and survivors may develop immunity to that particular virus serotype but not necessarily other HD virus serotypes.
White-tailed deer are more vulnerable to HD especially epizootic hemorrhagic disease than mule deer, and thus what states are mule deer found in – what states are mule deer found in mortality from HD is more common in white-tailed deer and pronghorn than mule deer.
Chronic wasting disease CWD is an invariably fatal degenerative neurological disease of deer, elk, and moose. Uncertainty still lingers over exactly how CWD is spread and even the causative agent, which is likely an abnormal protein called a prion. Much of what states are mule deer found in – what states are mule deer found in concern what states are mule deer found in – what states are mule deer found in CWD involves its similarity to bovine spongiform encephalopathy BSEor mad cow disease; consuming products from BSE-infected cattle has been linked to fatal new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans.
Despite this, hunters should avoid eating venison from infected animals or other obviously sick animals and should use simple precautions, such as wearing latex gloves when handling deer or elk from areas known to have CWD. Many states also restrict movement of venison or other parts of deer, elk, and moose from areas or states where CWD is present; be sure to check with local Game Departments for regulations on transporting venison.
The Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance website www. Predators kill deer in New Mexico each year. The chief animals that prey upon deer are mountain lions, black bears, Mexican wolves, coyotes, bobcats, and feral dogs. Interactions between predators and mule deer are complex and highly variable across distance and time; the key to understanding predation is differentiating between the act of predation and the effect of predation.
Although predators kill deer, predation may have little effect on the population if predation substitutes for e. When predation is additive to other mortality factors, then predation can limit deer populations.
Whether predation is mostly additive or mostly compensatory varies with the specific local conditions of the predator and prey communities, and their surroundings. Mule deer can live about 10—15 years. The average lifespan of bucks is shorter than does, especially in areas of heavy hunting pressure.
Because of this, most populations contain only 25—50 bucks for every does. Mule deer feeding is mainly crepuscularmeaning that they feed mostly early in the morning and again just before dark. They prefer higher-quality foods like forbs commonly called weeds and browse leaves, buds, and new shoots of shrubs and treesbut they also utilize grasses when young and actively growing as well as succulents.
Most of the remainder what states are mule deer found in – what states are mule deer found in the diet is forbs, and grasses and succulents e. The actual diet of deer is very diverse and reflects what is available. Common foods in northern New Mexico include aspen, chokecherry, oaks, bearberry, bitterbrush, mountain mahogany, and most other shrubs in the rose family Rosaceae.
Winter diets may be supplemented with firs, pines, and other evergreens, though in limited quantities because many of these conifers contain secondary plant compounds that are toxic to deer, inhibiting function of their digestive systems. In southern New Mexico, common foods include mountain mahogany, oaks, skunkbush, yucca, ceanothus, mesquite pods, globemallow, vervain, and silktassel. In all areas, a wide variety of other forbs are important depending upon what exactly is available.
Mule deer are classed as concentrate selectorsmeaning they eat lesser amounts of very high-quality foods; hence, they select for foods with high concentrations of readily digestible nutrients such as simple sugars. These are, as noted previously, mainly browse and forbs. Because of their need for high-quality foods, deer are always on the move while feeding. They take a bite and move on, spending little time in one spot, selecting the best foods that are available. This continued movement ensures a properly balanced diet if sufficient plant species are present.
Like other ruminants, the mule deer has a four-chambered stomach. When they eat, the food is swallowed with a minimum amount of chewing. Between feedings, the food is regurgitated and rechewed as cud.
When reswallowed, it passes through the other chambers of the stomach and on through the digestive system. Food passes through their digestive system much more rapidly than in elk or cattle, however, and this short retention time limits just how much plant material mule deer can digest.
What states are mule deer found in – what states are mule deer found in. Best States to Hunt Mule Deer
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Best States to Hunt Mule Deer | onX Hunt.The 6 Best States for Hunting Mule Deer
They're very close to the first list. Journal of Range Management. Mule deer readily adapt to agricultural products and landscape plantings. Colorado: 0. 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. Today, he finds himself in Lander, WY where he is the communications director for the Wyoming Wildlife Federation, a nonprofit wildlife and hunting conservation organization.
