Trinity Alps Deer Hunt

[Blacktail]

Nice buck you have to love the alps. What trail head you near it looks familiar. I havent been up there in years cant seem to find the time

 

[SES50]

I do not know the trail head but it was bretty much south of Cecilville up against the wilderness area.

 

[bwaites]

OK, just to clarify---

Blacktails are SOMETIMES considered a subspecies of Mule Deer, (not the other way around), but some studies and research do not believe that to be the case and rank them completely seperately. They are typically smaller than either Mulies or White tails, but their antlers fork like Mulies and they run with the same kind of gait, which is a pronounced "bounce" with all four feet leaving the ground. They are typically broken into 2 subspecies of Blacktails, Columbian and Sitka.

Mulies and Blacktails ARE more closely related to each other than to white tailed deer. Mulies are certainly more widespread than black tails.

Wikipedia has some good info, as do several other sources, but you have to tease it out!

 

[BrandonA]

I'd take Wikipedia information with a grain of salt (they say a local wilderness here has wolverines and other assorted critters that roam more northern territories and DO not live around here). About anyone can edit wikipedia. I prefer to use sources written by someone I can name lol

The Columbian Blacktail Deer

 

[bwaites]

Well, actually, I didn't use Wikipedia, but these sources:

Mary Ann Thomas
http://www.scsc.k12.ar.us/2001Outwest/PacificNaturalHistory/Projects/ThomasM/Black-tailed%20deer.htm

IHEA
Black-tailed deer

DesertUSA
Mule Deer (DesertUSA)

Keith Smith
Mule Deer (DesertUSA)

Donna Hill
Columbia Black-tailed Deer

Kim Carbrera
Animal Tracks - Columbian Black-tailed Deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus)

All among others.

Note that I said SOMETIMES considered. I had read the mitochondrial DNA information previously. I am not 100% convinced about mitochondrial DNA being the end all when it comes to speciation, the science is simply too new and the extrapolations sometimes get a little convoluted. (I am in the medical profession, so I know a little whereof I speak). I won't and can't say the extrapolations are wrong, just that sometimes I have my doubts. There is good evidence pointing both ways.

As far as that goes, the range of the blacktail is thought to extend inland only about 100 miles, but there are lots of stories of blacktails being taken LOTS farther inland, even in Wyoming in the 1800's!

Bill

 

[BrandonA]

That's interesting information then... I guess we won't ever know for sure will we? Knowing nothing of the mitochondrial currently, what could you tell us is involved in the process? I had always assumed they were a lesser species of Mule Deer until I read that article and saw it mentioned on a hunting show on TV and it was hard for me to swallow knowing blacktails were smaller then both species (whitetail and mule deer)... oh well haha maybe we'll have more conclusive evidence in the future