Mule, Odocoileus hemionus, and White-tailed, O. virginianus, Deer in the Yukon

Abstract

Both Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) have colonized the southern half of the Yukon in recent decades. Mule Deer have attained a continuous distribution in suitable habitats, White-tailed Deer have remained rare. Deer habitats are largely open, south-facing grassy slopes bordered by aspen, sites of recent forest fires, and cultivated hay fields. Many sightings have been reported by the general public. These have been supplemented by interviews of native elders and other long-time residents and a literature search. Mule Deer first appeared in the Yukon in the late 1930s to early 1940s and by the 1980s had reached the latitude of Dawson (64° N) and crossed into Alaska in the Ladue River drainage. A northern record for Mule Deer was established with a sighting near Chapman Lake along the Dempster Highway (64° 50′ N, 138° 25″ W). White-tailed Deer are more recent, first observed near the British Columbia border (60° 10′ N) at Tagish Lake in 1975 and reaching Moose Creek along the Klondike Highway (63° 30′ N) in 1998.