BigGameHunt.net Hunting Forums

[echohill]

is there actually a unit where you have to determine it to be a blacktail instead of a mule deer?
we have units in washington where there are whitetails and mule deer, and some seasons you can only shoot a whitetail, but thats an easy determination.
i guess if you're hunting a unit, it's either officially going to be blacktails or mule deer, not both, so i'm not sure how you could be cited or ticketed for shooting a mule deer in a blacktail unit.

[fuzzybear]

In Washington. If it is west of the peak of the Cascades. It's a Blacktail.

[echohill]

I guess thats kind of what i meant...is that not the case where he wants to hunt???

[fuzzybear]

I'm not sure where he's looking to hunt. All I understood was a concern in taking a Mulies as apposed to a Blacktail.
Mulies are typically inland and Blacktail run the coast. Much like the Grizzly, Brown Bear and Polar Bear. They are the same critter but, through the ages have relocated and adapted.

[aullori]

"mulies have a tail about 7 1/2 inches long and it is rope like with a black tip plus it is surrounded by a white rump patch"

Over in our parts there is both... This is the key for me. I ran into a little guy - here is a photo of him and his backside. If you see black on the tail and it does not look like this you're looking at a blacktail deer. I think this guy was a yearling.

hope this helps for a visual. I completely understand the confusion here.

[aullori]

i never hunted that little guy - just with a camera.

[osagejake]

Just an FYI. B&C now has a seperate category for blacktails taken east of I-5. They WILL be scored as Cascade Blacktails. I had my four point officially scored this way.

[blacktail hunter]

Hello- I thought I would leave a little info for ya. I know that blacktails really have a "blacktail". most muleys tails are tipped with black not the whole tail. also like everyone else has said they have BIG ears (muleys) and they normaly have a bigger "crown" on their forhead than a blacktail. at least up here in washington

[Don Fischer]

Welcome aboard you new guy's. Good stuff. Hope the blacktails really understand what side of I5 their supposed to stay on! I've never paid that close attention to the tails. But then I don't doubt it either.

[blacktail hunter]

Are you planning on hunting muley or blacktail. And I agree I dont get to pay much attention to their @$$ either I am more interested in the antlers. but also check the "crown". thanks for the welcome!!! :D

[nailbender]

The ears on mulies allway give them away. Blacktails will wait you out. They have ALOT of patience if they feel safe. Mulies are more skitish and will flight faster and run to top of a hill and stop and look back, your last chance at a shot. Not to metion, mulies tend to have wider spread racks. Just my $.02

[CentralOBow]

This is a quote from Deschutes & Ochoco NF Website located at http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/centra.....ofed.shtml "IN CENTRAL OREGON: Many Columbian black-tailed deer spend their summers with Rocky Mountain Mule Deer in the sub alpine parklands of the high Cascades, when winter snows blow in the deer must migrate to lower elevations, inevitably some blacktails migrate into Central Oregon with mule deer. These populations of mule and blacktails breed or intergrade to form a hybrid population. The resulting offspring resembles an exceptionally large blacktail, with careful observation differences may be noticed, for example, a dark vertical stripe extending down the entire length of a wide tail is typical of a blacktail/mule deer intergrade. Large populations of Columbian black-tailed deer can be seen at the White River wildlife area." Thought this may be of interest to some of you high desert hunters. I wonder if the hybrids taste better than the mulies.