I know we’ve discussed this briefly, in the past, but I don’t recall a definitive conclusion. For the second time, I have driven through the Davis Mountains, and for the second time I have seen whitetails. This time, it was a bachelor group of three bucks. Two were freshly out of velvet and nice bucks for their size. They are clearly some sort of subspecies, whether classified that way or not. They look just like Coues whitetails, to me. I’m also aware that we are home to the Carmen Mountain subspecies, which is similar. As I recall, neither is likely to be what they are. I don’t even think we have Coues, here. But, I don’t know, and I’d love to. Anyone aware of the official status of these little gray deer?

None of these pictures are great. The little bastards won’t sit still for a photo op. First one was up close and a yearling buck, taken a few years ago. The rest are two good bucks and a younger one, from yesterday.

One of the better bucks may have still been in velvet, for what it’s worth. The biggest had just rubbed his off, and the youngest had not. The middle I’m not sure about.

Just got some better pictures from my hand, since he wasn’t driving.

Sanderson LO, that flies all over west Texas doing game counts, told me there's Coues in the Chinati mountains.

He just might know, and those mountains aren’t that far.

I guess TPWD doesn't know for sure either.



From https://tpwd.texas.gov/landwater/land/habitats/trans_pecos/big_game/wtd/

I find this sort of mystery unacceptable. It shouldn’t be that difficult to figure this out. Clearly, they’re not super rare.

They are also clearly not your standard Texas whitetail.

I've always heard them referred to as Carmen Mtn's whitetails in that area, FWIW.

I figure they are most likely Carmen Mtn's but IDK.

That’s what I suspect, but I wasn’t sure if that was a part of their typical range.

I guess since the TPWD will not define the deer of the Davis Mountains and Safari Club does not recognize them as Carmon Mountain whitetails as they exclude them from the records no one seems to want to classify them as to what they are.




https://www.westernwhitetail.com/whitetail/carmen-mountain-whitetail/

Sneaky, you should get these deer classified as their own sub species named "Sneaky Davis Mountain Whitetails".

I think you’re on to something.

They are a carmen mountain whitetail. Apparently, although almost identical in appearance, there is a genetic difference between Coues and carmen's.


The state will not formally identify them as an individual species for a number of reasons, including lack of caring since they only reside in small sky island populations on mostly private land.

That’s too bad. They’re neat little deer.

pondering ... how would you tag one if you shot it? My license doesn't have a Coues or Carmen tag ....

Just as a whitetail. None of the states I’m aware of specify for coues.

If you saw one in the Hill Country, would you know if wasnt a Whitetail. How do they look different?

When we lived in West Texas when I was a boy in around 1970, the old timers use to tell us about white tailed deer that lived in the mountains.
They called them fan tailed deer?

They do look different. Its hard to describe but they don't look like a hill country deer even if body size is similar. Their tails are much larger, they have different facial features than a regular whitetail, much the same way a midwestern whitetail looks different from a south texas buck.

Also, the coloring is different.


So basically, yes, they don't look like a "normal" whitetail and you would be able to tell.

its funny, out west the Mule Deer live in the Mountains and the whitetail in the low country along the rivers.


In the Desert, the Mule Deer live in the low country and the Coues in the mountains

We were at the Davis Mtn State Park, and we saw a few deer.

I recently visited Big Bend NP and the Davis Mountains in July 2024.
I have seen Carmen Mountain whitetail deer in the Chisos Mountains.

In the Davis Mountains I saw the desert mule deer and two distinct whitetail deer typed.
One is the Texas whitetail deer which is larger more golden reddish brown and lives near the gas and river bottom lands.
The other is s smaller and grayer animal that resembles Coues deer with larger ears and long tails.
These small deer resemble the Coues deer I took photos of in Arizona Madeira Canyon, Huachuca Mountains, and Chiricahua Mountains.

Those look like regular whitetail to me