Whitetails in Utah?

[Wild Antlers]

I say let them in,just like andyman said ,all the other states with whitetails do just fine with the muleys also, I think it would just bring more hunting opportunity to the state and I think the whitetails would stick to there usual habitat , riverbottoms, lowlands etc, for the most part the muleys and the whitetails stay in there own groups so I dont think they would be a problem as long as they are managed properly

[sneekeepete]

I agree that they would usually stay in their own areas and away from one another for the most part. There is one thing though. Where I am from the deer get pushed off the mountain in the winter by the snow. They come into the valley and farmlands/river bottoms for feed and to rut. So if whitetails made it to where I am from they would be competing with our muleys during the most critical time of year for them. That is why I am completely against any around my parts. I am sure there are other areas in the state that could support the two much better though too so I guess I am just setting on the fence and can't decide which side I want to be on.

[Buckmaster]

I had a picture(then hard drive crashed no backup) of a 145 class white tail that was hanging out in the mouth of Ogden canyon and in the river bottoms.... called the dwr and asked if they were open season with a Utah deer tag, they said Absolutely!! Archery Hunted four days for him, just could not close the deal.

[AntlersOutWest]

kinzysdad- Where abouts did you see the whitetail near Heber?

[kinzysdad]

kinzysdad- Where abouts did you see the whitetail near Heber?

just about the top of center canyon, they were still on the private property. I'm not sure but I think the Mrs Fields cookie lady owns it.

[AntlersOutWest]

Are you from Heber? They claim there is some down in Woodland too. Almost where Mrs Fields owned a ranch.. Maybe she's to blame

[kinzysdad]

From Am Fork but live ib Worst Valley now. I have heard the same thing about Woodland. Does she not won the property anymore? I know for a while there she was buying all the property she could and did everything she could to keep the hunters out.

I agree, lets blame her.

[AntlersOutWest]

She sold the big ranch to Wolf Creek. Im not sure what she owns around here anymore.
She owned property near the Provo river and would call the cops a ton on people fishing near her place. I have heard not too many people were fond of them.

[outn'bout]

here's my opinion so take it at that.

there are many states in the west/midwest who have populations of whiteys and muleys. have any of you heard of the whitetails in these states causing a the muley population to disappear? not me. the thing is these 2 species of deer live very different lives. their habitat, food, breeding, fawning,...................requirements are very different. these deer live very different lives. yes these lifestyles do have some overlap but for the most part they don't. they even occupy the same areas at times but what they are doing there and how they are using the area differ substantially. yes the potential for cross breeding is there but that is much more rare than it is common. and from the literature that i've read these hybrids usually succumb to predation because their wires get crossed and their fleeing strategy is stuck between the muley and the whitey so they neither bound like the muley nor run like the whitey. it is kind of an inbetween clumsy escape which usually don't work. i bet this same debate has been going on for decades and decades. i'd pay anyone to find scientific research that says whitetail deer moving in to occupy the same niche as the mule deer has lead to a mule deer population to decline.

[kinzysdad]

It's conversations like these that make me enjoy this site so much. Thanks for your input

And to the madness