Whitetailed and Mule deer breeding
12-02-2009, 08:20 AM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Central Nebraska
Posts: 184
Whitetailed and Mule deer breeding
I live in central Nebraska and a lot of people have different opinions on this. I haven't done any research on the topic but I just wanted to see what everyone thought about it on here. Will a whitetail buck breed a muley doe and vice versa? Just wanted to hear what everybody thinks/knows about this topic.
12-02-2009, 09:10 AM
#2
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: IL
Posts: 6,575
I've heard about this and saw them talking about it on a hunting show, I think they were hunting colorado.
What I've heard is the whitetail is a more aggressive deer, so a hot muley doe may get bred by a whitetail buck as he's more likely to chase off a muley buck.
They had mentioned something about whitetails being more active at night whereas muleys are more active throughout the day? I think is what they suggested. Or maybe something like a whitetail is more likely to sit still vs. jump and run like a muley.
What I've heard is the whitetail is a more aggressive deer, so a hot muley doe may get bred by a whitetail buck as he's more likely to chase off a muley buck.
They had mentioned something about whitetails being more active at night whereas muleys are more active throughout the day? I think is what they suggested. Or maybe something like a whitetail is more likely to sit still vs. jump and run like a muley.
12-02-2009, 11:06 AM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 1,304
I can't recall exactly what I heard, but I thought it was the whitetail buck breeding the muley doe. Further, I have seen through video, examples of whitetail/muley mix. It's odd to see a whitetail jumping like a muley. LOL!
iSnipe
iSnipe
12-02-2009, 02:52 PM
#5
Spike
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 15
hey
the reason w/t tend to breed mulie does is a difference in breeding rituals w/t's tend to run does until they "succumb" to their charm kinda like me and my wife
whereas mule deer tend to just check for esterus and leave if the female isnt ready so when a mulie buck approaches a w/t doe when she runs off whether in esterus or not they tend to just give up
whereas mule deer tend to just check for esterus and leave if the female isnt ready so when a mulie buck approaches a w/t doe when she runs off whether in esterus or not they tend to just give up
12-02-2009, 07:59 PM
#8
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Central Nebraska
Posts: 184
haha. On a serious note thanks for your input guys and if there are anymore out there lets here them!
12-03-2009, 04:51 AM
#9
Spike
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Virginia
Posts: 26
I was talking with a river guide in West Virginia, around the New River Gorge, and he told me that in the late 1970s or early 80s, the over hunting had brought the average weight of the whitetails way down, so officials brought in Mulie does and let them loose to mingle with the whitetails. After only a few years, the average weights of harvested deer in the area were way up. Now he might have been putting me on, but he really seemed ernest. I might need to go check out what I can find online.
12-03-2009, 08:51 AM
#10
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 3,406
I agree 100% with those who say mulies and whitetails crossbreed. I also agree it's almost always the whitetail buck that services a mule deer doe.
One question. Since these are hybrids, do these offsprings reproduce between themselves or are they sterile?
One question. Since these are hybrids, do these offsprings reproduce between themselves or are they sterile?