https://youtu.be/2-Grf0ncPw0
We’re now setting up the mule deer in the game. Many of their behaviors are similar to elk, but because they live alone or in small family groups, they don’t have the protection of the herd, so hunting them is somewhat different. As usual, this involved a lot of tweaking and iteration. Some of those tweaks happened just before I made this video, so I didn’t get the mother-defending-the-fawn behaviors as I’d intended…but there’s still enough to look and and talk about for a nine-minute video.
Correction: In the video I say that 10% of elk hunts end in failure; of course I meant to say that 10% succeed, and 90% end in failure.
Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) are named for their large ears. They are most common in the summer throughout Yellowstone in brushy areas, grasslands and coniferous forests. Mule deer may sometimes gather in small groups but do not form large herds like elk. Mule deer are smaller than elk weighing on average 286 kg (130 lbs).
Wolves prey on mule deer, especially fawns, but wolves do prefer hunting larger, slower elk or bison. Fawns will start out hiding, scentless and motionless in early summer. Once they are mobile, fawns stay close to their mothers and can also run fast. Mule deer can run as fast as 72 kph (45 mph) and can change their running direction with a single bound by stotting (or pronking) which allows them to cover uneven terrain efficiently. This makes them challenging prey to catch. They also have sharp hooves that smart wolves avoid. Males grow and shed their antlers each year.