A Hybrid in the making?

[Pathfinder101]

Check this out.  My boy and I were headed back from a quick scout to the blues this evening and we see this little buck out in a farmer's small (maybe 2 acre) pasture, so we stop so the boy can get some pics.  There was a doe out there too.  The buck (as you can see) is a mulie, and the doe is a whitetail.  Just the two of them, hanging out together, like they were siblings.  My son walked up to the fence to get a pic through the wire, and the doe walked up to him like it wanted to get fed (someone must be feeding them).  After a while the buck did the same thing.
Wonder what is going to come of this little "relationship" (assuming he makes it to the rut, which is doubtful)?
 

[Gutpile]

That buck will probably end up on one of those hunting shows and the host can tell everybody how hard he hunted.

[norsepeak]

It's extremely rare, like less than 1% that mulies and whitetails can actually breed.  So I doubt anything will happen.

[D-Rock425]

what about mulies and blacktail to they.

[mossback91]

That buck will probably end up on one of those hunting shows and the host can tell everybody how hard he hunted.

hey its hard work climbing fences gut!!

[tonymoe]

what about mulies and blacktail to they.

yes, this is what washington calls the "cascade blacktail"

[robb92]

Cool pics!!

[jeepasaurusrex]

what about mulies and blacktail to they.

yes, this is what washington calls the "cascade blacktail"

AKA  Benchlegs.

[MichaelJ]

It's extremely rare, like less than 1% that mulies and whitetails can actually breed.  So I doubt anything will happen.

Really???  Not doubting you, but where'd ya here that?

Michael

[PolarBear]

On my land in Republic there was a whitetail doe with 2 mulie fawns on her last year.  I doubt if she adopted them, they were still nursing when I saw them.  I shot a whitie/mulie cross above Brewster many years ago.  I think that it is more common than you might think.

[andrew_12gauge]

saw a big whitey/muley cross taken out near othello, ive read that where whitetails and mule deer intermingle that crosses are fairly common but only about 1% survive their first year

[elkaholic123]

I was told by a reliable source that it is mostly whitetail bucks breeding muley does,but sometimes it is the other way around!

[blacktailer]

Agreed elkaholic.  Whitetail bucks are a lot more agressive breeders during the rut and tend to breed about anything they can pin down

[Pathfinder101]

I went by the pasture again today.  They were both out there again this afternoon.  This is the third time in a week I have seen them in the same pasture together.  No other deer around.

[gunnarnewt]

    Those deer are tame. The guy who's pasture you saw them in has raised them from fawns. They don't even know they can jump the fence. But I agree, they will make some interesting fawns if they figure things out. How does he get away with raising them in captivity is my question.

[Grizzly_Adams]

    Those deer are tame. The guy who's pasture you saw them in has raised them from fawns. They don't even know they can jump the fence. But I agree, they will make some interesting fawns if they figure things out. How does he get away with raising them in captivity is my question.

not sure what the laws are up there but on a visit to my dads gf's brother in mighigan they drove me past a guys farm that had a heard of albino whitetails (said he had zooalogic permits) also said he'd been doing it for years and once in the past some peta tree huggers cut his fences while he was away on vacation. I guess the plus side to that would be some odd ball trophy genes running around in the woods in the area.