The ears are long, the metatarsal gland is surrounded by hairs similar in color but considerably longer than those on the remainder of the metatarsus, and the tail is short and constricted basally.Īmong adult males, the antlers are dichotomously branched with tines of approximately equal length. The mule deer is the larger member of the genus in Oregon. Black-tailed deer are susceptible to Deer Hair Loss Syndrome, Adenovirus Hemorrhagic Disease, Chronic Wasting Disease, and Fibromatosis. Activity periods are influenced strongly by temperature.Ĭheck our Living with Wildlife, Deer and Elk with tips on living with deer. They tend to be secretive and often rely on stealth or concealment rather than speed as a means of escape. Oregon's black-tail deer occur throughout the state west of the Cascade Range. The hooves of males are significantly longer than those of females among adults and significantly broader. The pelage of the Columbian black-tailed deer is dark reddish-brown, the face is brownish rather than grayish or white, the rump patch is small and does not extend much beyond the tail, and the tail is brownish or black dorsally, white ventrally. Nevertheless, we emphasize that despite these differences, the races readily integrate and produce offspring. Although not as long or wide as that of the white-tail, it is much larger than that of the mule deer.īecause of the differences in size, color, marking, ecology, and behavior, and because of the voluminous information available for the two races, we decided to treat them separately. The most distinguishing feature of the black-tailed deer is the tail. The mule deer is larger, lighter in color, and often associated with more open habitats, whereas the black-tailed deer is smaller and darker, and frequents dense, early seral forest communities. Of these, two occur in Oregon - the mule deer and Columbian black-tailed deer, often just referred to as "Black-tailed deer." Nearly a dozen subspecies of Odocoileus hemionus are recognized. You can also learn more about elk hoof disease and chronic wasting disease. ODFW's Living with Wildlife, Deer and Elk has tips on elk fencing and limiting elk damage on your property. The former is slightly smaller and lighter colored it has more slender but longer, less webbed, and more spreading antlers than the latter. Two of the six recognized races of elk occur in Oregon: Rocky Mountain elk east of the Cascade Range and Roosevelt elk west of the Cascade Range. In Oregon, elk occur throughout the state but are most abundant in the Blue and Wallowa mountains and in the northern Coast Range, and least abundant in the southeastern High Desert region. The antlers become polished in July, at which time activity increases as males commence to search for untended females or those tended by less formidable males. Male elk, especially the larger ones, tend to be solitary most of the year however, during May and June when antler growth is rapid, males, including larger ones, sometimes form herds. Leadership of these herds usually is provided by an older female with an offspring, but other females with offspring assume leadership duties at times. Nevertheless, there is considerable overlap in areas used by adjacent herds and there is considerable exchange of individuals among adjacent herds. The underparts (except for a whitish patch between the hind legs) and legs are dark brown to almost blackish.Īdult females, their current offspring, and their female offspring of the previous year form herds that tend to remain within relatively small and distinct areas. The mane is dark brown and the rump patch and tail are cream colored. Pelage color is grayish brown to reddish brown, somewhat lighter among males in winter. These heavy-bodied, deer-like mammals have narrow faces tapering to a naked nose pad relatively small, pointed ears a heavily maned neck a back slightly humped at the shoulders, a contrasting rump patch and a small tail.
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