Lets Breed Some Mule Deer!

try Jack Schubarth, Sun River Whitetails, [email protected]

Ben, why do you think Mule Deer Breeding has not taken off or is where it is? I’m looking at getting into the breeding industry; an untapped market widens my eyes. Is there just not a demand for it, has no one really gotten into it, not any good genetics.

I'm from Texas just south of Dallas we are currently building our pens, do you think mule & whitetail could cohabitate? What is a good breed mule doe selling for?

MuleyBreederBen said:

I know of a couple places that have both species sharing pens. My bred does go for $2500 but as the genetics improve the price will increase. I have some does I wouldn't even consider selling at this point and when I'm ready I'll ask $5000

Click to expand...

what about pens???? a 8-9 foot pen will hold most whitetail but muleys????

I'm guessing but I'd say 8 foot then another few feet of slick wire above that 10-12 feet. Should do the trick.

Ks166,

Being from Texas you will have to pay 15,000 for a 200 inch doe as that is what they sell for in Texas. Guess closed boarders drove up the price.

As far as fence height the eight foot works just fine as they don't jump as bad as whitetail. They are also more like elk as they have a mellow attitude. Ben is right the mule deer fawns sell even before they hit the ground so sales are good. The hunting market is always looking for good mule deer bucks.

Thanks Buckskin for the plug.

Ks166 said:

I'm guessing but I'd say 8 foot then another few feet of slick wire above that 10-12 feet. Should do the trick.

Click to expand...

k thanks , jacks the man . but if your not ready for the REAL truth dont call him, he tells it like it is , u better be siting down when you talk to him , he tells it the way it is, and that is how it should be ,,,, my hats off to jack

Thanks Dave for the words.

You guys know my stance on making hybrid mule deer which I believe would make them live as well as whitetails back East. That is one of the reasons I collect good cheap mule deer semen from young mule deer bucks so these hybrids made will prove me right on their liveability back East. I'm sure a 3/4 mule deer hybrid would look just like a mule deer and still have the ability to live back East with the hybrid vigor from the whitetail. Some of you guys back East have 50% mule deer now and when we breed them back to mule deer the fawns will look like mule deer and should have good health and be able to take the wet weather. Sure hope my opinion on the health is right on this.

I have heard for quite a while about mule deer not surviving in the east. I have had a small herd in south central PA for a couple of years. They are pure mule deer and have had few problems. A coupe of disease issues have caused losses, but once we learned those, those issues are easy to manage. The temperament of mule deer is quite different and they are a real joy to be around and handle.



I also have mule deer in south central Oklahoma. Again we have seen the same disease issues, but have been able to control them.



As far as cross breeding, I am not a fan. We had a couple in Oklahoma, and lost one to EHD this past year. They may be somewhat resistant to EHD, but not as resistant as my pure mule deer, of which we have not seen a single loss. In the northern area, like ND and MT they saw heavy losses of whitetail in some areas, but it did not appear to affect the mule deer. Additionally if would be a shame to dilute or pollute the antler characteristics or temperament of the pure mule deer. Much as it had been with elk.red deer hybrids.



Just my thoughts, but still a lot to learn



Ray Favero

What were some of the disease you saw in your heard.

Foodplot,

In my mule deer herd the issues were parasites in summer, clostridlum and digestive upsets from feeding free choice grain and pellets. All this issues were just management problems which were corrected. Shots for clostridlum are given. Deer are top dressed with wormer every 30 to 40 days all through spring to fall. These steps have taken care of our problems.

As far as mule deer being resistant to EHD that really hasn't been so in the wilds of Montana. Places where 500 to 800 mule deer winter are at a all time low and have only 50 to 100 head in my area from my personal observations. If the mule deer shared the river bottoms they died just as bad as the whitetail because they were close to the water where the midge fly lived. If they lived high up away from the river bottom they did not die as bad from the EHD virus if at all.

The wolves are very bad in some areas and the elk and deer are killed and eaten. I believe between the coyotes and wolves in my area they are the problem with the lack on of mule deer numbers. Our area has not had EHD so we have to look elsewhere for the lack of mule deer. Our Sun River sheep herd has had a die off from pneumonia and is at a low from what they used to be.

Mule deer will not try to kill themselves by jumping into the fence for no reason like whitetail do. They are a much calmer animal and do not run madly away when frightened.

Jack, are you saying a mule deer can not aross state lines?

As far as EHD, in the pens in OK, many of the whitetail in adjacent pens got EHD, with some dying and some surviving with treatment. At this location, none of the pure mule deer showed any symptoms of EHD, although one of my 2 half bloods showed symptoms and died.



I have heard reports of mule deer from the Sonora desert being moved to pens near the TX border. These deer did not show losses due to EHD, as did many of the whitetail in that area. The arguement could be that, they were from the south and have some resisitance to the disease. But the sonora desert is rather isolated and dry and river free, so it is doubtful that deer in that area have developed any natural resistance.



EHD and blue tounge are interesting diseases in that they have differing affects on various species. Even within the deer family, species vary in their response to EHD exposure. Elk, fallow and most deer species with the exception of whitetail show little or no losses to EHD.



I have had a few people talk to the outfitters in MT and ND, and while whitetail losses were huge in some areas, mule deer numbers seemed near normal. Jack is correct in that this may be due to the mule deer having been forced further from the water by the presense of whitetail. As far as less numbers of mule deer on winter grounds, this may be due to movement of mule deer to now vacent whitetail winter areas. Next years mule deer harvest statistics may help answer the question,



Ray

ks166

Mule deer can cross State lines as long as the boarder is open. Texas does not allow whitetail or mule deer into their State as they boarders are closed to deer imports.

Thanks for the info.

drfavero said:

I have heard for quite a while about mule deer not surviving in the east. I have had a small herd in south central PA for a couple of years. They are pure mule deer and have had few problems. A coupe of disease issues have caused losses, but once we learned those, those issues are easy to manage. The temperament of mule deer is quite different and they are a real joy to be around and handle.



I also have mule deer in south central Oklahoma. Again we have seen the same disease issues, but have been able to control them.



As far as cross breeding, I am not a fan. We had a couple in Oklahoma, and lost one to EHD this past year. They may be somewhat resistant to EHD, but not as resistant as my pure mule deer, of which we have not seen a single loss. In the northern area, like ND and MT they saw heavy losses of whitetail in some areas, but it did not appear to affect the mule deer. Additionally if would be a shame to dilute or pollute the antler characteristics or temperament of the pure mule deer. Much as it had been with elk.red deer hybrids.



Just my thoughts, but still a lot to learn



Ray Favero

Click to expand...

where r u in pa ????

south of bedford, at Creegan Whitetails