SST

I've hunted both. A nice buck in either subspecies makes for a nice trophy, but whitetails are definitely superior to mule deer. When both subspecies are indigenous to the same area and compete for the same feeding plots and breeding grounds, the whitetail always becomes dominant. That's why whitetail herds are growing and mule deer herds are shrinking.

Because of where mule deer live, shots tend to be longer, on average. Getting close enough to take a true trophy can be tough in relatively open terrain.

Perhaps because they encounter natural enemies, including man, more frequently and at closer distances than mule deer, whitetails are craftier. They aren't spooked any easier than mule deer, but they've learned to be wary almost all the time. They are very curious animals, however, and outsmarting them or simply piquing their curiousity can make them susceptible to being tagged by a wily hunter.