Blacktail or Mule Deer?

[Jordanhicks2424]

Muley


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[tallfrank]

Both nice bucks! I'd say a mix for both but hard to say. Top buck doesn't have much of a forehead making it appear more like a blacktail, bottom buck is hard to judge from the photo angle.

 

[HankNM]

Keep in mind nutrition and mineral content of soil can have an affect on antler development.

Spoke with a warden after I killed a very strange palmated buck. He said..".I see a lot of those in this range from here to there (im being vague). A biologist told me there was a mineral that contributed to the odd growth." I thought it was interesting.

Seen some changes in my 65 yrs. on this subject.
I have taken some pure BT's in isolated pockets in SLO county on coast that could pass for dad's of Sonoma county bucks. Some from Big Sur looked mixed but biologist said pure. Biggest body wise was a 3x3 with mulie type bod,and compact tight rack & 3" eye guards stained black/red from PO. Textbook BT rack.
Biggest rack was 24 wide 4x4. Both these bucks were from private ranches in SLO county and a DFG biologist tested,but I did not tell him real location of kills...to screw with him. Told him they were from similar spot on FS lands near Monterey Co border off coast where we hunted together twice with a warden bud of mine.

 

[MeatBuck]

The b&c boundary cuts out a portion of b-6 about 40 miles or so west of I-5. I found that to be interesting as my dad lives there and I've seen no evidence of mule tails. Seen some damn nice bucks up there tho.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Coastal D13 has hybrids.

 

[roosiebull]

I don't know high country blacktail well enough to have a strong opinion, but that too one looks blacktail feature wise... Regardless, very cool buck!

 

[Woodsman]

blacktail