Deer : Page 178

smaller. Bucks will average 140 pounds. The color of theeastern deer is mainly brown with a reddish tinge. This redcoloration is so noticeable that they are sometimes called thered deer.

The southern white tail deer occupies the coastal regionsfrom the Carolinas south, all of Florida and west along the

Figure 41. The Mule Deer

Gulf coast to Texas. There are several sub species of thisgroup; size seems to be the chief difference. Some of the deer,located in the keys, are not much larger than overgrown jackrabbits, weighing as little as 25 to 30 pounds.

This Virginian's cousin, the mule deer (OdocoileusHemionus) is a decided westerner. The Rocky Mountains maybe said to be their eastern boundary from Mexico to southSaskatchewan, thence west to the Sierra Nevadas and southto the Russian River. From the mouth of the Russian Riverthey occupy the coastal region, including Southern California.Much of this territory is also occupied by the white tail.