Quick answer
Key facts about mule deer — size, diet, habitat, and conservation in one place.
Stotting and escape behaviour
When alarmed, mule deer often flee with a four-legged bounce called stotting, which may signal fitness to predators or improve visibility over brush. This gait distinguishes them from the running gallop of white-tailed deer.
Forked antlers and the rut
Bucks grow bifurcating antlers that fork rather than branch from a main beam like white-tailed deer. The rut peaks in late autumn; bucks spar for access to does. Afterward antlers are shed and regrow through spring and summer.
Migration and urban edge
Many Rocky Mountain herds migrate vertically between summer high country and lower winter range — journeys increasingly blocked by highways and development. Suburban mule deer adapt to irrigated lawns and parks, raising collision and conflict concerns.
Conservation status
Listed Least Concern overall, but some migratory herds face declines from habitat fragmentation, chronic wasting disease, and severe winters. Wildlife crossings and protected winter range help maintain connectivity in the western United States and Canada.