texashuntingforum.com logo
Main Menu
Advertisement
Affiliates
Advertisement
Newest Members
TraeMartin, Beatixre, MooseSteed, Trappernewt, casyoo
71987 Registered Users
Top Posters(All Time)
dogcatcher 110,788
bill oxner 91,416
SnakeWrangler 65,416
stxranchman 60,296
Gravytrain 46,950
RKHarm24 44,585
rifleman 44,461
Stub 43,769
Forum Statistics
Forums46
Topics537,006
Posts9,719,380
Members86,987
Most Online25,604
Feb 12th, 2024
Print Thread
hard to believe #6032251 11/16/15 03:41 PM
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,626
E
Erichugh22 Offline OP
Veteran Tracker
OP Offline
Veteran Tracker
E
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,626
But, I have a mule deer doe on our place outside of Austin. I've seen it a couple times already hanging out with a whitetail spike. I have absolutely no clue how it got here or where it came from, maybe an escapee from a high fence? Next time I see it I'll have my camera ready. No doubt it has the big ears and solid white rear of a mulie, and has the same bouncing run. Now, since Bastrop county doesn't have a mule deer season, is it considered an exotic or is it off limits? Does anyone have a link to the regs on this?

Last edited by Erichugh22; 11/16/15 03:42 PM.
Re: hard to believe [Re: Erichugh22] #6032272 11/16/15 03:48 PM
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296
S
stxranchman Offline
Obie Juan Kenobi
Offline
Obie Juan Kenobi
S
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296
I would have to see pics to believe it. The only Mule Deer outside of the TransPecos and Panhandle will be in licensed breeding pens. Since there is no season in your county for them, I would think you can not shoot it. It still is a native species and fall under TPWD guidelines and regs.


Are idiots multiplying faster than normal people?[Linked Image]
Re: hard to believe [Re: Erichugh22] #6032274 11/16/15 03:49 PM
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 15,612
Q
QuitShootinYoungBucks Offline
THF Celebrity
Offline
THF Celebrity
Q
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 15,612
I'm pretty positive since mule deer are found in Texas that it's illegal to take one in a county that doesn't have a season. But that is a cool sighting!


[Linked Image]

https://web.archive.org/web/20170223065011/http:/www.rrdvegas.com/silencer-cleaning.html
Re: hard to believe [Re: Erichugh22] #6032496 11/16/15 05:25 PM
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 11,510
R
rickym Offline
THF Celebrity
Offline
THF Celebrity
R
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 11,510
Quick solution and answer, call your county GW



Re: hard to believe [Re: rickym] #6032511 11/16/15 05:29 PM
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 21,271
S
SniperRAB Offline
THF Celebrity
Offline
THF Celebrity
S
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 21,271
Originally Posted By: rickym
Quick solution and answer, call your county GW


eeks333


Re: hard to believe [Re: SniperRAB] #6032550 11/16/15 05:49 PM
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 28,032
N
Navasot Offline
Hollywood
Offline
Hollywood
N
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 28,032
IF its a native game animal to Tx and you do not have a season you cannot shoot it...

that's if its a muley indeed...

Re: hard to believe [Re: Erichugh22] #6032560 11/16/15 05:54 PM
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 182
F
Flags Offline
Woodsman
Offline
Woodsman
F
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 182
I'm not so sure why you think it would be hard to believe. Mulies exist in the state and as such they can and do move around. I believe some deer are just wanderers. Once when I was driving through Missouri I saw a mulie in a hay meadow. I had to turn around and double check, but that is what it was. I grew up in CO so I know what mulies look like. For what it is worth I once killed a whitetail buck along the Colorado River outside Kremmling, CO. I took it to the DOW office in Hot Sulfur Springs and they said they had never heard of one in that area. This buck was at least 150 miles west of where he should have been and was on the wrong side of the Continental Divide to boot.

Re: hard to believe [Re: Erichugh22] #6032665 11/16/15 06:46 PM
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296
S
stxranchman Offline
Obie Juan Kenobi
Offline
Obie Juan Kenobi
S
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296
Bastrop is about 250 miles minimum from the eastern edge home range of mule deer in West Texas. Don't think that is ideal Mule Deer habitat. Any chance is was a Sika doe, they have similar color and white rump patch along with the bouncing run as Mule Deer, just not the huge ears. Sika Deer are free ranging all over the Hill Country. If it is a Mule Deer then my vote is an escapee from a mule deer breeder pen in that area with all the recent flooding. Does it have any ear tags?


