Which is bigger- whitetail or mule deer?

[bobcat]

Not talking about antler size here, but body size and weight. Also not talking of the blacktail/mule deer cross deer that we have here in the Cascades.

So let's say deer from states like Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.

I did some searching online but can't find any definitive answers. Most sources seem to say whitetails and mule deer are the same size. I always thought mule deer were slightly bigger. But maybe not. Also I'm wondering about both male and female, not just bucks.

Any biologists on here?

[huntnphool]

I've shot both in each of those states and the mule deer have been larger in each state.

[vandeman17]

My experience, though limited is that mule deer tend to be a little bigger body wise the whitetails. I have hunted and killed deer in WA, ID and MT and have found this to be true. It just seems to me that mule deer are more stalky and tend to carry a little more weight then the leaner whitetails. I know there are exceptions because I have seem some FAT whitetails but in general, I think mulies are bigger. 

[Mr Mykiss]

in general, I think mulies are bigger. 

[KFhunter]

no question - mule deer are larger body mass overall


WT taste better though 


What's confusing is WT vary in body size by state and even subspecies, mule deer tend to always be about the same. 
In TX the WT are pretty small, up here they're about middle size and Alberta they're huge - and in NE states too they're big.

You should see the little dinkers in Florida 

[bobcat]

I'd like to see some actual studies that have been done, or data that's been compiled of the actual live or hanging weight of both species. Anyone know of any such thing?

[Kazekurt]

In general, mule deer are bigger but I've heard of 400 lbs whitetail being taken so there are exceptions.

[KFhunter]

I'd like to see some actual studies that have been done, or data that's been compiled of the actual live or hanging weight of both species. Anyone know of any such thing?

Hard to do, which group of WT are you going to compare?

A Florida WT - no contest they're tiny.
TX?  Also small WT

Alberta?  Some of them bruisers would give any mule deer a run for hanging weight!


If you just want to talk about WA - then the averages would fall to the mule deer.  I've hung up a lot of each the mules always run bigger.

[bobcat]

I'd like to see some actual studies that have been done, or data that's been compiled of the actual live or hanging weight of both species. Anyone know of any such thing?

Hard to do, which group of WT are you going to compare?

A Florida WT - no contest they're tiny.
TX?  Also small WT

Alberta?  Some of them bruisers would give any mule deer a run for hanging weight!

That's why I specified- Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.

[KFhunter]

oh you did 

My non-expert opinion says mule deer - actually I considered this a no brainer

[Kazekurt]

The mule deer is the larger of the two Odocoileus species on average, with a height of 80–106 cm (31–42 in) at the shoulders and a nose-to-tail length ranging from 1.2 to 2.1 m (3.9 to 6.9 ft). Of this, the tail may comprise 11.6 to 23 cm (4.6 to 9.1 in). Adult bucks (male deer) normally weigh 55–150 kg (121–330 lb), averaging around 92 kg (203 lb), although trophy specimens may weigh up to 210 kg (460 lb). Does (female deer) are rather smaller and typically weigh from 43 to 90 kg (95 to 200 lb), with an average of around 68 kg (150 lb).[8][9][10][11] Unlike the whitetail, the mule deer does not generally show marked size variation across its range, although environmental conditions can cause considerable weight fluctuations in any given population. An exception to this is the subspecies, the Sitka black-tailed deer (O. h. sitkensis). This race is markedly smaller than other mule deer, with an average weight of 54.5 kg (120 lb) and 36 kg (79 lb) in males and females, respectively.[12]

[csaaphill]

Mule deer are bigger usually
even does weigh more than whitetail does.

[bobcat]

Eastern Washington could be included in that as well, so long as it's not in an area that has the blacktail influence.

[Kazekurt]

Size and weight
The white-tailed deer is highly variable in size, generally following Bergmann's rule that the average size is larger further away from the Equator. North American male deer (also known as a buck or stag) usually weighs 60 to 130 kg (130 to 290 lb) but, in rare cases, bucks in excess of 159 kg (351 lb) have been recorded. Mature bucks over 400 pounds are recorded in the northernmost reaches of their native range, specifically, Minnesota and Ontario. In 1926, Carl J. Lenander, Jr. took a white-tailed buck near Tofte, MN, that weighed 183 kg (403 lb) after it was field-dressed (internal organs removed) and was estimated at 232 kg (511 lb) when alive.[5] The female (doe) in North America usually weighs from 40 to 90 kg (88 to 200 lb). White-tailed deer from the tropics and the Florida Keys are markedly smaller-bodied than temperate populations, averaging 35 to 50 kg (77 to 110 lb), with an occasional adult female as small as 25.5 kg (56 lb).[6] White-tailed deer from the Andes are larger than other tropical deer of this species and have thick, slightly woolly-looking fur. Length ranges from 95 to 220 cm (37 to 87 in), including a tail of 10 to 36.5 cm (3.9 to 14.4 in), and the shoulder height is 53 to 120 cm (21 to 47 in).[7][8] Including all races, the average summer weight of adult males is 68 kg (150 lb) and is 45.3 kg (100 lb) in adult females.[9]

