# Where Do Mule Deer Live?

> Where mule deer live: Western forests, sagebrush, deserts, and foothills of North America, native range cues, and human overlap. Status Least Concern.

- **Species:** Mule Deer (*Odocoileus hemionus*)
- **Conservation status:** Least Concern
- **Diet:** Herbivore — browse, forbs, grasses, and acorns
- **Habitat:** Western forests, sagebrush, deserts, and foothills of North America
- **Lifespan:** 9–11 years in the wild
- **Top speed:** Up to 48 km/h (30 mph); stotting escape gait
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/mule-deer/where-do-mule-deer-live/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/mule-deer/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

Mule deer are named for their large mule-like ears and black-tipped tail, ranging across western North America from Canada to Mexico. Bucks weigh up to 150 kg (330 lb), bound stiff-legged when fleeing ('stotting'), and migrate seasonally in many mountain populations.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a sighting hotline. This page is native range and habitat.

## 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.

## Help protect the Mule Deer

Even familiar animals lose ground as wild habitat keeps shrinking worldwide.

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/mule-deer/where-do-mule-deer-live/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.