Are idiots multiplying faster than normal people?[Linked Image]
Re: hard to believe [Re: Flags] #6032679 11/16/15 06:51 PM
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 60,267
BOBO the Clown Online Content
kind of a big deal
Online Content
kind of a big deal
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 60,267
Originally Posted By: Flags
I'm not so sure why you think it would be hard to believe. Mulies exist in the state and as such they can and do move around. I believe some deer are just wanderers. Once when I was driving through Missouri I saw a mulie in a hay meadow. I had to turn around and double check, but that is what it was. I grew up in CO so I know what mulies look like. For what it is worth I once killed a whitetail buck along the Colorado River outside Kremmling, CO. I took it to the DOW office in Hot Sulfur Springs and they said they had never heard of one in that area. This buck was at least 150 miles west of where he should have been and was on the wrong side of the Continental Divide to boot.


Whitetails are 100x more adaptive then Mule deer.


Donate to TX Youth hunting program.... better to donate then to waste it in taxes

https://secure.qgiv.com/for/gtgoh/mobile
Re: hard to believe [Re: Erichugh22] #6032704 11/16/15 07:04 PM
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 5,294
8
8pointdrop Offline
THF Trophy Hunter
Offline
THF Trophy Hunter
8
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 5,294
That's way further south than I've ever heard of one. I will say their range seems to be expanding in the last 10yrs. Seeing more and more around Sweetwater/Abilene. Saw a fork horn outside Blackwell last year.

Could be the drought or fires pushing them south in my area, because there's an established herd in Fisher county. Austin is too far south I would think....

Re: hard to believe [Re: Erichugh22] #6032722 11/16/15 07:10 PM
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 8,376
N
nsmike Online Content
THF Trophy Hunter
Online Content
THF Trophy Hunter
N
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 8,376
We have mule deer shot every couple of years in MN. The nearest natural range is the Missouri river. Here's a story fron Wisconsin http://www.kare11.com/story/news/2015/11/05/rare-mule-deer-harvested-in-wisconsin/75238868/


for every stereotype there's a prototype don't be the prototype
Re: hard to believe [Re: nsmike] #6032774 11/16/15 07:34 PM
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296
S
stxranchman Offline
Obie Juan Kenobi
Offline
Obie Juan Kenobi
S
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296
Originally Posted By: nsmike
We have mule deer shot every couple of years in MN. The nearest natural range is the Missouri river. Here's a story fron Wisconsin http://www.kare11.com/story/news/2015/11/05/rare-mule-deer-harvested-in-wisconsin/75238868/

I would think Canada and North Dakota would be much closer for most of the upper half of your state though, would it not?


Are idiots multiplying faster than normal people?[Linked Image]
Re: hard to believe [Re: stxranchman] #6032785 11/16/15 07:39 PM
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 15,612
Q
QuitShootinYoungBucks Offline
THF Celebrity
Offline
THF Celebrity
Q
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 15,612
Originally Posted By: stxranchman
Any chance is was a Sika doe, they have similar color and white rump patch along with the bouncing run as Mule Deer, just not the huge ears.


Wow, I don't think I've ever seen one so I looked it up. They do have similar colorations.



[Linked Image]

https://web.archive.org/web/20170223065011/http:/www.rrdvegas.com/silencer-cleaning.html
Re: hard to believe [Re: stxranchman] #6032962 11/16/15 09:07 PM
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 8,376
N
nsmike Online Content
THF Trophy Hunter
Online Content
THF Trophy Hunter
N
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 8,376
Originally Posted By: stxranchman
Originally Posted By: nsmike
We have mule deer shot every couple of years in MN. The nearest natural range is the Missouri river. Here's a story fron Wisconsin http://www.kare11.com/story/news/2015/11/05/rare-mule-deer-harvested-in-wisconsin/75238868/

I would think Canada and North Dakota would be much closer for most of the upper half of your state though, would it not?

The Missouri river runs through both N Dakota and S Dakota with Mule deer ranging east east to the river valley. I believe if you were to draw a line due north thru Pierre and Bismark you would be pretty close to the normal range in Canada. The ones I can remember were from counties between Big Stone Lake and Fargo ND and east to I94.


for every stereotype there's a prototype don't be the prototype
Re: hard to believe [Re: QuitShootinYoungBucks] #6033022 11/16/15 09:38 PM
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,626
E
Erichugh22 Offline OP
Veteran Tracker
OP Offline
Veteran Tracker
E
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,626
Originally Posted By: QuitShootinYoungBucks
Originally Posted By: stxranchman
Any chance is was a Sika doe, they have similar color and white rump patch along with the bouncing run as Mule Deer, just not the huge ears.


