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Not that Mule Deer, These mule deer: ![[Linked Image]](https://media.graytvinc.com/images/810*538/USFWS+mule+deer+6.jpg) I had no idea Yukon Territory had such a population that they were spilling into Alaska. By Grant Robinson | Posted: Thu 3:56 PM, Sep 12, 2019 | Updated: Fri 11:58 AM, Sep 13, 2019
ANCHORAGE (KTUU) - Mule deer, which are not native to Interior Alaska, are being seen more frequently in recent years and the Department of Fish & Game is asking hunters and other in the public to help the department learn more about the animals.
"It's kind of an interesting situation in Eastern and Interior Alaska because there have not been deer in that part of the state before, so these will be the first deer there," said Riley Woodford, information officer with the ADF&G's Division of Wildlife Conservation.
Sitka black-tailed deer, which are found in Southeast Alaska and other parts of the state at lower latitudes are a subspecies of mule deer, and are smaller than mule deer. Mule deer can be identified by their white rump patch.
The species's range has been expanding from its original habitat in the western Lower 48, Woodford says. Mule deer have established a population in the Yukon, which wildlife leaders say is where the deer in Alaska are most likely coming from.
"It's not a threat or problem, it's just something that wildlife managers really want to keep on top of because it's a new situation. There is potential for these animals, any animals that's coming in to bring in diseases or to have effects on the animals that are already here," Woodford said.
Mule deer can carry diseases such as Chronic Wasting Disease and transport the moose winter tick.
Hunters are allowed to harvest mule deer, but ADF&G seeks samples from the animals to see if the animals are transporting any pathogens that could pose risk to other wildlife.
Additionally, people who are not hunters can also help the department learn more about the abundance and distribution of mule deer in Alaska by taking a photo.
"The first thing they should do if they can is take a picture and let Fish and Game know. That's how we've been documenting these deer for years, first around the Tok area, which makes sense because they would come in through the Alaska Highway corridor, and then in places a little further north," Woodford said.
You can learn more about reporting mule deer here.
Copyright 2019 KTUU. All rights reserved.
![[Linked Image from i.pinimg.com]](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/98/b6/d8/98b6d863a5f722b551cd8e1440bd2bd4.jpg) Z
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Campfire Outfitter
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I didn't know Yukon had that many deer. maybe the Alaska wolves, will show them how it's done!
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Campfire Tracker
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Here I read the Mule dear is a hybrid between the Blacktail and the Whitetail occurring after the last ice sheets melted letting the two species get together and produce the Mule Deer.
It is nice to hear the mule deer is expanding its territory instead of retracting.
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
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That was a theory promoted by wildlife biologist Valerius Geist. It got a lot of play for a while, but has been proven wrong.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck
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Campfire Kahuna
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That was a theory promoted by wildlife biologist Valerius Geist. It got a lot of play for a while, but has been proven wrong. Can you show reference to it being proven wrong? Last I found was shown by DNA to be correct and showed the RNA to be WT which makes sense because BT bucks are chasers. The proof was pretty specific.
Mark Begich, Joaquin Jackson, and Heller resistance... Three huge reasons to worry about the NRA.
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you think that`s a hybrid ? just wait tell you see a weird lookin goat with a turban on his head walkin around in those sand countries .
LIFE NRA , we vote Red up here, Norseman
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Campfire 'Bwana
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I've been hearing reports of this for at least 30 years. Strays at first no doubt , but maybe the numbers are coming up due to climate change and habitat becoming more favorable further north into Alaska.
Sightings in fact go back to the 70's.. (Google it) Dead Mule deer and photos of live ones in Fairbanks area.
Wolves may be hampering their deployment, and the ticks deer carry may not be a bargain for moose hunters either.
IIRC blacktail are immune to the tick-borne disease, or maybe the ticks themselkves. Long time since I read about this. . Dunno about muleys.
Last edited by las; 09/14/19.
The only true cost of having a dog is its death.
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Campfire Kahuna
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Here's some of the latest research on the whitetail/blacktail cross theory of mule deer origin. Please note that Heffelfinger points out that Geist himself considered his theory weak--and that it was just a theory, not proven. https://muledeer.org/wp-content/uploads/JanFeb.pdf
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
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Should also point out that ALL of this is theory--but the evidence Jim Heffelfinger points to against the whitetail/blacktail origin of mule deer is considerable.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Good read, JB!
Somewhat similar to that of moose.
Cris Hundertmark showed in his doctorial that NA moose are most closely related to those of Northern China, rather than Europe/Siberia. As Continental glaciers retreated, the Chinee moose moved north along the coast before Europe's moose could move east (glaciers still in way) and crossed the Bering Land Bridge into NA. Later glaciations in NA separated populations, resulting in our 3 NA sub-species.
Subsequent glaciations also (IIRC from Cris's work) resulted in extinction of Chinee moose in Siberia, to be replaced with European moose when glaciers there retreated.
Last edited by las; 09/14/19.
The only true cost of having a dog is its death.
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Campfire Kahuna
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las, Yeah, I did an article on moose a few years ago, and the relationships between the various subspecies are interesting. Here's a link to another interesting Heffelfinger article: https://www.coueswhitetail.com/tails-with-a-dark-side-the-truth-about-whitetail-mule-deer-hybrids/I suspect Geist's blacktail/whitetail cross theory got a lot of play in the media (including several hunting magazines) for a couple of reasons. First, it was interesting, but many writers don't have a biology background, so presented it as proven, when it was not. Second, I got to talk to both Valerius Geist and Jim Heffelfinger years ago, during early Mule Deer Foundation conventions, where I was also invited to attend. Geist was raised in Germany before his family moved to Canada, and still has a definite German accent. He also has a very definite German attitude about being sure of many things, which even if he felt his theory was weak, resulted in still stating it firmly, both personally and in print. He's a very prolific author, and a good one. Jim Heffelfinger is also a good writer, and author of magazine articles and books. But he does not come across like Geist. Instead he's more, uh, balanced, both in person and his writing. Both are great to talk to. As a side-comment, during my second Mule Deer Foundation convention (in Salt Lake City) I chanced across two other well-known mule deer biologists in the lobby of the convention hotel. Despite their advanced years, they almost came to blows over the question of how much effect coyote predation has on mule deer populations. Which again brings up the fact that even with plenty of modern research on the subject, there are different perspectives among professional biologists.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck
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I've been hearing reports of this for at least 30 years. Strays at first no doubt , but maybe the numbers are coming up due to climate change and habitat becoming more favorable further north into Alaska.
Sightings in fact go back to the 70's.. (Google it) Dead Mule deer and photos of live ones in Fairbanks area.
Wolves may be hampering their deployment, and the ticks deer carry may not be a bargain for moose hunters either.
IIRC blacktail are immune to the tick-borne disease, or maybe the ticks themselves. Long time since I read about this. . Dunno about muleys.
When I was stationed at Ft. Wainwright back in the day (close to 30 years ago) a friend of mine who was a civilian employee and I were talking about rumoured deer sightings in the Salcha River area. Our guess was they were most likely Sitka Blacktails wandering up from the Prince William Sound area. I would never have guessed that they were another species from a place I would never have considered. Yukon Territory? That's Alaska's twin with way less coastline.
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