USA: Oregon Blacktail X Muley Cross

[HuntingGold]

After chasing deer in four states now I have finally come home so to speak. I live on the "boundary" of where mule and blacktail deer meet and often interbreed. Most folks dont hunt these deer because they are not qualified for any "book." In fact I have avoided hunting the family hunting grounds for years for the same reason. In recent years I have "learned" that the book really isnt as important as the quality of the hunt. I started hunting a new location a few years ago and really enjoyed it. It is open enough to glass but thick enough to keep the blacktail happy. This year I killed this guy... a beautiful and mature public lands deer. He wouldnt score worth a hoot in any book but it sure was a great hunt!

I found him while sneaking up an old trail. I had just glassed a brushy hillside and was slowly moving forward. Moving just a little exposed some new ground and I immediately saw his big old black tail as he was feeding away from me. I pulled up the binocs and saw his antlers sticking out as he grazed. Doh a nice one! He hadnt a clue I was around and I saw a spot for a prone shot. I pulled off my day pack and laid it down. As I laid the pack down the buckles rattled. I looked up to see his big ole white face looking back at me. Now I knew I wouldnt have much time so I went prone and fired within a second. I heard the hit and saw the reaction but was leary of how quickly I had to fire. I was prepared for a long tracking job and went to where he had stood and found some blood. I collected my thoughts and moved forward and found him lying only 20 yards away. As I was cleaning him, I found the top of his heart had been removed by my hasty shot! We get lucky every once in awhile.
Thanks for looking.

 

[bluey]

nothing wrong with him huntinggold
blacktail ?
he looks like a muley stag to my train of thought
nice cape
when they swap genes the muley looks to be the dominate , is it always that way ?

 

[BRICKBURN]

Those two species/ subspecies look basically alike except that tail bluey.

Nice buck.

You can sure use that quick trigger finger in Africa.

 

[Diamondhitch]

Very nice.

Technically I believe they do qualify but must be entered in the category of the larger species, in this case Mule deer. Getting a B&C Muley with Blacktail blood in him would be a real feat.

I am with you though, as much as I love big bucks I have no interest in entering anything short of a top 10 animal in any book.

 

[HuntingGold]

Very nice.

Technically I believe they do qualify but must be entered in the category of the larger species, in this case Mule deer. Getting a B&C Muley with Blacktail blood in him would be a real feat.

I am with you though, as much as I love big bucks I have no interest in entering anything short of a top 10 animal in any book.

You are correct they would accept the mule deer minimum of 192. I am not aware of anything larger than 164 from the area. A colleague killed one about a mile away just days before at 158. My best is for this area is 129. The minimum for blacktail is 135 ( I believe).

The mule deer is currently thought to be a sub species of blacktail. Earlier the reverse was thought to be true. When they cross, it seems we see stocky bodies and more compact blacktail type antlers. Locals often call these crosses "bench -legs."

Randy

 

[Diamondhitch]

You are correct they would accept the mule deer minimum of 192. I am not aware of anything larger than 164 from the area. A colleague killed one about a mile away just days before at 158. My best is for this area is 129. The minimum for blacktail is 135 ( I believe).

The mule deer is currently thought to be a sub species of blacktail. Earlier the reverse was thought to be true. When they cross, it seems we see stocky bodies and more compact blacktail type antlers. Locals often call these crosses "bench -legs."

Randy

No blacktail here but we do get some whitetail/muley crosses. Other than big blocky bodies there seems to be no real rules to how they come out though but the 2 that I have seen were both in Saskatchewan, had more whitetail characteristics than muley but preferred to chase muley does, but they chase them more like a whitetail, mach 10 and no slowing down.

 

[HuntingGold]

This is a buck that would come in around the minimum for blacktail if he was living farther to the west. He appears to be damned near the same animal that I shot two years ago and coincidentally only about two hundred yards from where the camera sits. That animal in 2011 scored around 129. This one in 2013 appears to have just a little more on him. The unfortunate thing for this beautiful guy is that he will not make B&C as a mule deer and does not live far enough to the west to be a qualified as a black-tail. Notice the black tail!

I must add that in this particular location, the deer are migrating (and mostly under cover of darkness). My trail camera really does nothing for me other than to tell me what had passed by.

Hunting these guys really is alot like hunting Cape Bushbuck... or at least how we hunted them with KMG. Heavy brush and lots of glassing. Needless to say, I enjoyed the bushbuck hunt.

 

[HuntingGold]

No blacktail here but we do get some whitetail/muley crosses. Other than big blocky bodies there seems to be no real rules to how they come out though but the 2 that I have seen were both in Saskatchewan, had more whitetail characteristics than muley but preferred to chase muley does, but they chase them more like a whitetail, mach 10 and no slowing down.

Believe it or not we also have the white-tail X Muley crosses in some portions of far north-eastern Oregon. I have seen just a few and they were fawns. Fun to see the doe standing there and a set of twins... one showing the muley type characteristics and one showing a little more to the white-tail. Never did see a mixed buck while I was in the area. Maybe someday I will get back in that part of the state to snoop around.

 

[Diamondhitch]

Believe it or not we also have the white-tail X Muley crosses in some portions of far north-eastern Oregon. I have seen just a few and they were fawns. Fun to see the doe standing there and a set of twins... one showing the muley type characteristics and one showing a little more to the white-tail. Never did see a mixed buck while I was in the area. Maybe someday I will get back in that part of the state to snoop around.

Pretty cool, tomorrow when I have a bit of time I will try to post a pic of one that my buddy shot in SK.