What do California mule deer eat?

Deer feed on grasses and forbs in the spring and summer, however they are primarily browsers. High quality forage items like young tender shoots, young shrubs, leaves of plants that are high in nutrients, succulent grasses, and forbs are selected. Deer also eat items such as bark, buds, and acorns.

What is mule deer favorite food?

Mule deer eat a variety of vegetation. They are known to eat mesquite leaves and beans, fairy duster, jojoba, cat claw, buck bush and other shrubs and grasses. Humans, coyote, mountain lion, eagles, bear, wolves, and bobcats.

How long do California mule deer live?

9-11 years
Mule deer usually live 9-11 years in the wild and can live to be much older when in captivity. How big are mule deer? Mule deer range from 3 to 3-1/2 feet tall at the shoulder, 4-1/2 to 7 feet long and have a tail that is 5 to 8 inches long. They can weigh between 130-280 pounds.

How much do mule deer eat a day?

Mule deer consume a large volume of food—about 4 to8 pounds per day on a dry weight basis.

What do mule deer do at night?

Deer don’t always sleep much at night — they typically use the cover of darkness as protection against predators. When they do sleep at night, they do so in such a way as to conserve energy, stay hidden and guard themselves against predators.

Why are there no whitetail deer in California?

Answer: No. White-tailed deer are not native and would be competing with native deer for already-limited habitat. According to Department of Fish and Game (DFG) Deer Program Manager Craig Stowers, if native deer are on the decline, introduced white-tailed would likely not do any better.

What state has the most mule deer?

Colorado
Colorado is widely regarded as the nation’s top mule deer destination. Due to extremely good mule deer habitat with plenty of food and sound management practices by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the state has the largest mule deer population in the country.

What is a female mule deer called?

does
Reproduction of the Mule Deer Female deer, called “does,” mate with several males, called “bucks.” The gestation period is around 200 days long, and it is very common for does to have twins.

Which species could the California mule deer compete with?

Bobcats, coyotes, black bears are capable of preying on adult deer, but usually either only attack fawns or infirm specimens or eat the deer after it has died naturally.

How often do mule deer need water?

Typically, deer will drink water once or twice a day. Stowers says more studies are available on the distance deer will travel for water. The literature indicates that between 1.5 to 3 miles is about the maximum distance most will travel for water. Water is indeed a limiting factor in the distribution of deer.