One of the largest families of a species is the Deer family. Some are short, some more agile, and some with antlers or without them-every species of deer is identified by its location and specifications.
All hunters must know about the various deer types to know how they would behave and what strategies and hunting tips will make their adventures worthwhile. Read on and get introduced to the fam!
• Whitetail Deer
We started with the deer type that you must be familiar with. In the United States, Whitetail deer are widely and are the most popular species too! From Canada to the Peruvian Andes, Whitetail is found densely in the area east of the Rocky Mountains.
The distinctive feature of the Whitetail is the tail color-white, of course! The top of the tail is the same color as the coat, but the lower side is bright, and the deer use it to flash a danger alarm so the herd can run to safety.
The young Whitetail deer have white spots that disappear with age. The size of this species varies with gender.
The doe will be a smaller version weighing only 55 pounds. However, the Whitetail buck is bigger, and near the Canadian coast, this species gets larger. A buck near Canada may weigh as much as 400 pounds!
The Whitetail personality is diverse, and they are adaptable to changes. This type of deer will mate in the fall so that fawns are produced in spring.
This type of deer is found near forests, savannahs, and prairies. Their diet includes grasses, acorns, and fruits. The grazing time for this type of deer is dusk and dawn.
Hunters must know that this species is susceptible to sound and can sprint if they smell a foreign body! Moreover, they have special techniques to signal their herds, like flashing the tailor dropping their ears.
The aggressive look or antler use for dominance is also gestured most commonly used by the Whitetail Deer species.
• Blacktail Deer
This type of deer is most common in California and Alaska. This type is a sub-species of the mule deer, which are similar to the Whitetail species.
However, Blacktail is shorter and have black tails and coat that turn lighter in summer but dark in winter. The buck can weigh as much as 200 pounds, while the doe can close in on around 130 pounds.
Blacktail Deer can be hunted with care and caution, with the proper agility as they are fast and can suspect foreigners by a mere whisper.
The deer herd can communicate with one another by gestures, so if you are not appropriately hidden, chances are the herd will disappear, and you will not be left with much!
Blacktail feeds on acorns, fungi, grass, lichen, and fruits, so you can set up camp where you see some excellent vegetation. You can use compound bows, recurves, or any other kind of crossbow to shoot down a blacktail. The skin of this type is medium-thick, so hunters can apply speed without being too forceful.
• Mule Deer
The mule has a unique look that can make it easier to identify. Mule deer have bigger ears that distinguish them from the Whitetail.
Moreover, the antlers are higher, and this type of deer is medium-sized. The average weight of a buck and doe can be around 200 pounds and 150 pounds, respectively.
The mule deer is braver than other species as they are less cautious, although their area of origin makes them easy targets by a more significant number of hunters and wild predators.
The Mule Deer is found in California, Rocky Mountains, and Alaska. Hunters favor these spots, and with the straightforward nature of the mule, it is most possible that you will return with a healthy and boastful bounty!
The season for Mule Deer hunting is shorter as they tend to disappear near November when shooters keep visiting the wild for some catch.
What distinguishes this type of deer from others is that it does not have a very diverse diet. Often hunters feel that it will impact the taste of meat, which has a more robust flavor.
The Mule Deer hangs around for a longer part of the day, and you can spot them in multiples in open areas.
• Axis Deer
We added this type of deer just because it resembles the ones we have seen growing up! All animated movies, comics, fairy tales, and stories have pictures of the spotted deer! This medium-sized deer species have an exotic ancestry.
The Axis is not found in the United States if you want to go out and look for them! This species is found in India and has a spotted coat.
The antlers of bucks are scanty, white, and very tall. They lose these antlers every year and manage to grow new ones to a height of almost three feet! The Axis Deer lives in warmer regions and is a usual species to be spotted in India. However, this deer type has been located in Texas, but it is not found in large herds.
The female Axis can deposit her scent from the glands near their eyes. During the rut season, they tend to become more aggressive and feisty!
However, that shouldn’t be a problem for hunters in the United States as they will hardly encounter the Axis! Unless if you are in Texas and wish to go hunting during the summers.
• Elk
The elk is a beautiful creature and one of my personal favorites in nature. This large deer species are abundantly found in North America and is closely related to the Red Deer.
While doe can weigh as much as 550 pounds, you can spot bucks that weigh more than 700 pounds! Now that is some trophy to carry home! With a reddish hue, their coat is thick and has fur too. The elk lives in colder regions and is a big animal to hunt down.
Hunters will have to use a bigger arrowhead to pierce through the coat and penetrate the organs. Elks are swift, but they can be easy targets during grazing time. This species exists in large herds and migrates together.
People hunt elks for the quality of meat and those tall and distinct antlers! You might have to check the state laws in your area to see if you can hunt elk or not.
In some eastern states, they are less in number, and therefore lottery may be the only way to get permission.
The other types of deer include Moose, Coues Deer, and Red Deer, found in North America but are not some of the most sought-after species for hunting.
You can enjoy the various species and get to know more about them too, and all this knowledge will only help you become a better hunter!
Last word
There are many types of deer globally, and all have some distinct features due to location and diet. In North America, quite a few species are found, and we have discussed the most popular and hunted species.
After reading about their nature and distinct features, you will be able to bring down more deer than before, and the fun of knowing how they behave will add to your adventure!