[Kazekurt]

Hopefully that info helps.  Looks like mule deer are definitely bigger an average but its crazy to think 500+ lbs whitetail have existed!

[boneaddict]

Muledeer if comparing animals in relativly the same area. IMO.   Only exceptions that I can think of would be Saskatchewan or some of the northern Canadian states.   I am unfamiliar with the muleys there, but I bet they run larger as well in physical stature. 

[janttihunter]

In Maine there have been a few 350-400 lb dressed Whitetail Bucks, and some 200 lb+ does, and its not uncommon to see a bunch of 250-300lb every year. But it does seem Muleys average size is prob bigger nation wide.

[RadSav]

I will have to do some digging to see if I can find the study.  Can't remember if the information was footnoted in a past B&C record book or in a Tom Brakefield book.  I'll try to dig through my material this weekend.  As I remember the study found that while Ohio, Minnesota and some Canadian provinces produce some monster bucks each year the muledeer species as a whole is considerably larger than the whitetail species as a whole. Further...as feed will certainly allow each deer species to add and carry weight accordingly the larger bone structure and muscle structure of the muledeer would surely allow for a much larger body size if all feed and nutrients were equally shared.

[oneshot12]

   got to say its the muleys that are the bigger of the  two deer   .have seen and shot a few 200 lb plus  wt  on the east coast   but  by far the mules are much larger .

[snowpack]

Not a lot of 'small' muleys that I can think of; but with being outnumbered by a bunch and much larger territory, I think Whitetails have areas where they average larger than mule deer.

[wildweeds]

Biggest bodied deer I've seen on the hoof have been corn fed whitetail pigs in Iowa and South Dakota,The buck in Iowa had wrinkles on his sides and farted with every jump and was actually kind of a slow mover as compared to the rest of the deer in that herd we spooked off of a terrace eyebrow while birdhunting.

[stevemiller]

Not a lot of 'small' muleys that I can think of; but with being outnumbered by a bunch and much larger territory, I think Whitetails have areas where they average larger than mule deer.

This is what I was gonna say.I realize Mich. was not in your list of states but Michigan white tails are huge,and abundant. 

[bobcat]

Basically what I'm trying to get at with my question is which species, where they occur in the same areas, would weigh more, on average.

So if you were to kill a mature animal in the same GMU, would the mule deer be bigger than the whitetail, and by how much.

[snowpack]

Basically what I'm trying to get at with my question is which species, where they occur in the same areas, would weigh more, on average.

So if you were to kill a mature animal in the same GMU, would the mule deer be bigger than the whitetail, and by how much.

I think mule deer, maybe 30 % or more.  I can think of a few areas they share along the rockies and it seemed a big whitetail buck would be around 220-230 lb and a big mule from the same basic area would push 300 lb.

[Curly]

http://www.monstermuleys.com/cgi-bin/stories/site99.pl?page=art-toddblackwhitetail

* White-tailed deer will out compete mule deer for available resources (food, shelter, etc.) in most habitat types. They occupy the same habitats and have similar food preferences (they are almost identical). They are similar in size, however, their ears, face, antler configuration, running (gait), etc. are different.

As I’m a Utahan born and raised and I’ve noticed the recent influx on Whitetail deer in a Mule Deer range so I thought I’d compare the two cousins for everyone.

Whitetail deer could be described as having a reddish-brown coat in the spring that becomes more of a grayish-brown during the fall and winter. They got their name for the white underside of it’s tail. They stand about three feet tall with the buck weighing in around 130-220 lbs. and the doe coming in anywhere from 90-200 lbs. The mule deer is generally a grayish brown year round. The mule deer gets its name from the size of its mule-like ears. Mule deer have a white rump patch around tail, which is thinner than the broad tail of the whitetail, and has a black tip. The mule deer stand three to three and a half feet tall at the shoulder, with bucks weighing 125-250 lbs. and does weighing in between 100 and 150 pounds.

http://therealoutdoors.wordpress.com/2008/11/02/whitetail-vs-mule-deer/


http://windmill12.com/2012/07/18/the-difference-between-mule-and-whitetail-deer/

Body size: mules weigh in a little heavier, but obviously there’s a lot of overlap, and age/nutrition play a big role in determining a specific deer’s size.

