I shot this guy this morning, 305yds with my 300win.180gr TSX, I'm certain it is a mulie/whitail hybrid. I was sure I was shooting a whitetail the color, size and half the horns all told me witetail. Any way should make some good sausage.

Elkman, congrats. He definitely has the 'mulie' look about his antlers. What did his tail look like, whitetail or mule deer style?

Nice shooting with your rig, what was the terminal performance, e.g. did the TSX pass clean through (which I would sure guess) and what kind of exit wound--size--did it leave?

Thanks for sharing the pic--Don

Looks like 100% mulie to me. Congrats on the buck. He will eat just fine.

Hey Elkman, Congratulations on the kill. Always nice to do it with your own reloads.

quote:

Originally posted by ELKMAN2:
I shot this guy this morning, 305yds with my 300win.180gr TSX, I'm certain it is a mulie/whitail hybrid. I was sure I was shooting a whitetail the color, size and half the horns all told me witetail. Any way should make some good sausage.

No offence Elkman, but that thing looks nothing like a whitetail at all...or a hybrid for that matter. Judging by the photograph, there are absolutely NOTHING whitailish about that buck. All mule deer...I've seen hundreds just like em.

MG

When I shot him he was with white tail does. The sun was shining on them and he appeared way more "tan" than a mulie. I got a good look at the non forking side of his horns and it told me white tail.. After the shot I glassed him before walking in to him and the horn sticking up was all whitetail, when I was almost to him I saw the tail and it was a mulie. I still feel it has some characteristics of a WT, , it doesn't matter and I understand all you guys can go by is the pic but when I look at him hanging in my shop I still see some WT in him.

In the WILD, mule deer/white-tail deer hybrids are EXTREMELY RARE - more myth than reality. Hybrids have occurred in captivity, not in the wild. That's a mule deer. Regards, AIU

AIU, you are mistaken, the hybrids do occur in the wild. Several have been taken in an area I've hunted and I myself took a mulie/whitetail hybrid in eastern Colorado a few years ago.

Didn't look anything like the deer in the photo. The one I took had a black forehead patch like a mulie, but the antler tines all oringinated off the main beam like a whitetail. He had a tail in the whitetail configuration, but it was only about 3 inches long like a mule deer tail. His color wasn't quite right for either species and the head was really blocky looking. He was running with 3 whitetail does when he took the shot.

I had a Game Warden look the deer over and he was the one who told me it was one of the hybrids. He was really glad to have it taken out of the herd.

The photo looke pure mulie to me, but it's a nice buck and if I had a valid tag, he would be wearing it.

Mac

Nice deer, elkman2. Good Job!

Congratulations,Nice Buck!

Well, congrats! Not to argue but it appears 100% mulie to me. White face, dark skull cap, big ears, no brow tines, and several young mulie bucks grow antlers in that pattern.

I've taken one myself in CO, first mulie ever, looks just like yours.

In WY, I watched both species intermingle and I know they interbreed, but in your case, he sure looks like a typical young mulie to me.

quote:

Originally posted by Ackley Improved User:
In the WILD, mule deer/white-tail deer hybrids are EXTREMELY RARE - more myth than reality. Hybrids have occurred in captivity, not in the wild.

Wow! There goes my PhD down the drain, I wish someone would have told me sooner!!!!

Actually, hybrids may make-up as much as 6-10% of a population where they overlap. There is strong selection pressure against them therefore they rarely survive long enough to be harvested.

IV

Looks to me to be a good eating young 3x4 mulie.

I'd not be for thinking about it being a cross but I am not there so who knows.

But from the pic I see that wouldn't of even crossed my mind.

Good eating!

Mark D

Idaho is right, they are fairly common in areas where the ranges overlap. I have a hunting buddy with a wildlife degree and he spent a year or two observing hybrids,etc for the state of Wyoming Fish and Game. It was far more common for the more agressive whitetail to just run the mulies off, but the hybrids were almost always from whitetail bucks-mulie does

Nice buck Elkman.

From your picture, I'll have to agree with everyone else, he looks 100% mule deer to me. Other than two points coming off the left mainbeam, I don't see any whitetail traits in that deer. A 3-pt antler is typical for alot of young mulies, and there are alot of blacktails that never get more than three points.

He will be all smiles at the dinner table no matter what it is. Looks more mulie to me but the meat is read and lean just the same. Nice start to the season.