Mule deer

Mule deer, medium-sized deer (Odocoileus hemionus), of the western United States, closely related to the Virginia, or white-tailed, deer. The two are distinguished by the shape of the antlers and by the Virginia deer's habit of carrying its white tail up when running. Both live in open country and have increased as forests have been cut down. They are the main prey of deer hunters, and in many places their numbers have to be regulated to prevent crop damage.