Blacktail+Whitetail=Muley?

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Watched huntin show and Scott the guy huntin blacktail deer flat out said blacktail mated with whitetail to make muley. Any biologists on here that can confirm?Tried searchin it but found nothing.

[luvtohnt]

It is not that simple. mtDNA (mitochondrial DNA) of mule deer are very similar to that of a whitetail meaning they possibly originated from the same species a long time ago. However many experts believe that the mule deer and the blacktail deer are in fact conspecific, or the same species. The reason they think this is because of the hybridization that occurs in nature between mule and blacktail deer. There are very few wild hybrid whitetail mule deer cross, and the ones that are discovered have a short life. Not sure if it has something to do with genetics or something else. I found all this on Wikipedia under the taxonomy part of the mule deer page.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mule_deer

Brandon

[BowBender87]

I did read something about this in I THINK, the Iverson Blacktail Tactics book.  If it wasnt that then maybe it was one of the north american hunting books.  It also went on to talk about why mule deer have such large antlers and why blacktails dont.

[grundy53]

Most research as of now says yes. Whitetails mixed with blacktails over a course of time and eventually created mule deer.

[whacker1]

It is not that simple. mtDNA (maternal DNA) of mule deer are very similar to that of a whitetail meaning they possibly originated from the same species a long time ago. However many experts believe that the mule deer and the blacktail deer are in fact conspecific, or the same species. The reason they think this is because of the hybridization that occurs in nature between mule and blacktail deer. There are very few wild hybrid whitetail mule deer cross, and the ones that are discovered have a short life. Not sure if it has something to do with genetics or something else. I found all this on Wikipedia under the taxonomy part of the mule deer page.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mule_deer

Brandon

This is the story I have gotten elsewhere as well.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Thats good food for thought. Thanks for the time.

[JColony]

I'm no expert, but if whitetails and blacktails crossed, wouldn't muley's be smaller??

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

I havent talked to anybody from the last ice age to know..

[boneaddict]

Valerius Geist was probably the most foremost biologist pushing that theory.   You can try googling him or some of his works.   He spells it out in his Muledeer book.  His beliefs anyway.   Not sure I believe it.  If it were that easy, then why are hybrids infertile???

[grundy53]

I'm no expert, but if whitetails and blacktails crossed, wouldn't muley's be smaller??

Usually hybrids are larger than the two species that made it.

[JColony]

Usually hybrids are larger than the two species that made it.

Like I said, not an expert.

[benhuntin]

  AS far as I know you are an expert Go back to work

[BOWHUNTER45]

I am no expert but I do know the University of Pittsburg has done countless hours studying whitetail and they swear whitetail do not interbreed with other deer like Mulies & blacktail ...

[kirkl]

Did you guys all sleep at a holiday inn last night. 

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Thanks for the reminder of that work thing. It is friday you know.