20 MAMMALS. OF UTAH 



(2) CHIHUAHUA MULE DEER 



ODOCOILEUS HEMIONUS CANUS (Merriam) 



Odocoileus hemionus canus Merriam, Proc. Wash. Acad. Sci., 

 iii, 1901, p. 560. 



Description — Smaller and paler than typical hemionus. 



Distribution — The typical hemionus is confined in Utah 

 to the extreme northern part of the state, its race, canus, 

 occupying probably the major part of the state; but as ma- 

 terial is not at hand to determine the exact limits of the 

 two, they are treated here together. 



L. F. Kneipp informs me that mule deer are increasing 

 in all of the Utah national forests except the Dixie, Powell 

 and LaSal. George H. Barney of Escalante says that they 

 are quite numerous in the Escalante forest, as well as south 

 and east to the Colorado river. He estimates 2,000 as the 

 number in the entire forest. Brigham Spencer of Moab 

 says they are quite numerous in Garfield, Wayne, San Juan, 

 Grand and Emery counties. B. E. Mattsson of Ephraim 

 says that it is estimated that there are 550 mule deer and 

 50 elk on the Manti forest. He adds: "The industrial de- 

 velopments of the country have materially affected the 

 egress and ingress of wild game ; particularly is this true on 

 the west and north sides, where there is but little winter 

 range, and I do not believe any big game attempt to winter 

 on the forest on the west and north sides. At the time this 

 country was settled the forest ranges were teeming with 

 wild life. There were no game laws in effect and as a con- 

 sequence the wild game was greatly diminished. Winter 

 range, which a few years past produced ;imple feed for 

 wild gam.e, is now fully consumed by domestic jnimals 

 which have precluded the wild game." 



C. A. Mattsson of Salina estimates that there are 1400 

 mule deer in the Fishlake national forest. "The mule deer," 

 he says, "is found in all the juniper-pinon and low oak brush 

 type of country in this vicinity during the winter seasons, 

 and in the higher ranges during the summer periods." 

 Clinto Milne of St. George says: "The mule deer on the 

 forest reserve in this part are estimated at 750 head. This 

 does not include all of the county (Washington) as deer are 

 found in other mountains which the forest reserve does not 

 cover. The deer in this part are just about holding their 

 own as mountain lions are numerous and kill many." J. W. 

 Humphrey of Panguitch says that deer are numerous on 

 both divisions of the Sevier forest ; also in the lower country 



