Rocky Mountain

Rocky Mountain mule deer refers to the western mountain form of mule deer, commonly associated with Odocoileus hemionus hemionus. It ranges through much of the Rocky Mountain region and nearby basins, using sagebrush, shrub-steppe, conifer edges, foothills, and high summer range. Like other mule deer, it has large ears, a white rump patch, a black-tipped tail, and antlers that fork rather than branch from a single main beam. Coats shift from reddish brown in summer to grayer, denser winter hair.

This is a managed wildlife animal, not a domestic breed for ordinary ownership. Agencies, tribes, researchers, landowners, and conservation groups focus on migration corridors, winter range, fawn recruitment, chronic wasting disease surveillance, hunting seasons, and highway crossings. In zoos, rehabilitation, or research facilities, permits and specialized cervid housing are expected, with quiet handling systems and diets based on browse, forbs, and formulated deer feeds rather than livestock grain.

Colors: Gray-Brown, Red-Brown