Female Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus) on Mount Charleston. Las Vegas, Nevada

As I said in the last post, we decided to go up to Mount Charleston to get away from the heat. As we went up the mountain, the vegetation became thicker until we were in a pine forest mixed with Aspen. We were lucky enough to to see a family of mule deer halfway up the mountain and I thought I would share the pictures. Mule deer have large ears that move constantly and independently, from which they get their name, “Mule” or “Burro Deer.” During the summer, the coat on the mule deer’s upper body is yellow or reddish-brown, while in winter more gray. The throat patch, rump patch, inside ears and inside legs are white with lower portions running cream to tan. A dark V-shaped mark, extending from a point between the eyes upward and laterally is characteristic of all mule deer but is more conspicuous in males. Mule deer are social animals that typically stay in groups. They live in a multi-generation family of related femalIes and their offspring. Bucks older than yearlings often group together or remain solitary. In late summer and fall, mixed family groups form larger groups that stay together for protection throughout the winter. They break into smaller groups again by the next summer.

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