Distribution of White-Tailed (Odocoileus virginianus) & Mule Deer (O. hemionus)

Mule deer are the typical deer west of the Rocky Mountains. O. hemionus in the Pacific Northwest are in a separate subspecies, black-tailed deer (O. hemionus columbianus). White-tailed deer are the typical eastern deer, although there is extensive overlap, especially in the Rocky Mountain states. Inter-species hybridization has been documented in Texas, Oregon, and Alberta. White-tailed deer extend through Central America into northern South America.


Text material © 2005 by Steven M. Carr