[Karl Blanchard]

Basically what I'm trying to get at with my question is which species, where they occur in the same areas, would weigh more, on average.

So if you were to kill a mature animal in the same GMU, would the mule deer be bigger than the whitetail, and by how much.

  Kind of an impossible question to answer considering genetics also comes into play.  Two mule deer eating exactly the same amount of food and being exactly the same age can have very different weights.  All depends on who your daddy is!  I guess on average your muley will come out on top though.   

[boneaddict]

 

[bobcat]

Okay, I realize there is variation between individual deer. Let's put it this way- say you're going on a meat hunt to Wyoming. Two people, with four doe tags each. The tags are good for either species.

If you came home with eight deer, would you be likely to have significantly more boned out meat if you killed eight doe mule deer versus eight doe whitetail deer?


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[bigmacc]

Basically what I'm trying to get at with my question is which species, where they occur in the same areas, would weigh more, on average.

So if you were to kill a mature animal in the same GMU, would the mule deer be bigger than the whitetail, and by how much.

  Kind of an impossible question to answer considering genetics also comes into play.  Two mule deer eating exactly the same amount of food and being exactly the same age can have very different weights.  All depends on who your daddy is!  I guess on average your muley will come out on top though.

I agree, but theres also mama to consider! ...big does also have a say-so in big kids!

[stevemiller]

In Wyoming most def. mule deer is gonna fill the freezer more.

[Mudman]

Does not matter does it?  One down is what matters.   I dont know answer but i suspect it is relevant to the area hunted.  I would think an Iowa buck is larger than many Muleys.  In Wa. Muleys seem larger to me?

[GUscottie]

Having shot a 4+ year old white tail and mule deer buck in the same area of wyoming, the mule deer was about 40 pounds bigger bar none. An immature mule deer (2-3years old) was the same size asmy white tail buck from the ssame area

[steen]

I would say mule deer definately.  This is comparing region to region, if you compare a whitetail in the Methow comparing to a mule deer in the Methow.  In saying that, we've shot bigger Blacktail body size than any other species....but that is because a lot of the black tail have been mature.  Many in our hunting career have been over 200 lbs.  This year I shot the biggest deer body wise of MY hunting career, a mulie, but last year the whitetail buck was the biggest.  My husband and kids have shot some large Blacktails Where we live the Blacktails get pretty darn big, even some two points have reached the 200 lb. mark. We figure about 1/3 of the Blacktail we've shot in our family, kids and all, have been 200 lbs on the hoof.  One weighed 275 not dressed. The problem is most people are unable to weight their deer before field dressing them.  For us it is easier to weigh the Blacktails before field dressing.  We have figured our larger Blacktails lose roughly 50 lbs. after field dressing.  We've had fun with it!

[MTMule]

Okay, I realize there is variation between individual deer. Let's put it this way- say you're going on a meat hunt to Wyoming. Two people, with four doe tags each. The tags are good for either species.

If you came home with eight deer, would you be likely to have significantly more boned out meat if you killed eight doe mule deer versus eight doe whitetail deer?


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You can keep asking the question in different ways, but that doesn't mean the answer will change. Mule deer on average are bigger then whitetails. It's extremely noticeable IMO. Doe's especially.

[bobcat]

Thanks everyone. And yes, it does matter. If the mulies have 40 pounds more meat on them, that's 320 pounds more meat we're coming home with, if we decide to hunt for mule deer instead of whitetails.

I was pretty sure mule deer were bigger, but I wasn't sure if it was a significant amount or not. Sounds like it is!

[JLS]

Okay, I realize there is variation between individual deer. Let's put it this way- say you're going on a meat hunt to Wyoming. Two people, with four doe tags each. The tags are good for either species.

If you came home with eight deer, would you be likely to have significantly more boned out meat if you killed eight doe mule deer versus eight doe whitetail deer?


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I think on average you can count on getting 50-60 pounds of boneless meat off of mature mule deer does, and about 40-50 on mature whitetail does. 

I personally think the whitetails are a little better eating, but if you are going to make it into burger, pepperoni, etc then I wouldn't worry about it.

