MAMMALS OF YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK 



97 



Columbian black-tailed deer. It is 



possible to find animals that display some 

 characteristics of each or mixtures of 

 any two. In sections lying near the nor- 

 mal range of black-tailed and Rocky 

 Mountain mule deer, individuals appear 

 clearly recognizable as to subspecies. For 

 instance, the so-called "granite bucks" 

 of the very high country may usually be 

 identified as of the Rocky Mountain va- 

 riety. In Yosemite, it is not always pos- 

 sible to rely on field identification of 

 deer. 



Joseph S. Dixon, after over thirty 

 years of observation, felt certain that 

 black-tailed deer always elevate the tail 

 vertically when frightened, while mule 

 deer always hold it below the horizontal 

 under those conditions. He further based 

 identifications on the length of the meta- 

 tarsal gland, which is located on the hind 

 foot above the toes and below the hock 

 or heel. It is at least 5 inches long on 

 mule deer and but slightly over 3 inches 

 on blacktails. This determination can not 

 always be used on certain hybrids. 



Because of characteristics which pre- 

 dominate in most of them, we usually 

 refer to the deer of Yosemite Valley as 

 California mule deer, although certain 

 individuals may show some features of 

 the other two forms. Since these are so 

 easily approached, much information 

 about the habits of the California mule 



Photo by R. G. Beidlem, 

 Buck with growing antlers "in the velvet." 



From Koiachrome by Beatly 

 Buck with one antler shed. Note the scar. 



deer is available, thanks to patient studies 

 by Dixon, Russell and others. Most of 

 what appears here is drawn from their 

 work. 



I have known men to come to the 

 Yosemite Museum and ask us to settle 

 a bet as to whether deer actually shed 

 their antlers! They do shed them, nor- 

 mally once a year. 



Deer do not have horns in the true 

 sense of the word. Horns, in most ani- 

 mals that have them, are permanent, not 

 shed seasonally, and are hollow with a 

 bony core. The antlers of deer are solid, 

 bony structures grown anew each year. 

 They should never be referred to as 

 "horns." 



A common misbelief is that the age of 

 bucks (normal does never have antlers) 

 can be told from the number of "points" 

 on one antler. Four points, exclusive of 

 any "eyeguards" is the regular number 

 for a buck in the height of physical de- 

 velopment. This is ordinarily attained 

 at the age of four years, but will also 

 continue for several seasons, perhaps un- 

 til the age of eight. After the years of 

 greatest vigor, the number of points is 

 reduced from year to year until there 

 may be three, two, or one. Thus it is pos- 

 sible for a twelve-year-old buck to carry 

 antlers consisting of only one large spike 

 each! 