Wow, I don't think I've ever seen one so I looked it up. They do have similar colorations.



That could be a possibility, but it definitely wasn't that dark, it was a very light gray. And the ears weren't that small, can those breed with a whitetail?

Re: hard to believe [Re: Erichugh22] #6033056 11/16/15 09:53 PM
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 5,872
G
GLC Offline
THF Trophy Hunter
Offline
THF Trophy Hunter
G
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 5,872
We had a few mule deer on a lease east of Glenrose. Even had a couple that had crossed with a white tail. Called the Game Warden to see if they were legal to take. He said NO, since there was no season in that county we could not take them. Asked about the couple that had cross bred. He also said , no. I was told that if any of the characteristics on the deer were mule deer, they could not be harvested.


Re: hard to believe [Re: BOBO the Clown] #6033061 11/16/15 09:54 PM
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 182
F
Flags Offline
Woodsman
Offline
Woodsman
F
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 182
Originally Posted By: BOBO the Clown

Whitetails are 100x more adaptive then Mule deer.


So take a shot at explaining the one I saw in Missouri. How did it get there? Fly? Missouri isn't known as a place that pen raises mulies.

Re: hard to believe [Re: Erichugh22] #6033184 11/16/15 10:56 PM
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 1,102
Bbear Offline
Pro Tracker
Offline
Pro Tracker
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 1,102
15 years back, Missouri's game manual published a warning each year for NW portion of the state that Mule Deer had been seen in the area. Supposedly coming from central Kansas.


[IMG][/IMG]

Pay it forward - Kids are the future.

Rifles are similar to boats and young women...there's no end to how much money you can pour into them without making them any more useful.
Re: hard to believe [Re: Erichugh22] #6033206 11/16/15 11:08 PM
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296
S
stxranchman Offline
Obie Juan Kenobi
Offline
Obie Juan Kenobi
S
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296
Originally Posted By: Erichugh22
Originally Posted By: QuitShootinYoungBucks
Originally Posted By: stxranchman
Any chance is was a Sika doe, they have similar color and white rump patch along with the bouncing run as Mule Deer, just not the huge ears.


Wow, I don't think I've ever seen one so I looked it up. They do have similar colorations.



That could be a possibility, but it definitely wasn't that dark, it was a very light gray. And the ears weren't that small, can those breed with a whitetail?

Sika come in several lighter to darker color shades. The are across the US in several states that have game farms and free ranging.


Are idiots multiplying faster than normal people?[Linked Image]
Re: hard to believe [Re: Erichugh22] #6033208 11/16/15 11:10 PM
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,626
E
Erichugh22 Offline OP
Veteran Tracker
OP Offline
Veteran Tracker
E
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,626
I don't think that's what it was, it definitely had a white throat and bigger ears.

Re: hard to believe [Re: Bbear] #6033215 11/16/15 11:12 PM
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296
S
stxranchman Offline
Obie Juan Kenobi
Offline
Obie Juan Kenobi
S
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296
Originally Posted By: Bbear
15 years back, Missouri's game manual published a warning each year for NW portion of the state that Mule Deer had been seen in the area. Supposedly coming from central Kansas.

Nebraska has Mule Deer also and lists them on the Eastern part of the state at 0-20% compared to 80-100% whitetails for poplulation. There are a lot of deer breeders in Missouri as well as exotic breeders. Don't know if Mule Deer are allowed in their pens or not.


Are idiots multiplying faster than normal people?[Linked Image]
Re: hard to believe [Re: Erichugh22] #6033218 11/16/15 11:14 PM
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296
S
stxranchman Offline
Obie Juan Kenobi
Offline
Obie Juan Kenobi
S
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296
Originally Posted By: Erichugh22
I don't think that's what it was, it definitely had a white throat and bigger ears.

Get a pic and it will end all debate. My guess will still be if it is a mule deer it will be from a mule deer breeder pen in that area. It will have or had tags if it escaped during the recent floods.


Are idiots multiplying faster than normal people?[Linked Image]
Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread

© 2004-2024 OUTDOOR SITES NETWORK all rights reserved USA and Worldwide
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.3