California Southern Mule Deer

[Big Browns]

Interesting info!

[billrquimby]

"Guess what I'm curious about is do the deer know the county boundaries? If you're hunting D16, you're essentially hunting an area that 4 supposed deer subspecies converge. "Pacific Hybrid" is probably the best way I've heard them described. Not knocking anyone, I'm honestly curious how these different subspecies are assigned. Can anyone list out identifying characteristics between a California, Southern, Desert, Peninsular, etc. Mule Deer? Or are the only differences apparent in a blood test."

 

The short answer is yes, someone can list identifying characteristics of those subspecies, but not me without some research. I'm an author/editor (not a scientist) who was fortunate to have hunted or observed a couple dozen different types of deer on five continents (six, if I counted a hog deer from Pakistan I spent a couple of hours watching on a hunting estate in South Africa), and I read a lot of popular and scientific literature because I have a great interest in knowing more about the world's many big game animals.

 

I do know differences between subspecies develop over eons as animals adapt to the needs of their specific habitats. These differences are not always quickly visible to most of us. One of the differences between a California mule deer and a Columbia blacktail, for example, is the size and presence of certain scent glands on their legs. With other animals, it may be average measurements of certain bones in their skulls or wherever. Differences in antler shape, body size and coloration that are important to hunters may or may not be important to a taxonomist.

 

As you mentioned, when the boundaries of subspecies merge, these differences are blurred. There is nothing wrong with hunters creating a record book category that lumps multiple subspecies if it reduces confusion and makes sense to hunters. Boundaries are arbitrary anyway. If a boundary is set along a highway or a river or the top of a mountain range, the same deer might be called a Rocky Mountain mule deer on one side in the morning and a California mule deer on the other in the afternoon. A line has to be drawn somewhere, though.

 

Record books are tools and history books created by hunters for hunters and can be enlightening and fun to read, but taxonomy is a science and taxonomists take what they do, which is classifying living organisms, seriously.

 

I find it v-e-r-y interesting that not all of them agree.

 

Bill Quimby