NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/581251
24 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2015 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NEBR BR BR BR BR BR BR BR BR BR BR BR BR BR BR BR BR BR B AS AS AS AS AS AS AS AS AS AS AS AS AS AS A KA KA KA K la land nd • NOV OVEM EMBE BE BER R R R 20 20 20 20 2015 15 15 15 15 F rom his bed near a Sandhills ridgetop, a lone mule deer buck could see for miles any danger that might approach in front of him. Only with a keen eye could you see him from a distance, his buff coat blending perfectly with the grass. With the wind at his back, he could smell anything that came from behind. And those big ears, the ones that give him his name, constantly turning this way and that, could hear my footsteps crunch through the dry grass at 30 yards. When they did, in a matter of seconds, he shot from his bed, bounded over the hill like he was on a rocket- powered pogo stick and disappeared into the wide open countryside, not even having the courtesy to stop and look back, as his brethren often do, and give me one more photo op. Nebraska, with its diverse geographic changes from west to east, is on the edge of the mule deer's range. The Sandhills and its wide-open spaces are perfectly suited for mule deer, as are many other places throughout the western two-thirds of the state where the species thrives. In fact, there were more mule deer in Nebraska a few years ago than there ever were – a notable feather in the cap of conservation considering there were but 25 left a little more than 100 years ago – and biologists expect the population to reach that point again soon. But in some areas, the species merely survives as habitat changes continue to redefine the edge of its range. And even in some strongholds like the Pine Ridge, other factors, including disease, have reduced the population, grabbing the attention of wildlife managers, landowners and hunters who want to ensure the future of this icon of the plains. Those Ears The mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) is one of two species of deer that roam the Nebraska countryside. The other, the white-tailed deer, can be found statewide with greatest densities in the east and along rivers and streams. The mule deer prefers wide- open spaces and is found throughout the western half of the state and a few more in the larger expanses of grassland in the eastern half. While the black-tailed deer found in the northwestern parts of North America is considered to be a subspecies of mule deer, it may actually be the source. Recent DNA studies have led researchers to speculate that black-tailed bucks bred with white-tailed does to produce mule deer following the last ice age between 7,000 and 15,000 years ago. The species have three easily recognizable differences, the first being the ears: a mule deer's are about 25 percent larger. The species' tail and rump differ as well. A whitetail's white rump is nearly covered when its bushy tail, the top of which is colored the same as its body, is down. When alarmed, that tail is raised as a white flag. A mule deer's tail is small and white with a black tip, almost always down and doesn't cover the deer's white rump. While not easy for some to recognize, a mule deer buck's antlers are different, too. Unlike a whitetail, which has points rising from a single main beam, a mule deer's antlers branch into two forked beams, giving a typical mature buck four points per side, five if it has brow tines. Those antlers are sometimes used as sparring weapons during the fall breeding season as bucks stake claim to dominance over a herd. During the rut, which runs from October to December, bucks don't mark their territories with scrapes and rubs like whitetails do. Instead, they roam the countryside searching for does, occasionally stopping to flail their antlers against a tree or shrub, the noise of which signals dominance to other bucks. A few does are in estrus and ready for breeding in October. If they are Story and photos by Eric Fowler Mulies The past, present and future of mule deer in Nebraska.