razortec_hunter Posted December 18, 2008 Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 ok guys, weird question i know haha but my dad has been thinkin all this time about the buck i shot during october here near roca NE and he thinks that it's a cross breed between a mule deer and whitetail. in my mind there's NO WAY POSSIBLE it was cause out of all the deer i've see and shot they all look like that and they are all 100% whitetail, AND we are in roca NE.... there's no mule deer around for a hundred miles! besides the fact that i dont think mule deer and whitetail even CAN breed .... what do u guys think? can mule deer and whitetail breed with eachother?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razortec_hunter Posted December 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 does this look even remotely close to a mule deer?! http://s241.photobucket.com/albums/ff103/razortec_hunter/?action=view¤t=100_7596.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NY_Bowhunter14 Posted December 18, 2008 Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 looks like a whitetail to me, don't see any muley in him... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddyboman Posted December 18, 2008 Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 (edited) I believe your deer is a whitetail. but there is lots of studies that say YES mulies and whitetail can breed and make a hybrid deer. I will see if I can't find that info again http://gf.nd.gov/multimedia/ndoutdoors/issues/2003/feb/docs/hybrid.pdf http://books.google.com/books?id=ni6Hbqm04vIC&pg=PA337&lpg=PA337&dq=whitetail+and+mule+deer+interbreeding&source=bl&ots=7mqH_SIeMF&sig=RkDEeU8p7VUoQ7356t6se4sYT1o&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=3&ct=result#PPA337,M1 Edited December 18, 2008 by toddyboman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texan_Til_I_Die Posted December 18, 2008 Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 (edited) I killed this mule deer/whitetail hybrid in 2007 in West Texas. Our population is about 99% whitetails, but we do see the occasional mulie or hybrid. As you can see, it doesn't look anything at all like your deer. Edited December 18, 2008 by Texan_Til_I_Die Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted December 18, 2008 Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 I've read stories where they cross, but I think yours is 100% pure whitey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dakota Posted December 18, 2008 Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 1. Yes, muleys and whitetails can interbreed. I West River deer hunt in an area thick with both species and have even seen family groups of does that are mixed with muleys, whitetail and hybrids. 2. Your deer looks for the most part to be a whitetail, at least he has the dominant gene. His great-grandmother or great-grandfather might have been a muley, but I doubt it. He is maybe only 10% muley if he even is at all. Dakota Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Illinois59 Posted December 18, 2008 Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 Yes they do cross breed. I used to live in Western North Dakota and i have seen a few harvested up there. As near as i can tell yours looks like a regular whitetail. By the way, Nice buck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razortec_hunter Posted December 19, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2008 so it is possible but mine isn't? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted December 19, 2008 Report Share Posted December 19, 2008 2. Your deer looks for the most part to be a whitetail, at least he has the dominant gene. His great-grandmother or great-grandfather might have been a muley, but I doubt it. He is maybe only 10% muley if he even is at all. Dakota Nope, that's impossible Dakota. Hyrbrids are incapable of breeding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted December 19, 2008 Report Share Posted December 19, 2008 so it is possible but mine isn't? Correct Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texan_Til_I_Die Posted December 19, 2008 Report Share Posted December 19, 2008 I'm not 100% sure if a mulie/whitetail hybrid is genetically sterile or not. Most species crosses, like mules, are. But I've never seen any data on deer. They might be able to reproduce as F-1 crosses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted December 19, 2008 Report Share Posted December 19, 2008 I'm not 100% sure if a mulie/whitetail hybrid is genetically sterile or not. Most species crosses, like mules, are. But I've never seen any data on deer. They might be able to reproduce as F-1 crosses. Read an article that stated that as so, but I can't find it now. I did find this though. http://www.reproduction-online.org/cgi/reprint/93/1/111.pdf Pretty interesting stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted December 19, 2008 Report Share Posted December 19, 2008 Whitetail and mule deer do breed, from what I have read typically a female mulie and a male whitetail, however your deer looks to me to be all whitetail. Whitetails rut more aggressively supposedly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbuck145 Posted December 19, 2008 Report Share Posted December 19, 2008 I've heard about mulies and whitetails breedin. Never seen one though. Your deer looks to be all whitetail Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
00DodgeGuy Posted December 20, 2008 Report Share Posted December 20, 2008 I am with everyone else....yours looks all whitetail to me.....what about your deer does your dad thinks it is part Muley....maybe it is something we are missing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rookieee Posted December 20, 2008 Report Share Posted December 20, 2008 looks like whitetail Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razortec_hunter Posted December 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2008 I am with everyone else....yours looks all whitetail to me.....what about your deer does your dad thinks it is part Muley....maybe it is something we are missing. he thinks the head looks like a muley lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dakota Posted December 21, 2008 Report Share Posted December 21, 2008 Nope, that's impossible Dakota. Hyrbrids are incapable of breeding. I never did do well in AP Biology last year, Chris! :D:D Thanks for correcting me. Dakota Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m gardner Posted December 22, 2008 Report Share Posted December 22, 2008 I think that hybrids have metatarsal glands (outside lower leg) that are 2 to 4 inches long and are ringed with white hair. Whitetails are usually less than an inch and mulies are 4 to 6 inches long and ringed with brown hair. Check them out on your deer. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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