Mule deer reference · Quick facts
The mule ears, the forked rack, the pogo-stick stot, the 150-mile migrations, and a winter that decides everything. The most striking verified facts about the West's own deer — scannable and linked back to the full references.
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Frequently asked
The ears — the large, mule-like ears, 8 to 10 inches long, that give the deer its name. Combined with the forked (bifurcated) antlers, the black-tipped tail, and the bounding 'stot' escape gait, the ears make a mule deer unmistakable from a whitetail, which has smaller ears, a single-beam antler, and a flag-and-run escape.
Mule deer can run roughly 45 miles per hour in a sprint, but their signature movement is the stot — bounding off all four legs at once — which lets them cover rough, broken country efficiently rather than at top flat-ground speed. The stot is built for the boulders and brush of western terrain, where a straight sprint would fail.
Wild mule deer typically live 9 to 11 years, though many die younger to predation, hard winters, and hunting. Winter range condition is one of the biggest factors in mule deer longevity and herd health — a tough winter on poor range takes a heavy toll, especially on fawns and old deer.
From the page to the field
Elk Glade guides mule deer on GMU 59 limited entry — combined with elk on the shared seasons, or on their own. Low pressure, mature bucks, an hour from Colorado Springs.
