Is this a Blacktail?

...Or is it just a muley with character???
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huntenfever
I'd say Muley with some alterations in the gens. one thing i know for sure is you take awesome pictures
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I would have to say Black, they have the same characteristics as muley other then a little smaller and black tail. I would say black tail cause of the antler growth.

But again it could be a muley.
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AGCHAWK
To make a guess I would say a Blacktail also. However, it's tough to tell straight on like that. Since they are both so closely related it can be tough at times....

Coop, where was the pic taken? That may help solve the mystery.
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CoopersDesign
Was taken at Yellowstone NP. Near the Montana border.
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AGCHAWK
Well then I'd officially change my answer to "Mule deer". Yellowstone is certainly not blacktail range unless someone released them there. Since Blacktail and Mule deer will mate across species even if they were released they would be absorbed into the Mule deer population.

As I stated before, they are very closely related and can look a lot alike. It seems that the one in the pic is indeed a Muley "with character".

His rack looks a lot like the non-typical Blacktail that BOHNTR harvested this last season though, don't it?
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Heads or Tails
Going off of the pic and the location you mentioned I would lan toward Muley. I could be wrong, but as fa as I know there are no Blacktails in that area. His face looks Muley the color of his horns look darker like Blacks, but I think they are wet. he looks like about a 3 or 4 (maybe 4 1/2) year old buck, which means he has some great non-typ genetics if he can make it a few more years.
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MuleyMadness
Man this is a tough one, I first thought Blacktail by the looks of him. But he is a monster if that's the case. But my vote is Mule Deer.
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killerbee
no question he is absolutly a muley with character! in yellystone there aren't any blacktails- but i can see the extreme similarity. if you ever want to see a pic of a blacktail you could pass that off easy!
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NONYA
Muley thats been rubbin in a burn area.I shot a buck a few years back that had been doing the same,he had some real dark horns like this guy.
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CoopersDesign
Thanks guys!
We think it's a Muley, too. We were sure there weren't any blacktails in that area, but after we saw this guy, we had to second guess ourselves. But I think NONYA is right...it was near a burn area, and HEAD or TAILS was right about it being wet as well...it was snowing, in fact. Quite the characteristic antlers though, don't ya think?? Look like thorns.
Harlan took some more pictures. I'll upload 'em tonight...
Maybe we shoud check back into YNP this year and see how he's doing in growth!?!?
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i'ed say muley
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Well, if that was a blacktail, I'd say it's one of the biggest I've seen. But it definitely has to be a mule deer, just by the size of it's head and body.
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CoopersDesign
Here are a few more pictures as promised. I think everyone here agrees for the most part that this is a muley, but I still thought you guys might enjoy looking at these "thorn horns" from different angles.

Ann
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