Deer
Mule Deer vs. Whitetail: How to Tell Them Apart
By Thomas Williams
on September 28, 2026
Mule deer have larger ears (mule-like, 6- 8" long), bifurcating antlers that fork twice, white rumps with a black-tipped tail, and a stiff-legged "stotting" gait when running away. Whitetails, by contrast, have smaller ears, single-beam antlers with tines off one main beam, brown rumps, and a flagging white tail that lifts straight up when fleeing.
