Are these good Blacktails
Contributors to this thread:Mule Deer
From: Jerry Leblanc
19-Aug-22
Saw this bachelor group and was wondering how good these ones are.
From: bowhunt
19-Aug-22
Yep!
From: 'Ike'
19-Aug-22
Every day of the week and twice on Sunday!
From: Bearman
19-Aug-22
Yep, and the one is a VERY good one.
From: molsonarcher
19-Aug-22
Absolutely!
From: Jerry Leblanc
19-Aug-22
Unfortunately unhuntable. Right in the middle of Yosemite. Not a care in the world.
From: JohnMC
19-Aug-22
Treeline does think so. ;)
From: spike78
19-Aug-22
Hell those would be good whitetails.
From: Treeline
19-Aug-22
They would be good blacktails if they were blacktails…
If they are in Yosemite, they are mule deer. They are way east of the blacktail/mule deer boundary.
The tail on the one that is visible is definitely a mule deer tail. Those are mule deer.
From: LKH
19-Aug-22
Yes, but the big one is a nice muley.
From: t-roy
19-Aug-22
Why did the muley buck cross the road?
Because he wanted to be a blacktail…
From: BOWUNTR
19-Aug-22
Some might argue that those are Columbia Blacktails... follow the science. Ed F
From: 'Ike' (Phone)
19-Aug-22
Ah yes, left out your location at first...
From: Treeline
19-Aug-22
They could have some blacktail genetics, and it would be interesting to see how much they have in that area but they are a pretty significant distance east of the line.
From: BOHNTR
19-Aug-22
You should see my giant Tule Elk I have……from AZ! :)
From: Jerry Leblanc
20-Aug-22
Learn something new everyday. I stand corrected. I thought that deer in the Sierras were Blacktails. Sorry I am from the East.
From: Treeline
20-Aug-22
Treeline's Link
Here are the Boone and Crockett species boundaries. Pretty interesting.
From: Jerry Leblanc
20-Aug-22
Thanks for the info
From: Tilzbow
20-Aug-22
I’ve lived in Reno a long time and travel through the Sierras several times each year. I regularly see Blacktails or hybrids in areas around and on the way to Grass Valley,CA. Most sightings are on highway 20 between I-80 and Grass Valley in the transition zone where conifers and hardwoods start to mix. They’re definitely not pure mule deer and look much more like Blacktails than mule deer. That said deer in most other areas of the Sierras I frequent are regular old pure strain mule deer. I guess my point is there are likely other pockets where the two are intermingled and as far as B&C, they've got to draw a line somewhere…..
From: Jerry Leblanc
20-Aug-22
Thanks for the info
From: badbull
20-Aug-22
Blacktail hybrid ?
Blacktail hybrid ?
Those hybrids in that area can grow some big antlers. Pretty sure l have a nice set of antlers from a rifle killed blacktail buck from that area many years ago.
From: badbull
20-Aug-22
Sorry about the pic orientation as I tried to rotate it but it didn't work.
From: badbull
21-Aug-22
After reading all the posts on this thread, l am not so confident that the pic I posted is a hybrid. Would welcome any opinions as to this buck's genetics.
From: Jerry Leblanc
21-Aug-22
Thanks for the info
From: Grey Ghost
21-Aug-22
The deer in the OP’s pics look like plain old mule deer to me judging by their body size, tail, lighter and longer face, and length of antlers.
Badbull, I’d guess your antlers also came from a mule deer, but without genetic testing, I doubt anyone can say for sure.
Matt
From: Jerry Leblanc
22-Aug-22
Here is a picture with a tail if that means anything.
From: shakey
26-Aug-22
Here’s s my daughters, just west of Yosemite. She passed 4-5 bigger to shoot this one on the last day.
