Arizona's
other deer, the Coues, is a subspecies of
the white-tailed deer. Coues deer are most
common in Arizona's southeastern mountains,
but range up to the edge of the Mogollon
Rim and into the White Mountains. They are
most abundant in areas of predictable summer
precipitation. They prefer woodlands of chaparral,
oak, and pine, with interspersed clearings.
Life History
In contrast to a mule deer's equally branching antlers, those of the whitetail
consist of a number of tines arising from a main beam which curves forward.
Mature bucks generally have three to four tines per side.
Coat color is grayish-brown salt-and-pepper with white underparts; the
face is marked with white 'halos' around the eyes and a white band across
the muzzle. The most distinguishing characteristic of the whitetail is
its long, broad tail. The tail is all white on the underside, gray to reddish-black
on top, and is often carried high as an alarm signal.
The Coues deer is much smaller than most of its eastern cousins. Bucks
stand just over 30 inches at the shoulder and rarely weigh over 100 pounds.
Does average 65 pounds.
A doe's first pregnancy usually results in a single fawn; thereafter she
may bear twins. Fawn drop coincides with the new growth following the summer
rains. Usually, a whitetail fawn will stay with its mother longer than
a mule deer will.
Hunt History
The Coues white-tailed deer is perhaps Arizona's finest game animal. Wary,
and expert at using cover, whitetails rarely offer the hunter a standing
shot once jumped. Perhaps for this reason, the species has become increasingly
important in the harvest. Although the statewide take has varied from 1,500
to more than 7,000 whitetails a year, depending on the vagaries of drought
and fawn survival, the recent trend has been for this species to constitute
an ever greater proportion of the statewide harvest. For example, whitetails
comprised less than 15 percent of Arizona's deer harvest in 1961 but nearly
40 percent in 1998.
Behavior
When seen at a distance, two distinguishing characteristics between the
species are evident in their tails and gait. The Coues has a flagging white
tail and a more natural run. Mule deer on the other hand 'run' using a
stiff legged, bounding gait. When at a closer range, other differences
include facial markings, ear size, and antler configuration. In addition
to physical features, habitat preferences vary. In Arizona's southern mountain
ranges whitetails are generally found at higher elevations than are mule
deer.
Summary
Breeding
Period: January
Young
Appear: August
Average
Number of Young: 2
Distribution: 4K-10K
ft in central and southeastern
Arizona
Habitat: Oak-grasslands,
chaparral, and pine forests
Food
Preference: Weeds,
shrubs, mast, grass,
mistletoe, and cacti
fruits in season
Range: 4
sq. miles
Live
Weight: M-125lbs.;
F-80lbs.
Predators: Mountain
Lion, Bobcat, Eagle,
and Coyote
Habitat