[bigmacc]

OH-OH. now your in my wheelhouse ...dont care to much about horn size but i love a well put together muley..I myself look at and notice body size,posture and the way a deer carry,s itself when walking or when they stott(bounce) and can usually tell if its a buck or doe(if the head cant be seen)  and can usually judge its weight pretty darn close.If its got 3points i will determine if i,m squeezing the trigger...  not by its horn size,but by body size(just my thing). We weigh all our deer and i,ll tell ya weve had more than one tip the scale at over 400,many over 300 and the majority in the 200lb range(give or take)They seem to me to be bigger,i have seen some big whiteys also,but never have shot one but i do have friends in Alberta that have put down some flaggers that went in the mid 300,s,but then again they have shot some muleys that were in the 400,s

[bobcat]

Okay, I realize there is variation between individual deer. Let's put it this way- say you're going on a meat hunt to Wyoming. Two people, with four doe tags each. The tags are good for either species.

If you came home with eight deer, would you be likely to have significantly more boned out meat if you killed eight doe mule deer versus eight doe whitetail deer?


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I think on average you can count on getting 50-60 pounds of boneless meat off of mature mule deer does, and about 40-50 on mature whitetail does. 

I personally think the whitetails are a little better eating, but if you are going to make it into burger, pepperoni, etc then I wouldn't worry about it.

That's actually more what I was thinking. Ten pounds difference between them. I like deer steaks, will cut as many steaks as I can get, off the hind quarters. That and the backstrap. The rest will be ground for burger or I may try my hand for the first time at making my own breakfast sausage.

[NRA4LIFE]

The biggest bodied deer I have taken was an old WT in Missouri in '07.  Gutted, he was 240 lbs (and yes, it was weighed).  And I have seen some real monsters taken in Northern WI, many 250+ gutted.  My SE MT muley this year tipped the Cabelas scale at 225 lbs (with guts still in).  However, just from experience in those states, the Muleys are bigger on average.

[Come Get Some]

I have shot alot of Mule deer. The mule deer I just shot in New Mexico was the smallest mule deer I have ever seen (body size). The world record mule deer (Antlers) was killled there. I had an article years ago about a 560 lb white tail. It was in the mid west. Generaly the white tail are smaller. I got to see some mounts that the locals had in their homes while I was there. HOLY Mule deer Batman. One was over 250 " Many over 200" I will be going back. They eat dry Dry DRY DRY feed all day. Best tasting deer I have ever eaten. I was thinking about eating mesquite and grease wood my self. The deer all looked like they just got back from Jean Juaraze Salon.

[Hangfire]

Jack O'Conner had a article on this years ago. His conclusion as I remember was, deer of both species are larger as you go north. The largest whitetail are in the north east, largest mule deer in the north. The very largest of each species about the same.  Where they both coexist the mule deer average larger. Mt personnel observation is Washington mule deer  body weight is larger than eastern Wyoming or eastern Montana mule deer. and body weight of Pend Oreille county mule deer larger than Ferry county mule deer.

If I wanted to bring back as much meat as possible I wouldn't shoot small deer. Proper bullet placement, key to how much good meat. A very large mule deer shot in the hind quarters will yield less than a white tail shot through the ribs/lungs. Of course the proper bullet is required.

[Hangfire]

It sounds like your counting your chickens before they hatch. Go where you will have the best success and fun. Six tags filled with mule deer may not yield  with 8 tags filled with white tail.  If you are only looking at meat, stay home and buy some beef.

[Hangfire]

We make breakfast sausage every year, very good. We use 21 pounds of lean meat, 4 pounds of meaty pork fat from Eaggers (local butcher shop, Spokane). A package of Eagers sausage seasoning, each seasoning package good for 25 pounds of meat/fat, plus we add additional rubbed sage (my wife does not measure any thing so sage by exoerience). I run the meat through the grinder with the pork fat. I hand mix well and then add the seasoning distributed evenly into the meat as I mix it. I then run all through the grinder one more time. Package into small packages that will make a patty each for me and my wife. Really good.

[Shed Stud]

I have shot alot of Mule deer. The mule deer I just shot in New Mexico was the smallest mule deer I have ever seen (body size). The world record mule deer (Antlers) was killled there. I had an article years ago about a 560 lb white tail. It was in the mid west. Generaly the white tail are smaller. I got to see some mounts that the locals had in their homes while I was there. HOLY Mule deer Batman. One was over 250 " Many over 200" I will be going back. They eat dry Dry DRY DRY feed all day. Best tasting deer I have ever eaten. I was thinking about eating mesquite and grease wood my self. The deer all looked like they just got back from Jean Juaraze Salon.

FYI if your talking about antlers the world record typ Dolres Co CO 1972 226 4/8, non typ Chip Lake AB 1926 355 2/8, not to say that New Mexico doesn't have great bucks.