Nearly a dozen subspecies of Odocoileus hemionus are recognized. Of these, two occur in Oregon - the  mule deer and Columbian black-tailed deer, often just referred to as "Black-tailed deer."

The mule deer is larger, lighter in color, and often associated with more open habitats, whereas the black-tailed deer is smaller and darker, and frequents dense, early seral forest communities. The most distinguishing feature of the black-tailed deer is the tail. Although not as long or wide as that of the white-tail, it is much larger than that of the mule deer.

Because of the differences in size, color, marking, ecology, and behavior, and because of the voluminous information available for the two races, we decided to treat them separately. Nevertheless, we emphasize that despite these differences, the races readily integrate and produce offspring.

The pelage of the Columbian black-tailed deer is dark reddish-brown, the face is brownish rather than grayish or white, the rump patch is small and does not extend much beyond the tail, and the tail is brownish or black dorsally, white ventrally. The hooves of males are significantly longer than those of females among adults and significantly broader.

Oregon's black-tail deer occur throughout the state west of the Cascade Range. They tend to be secretive and often rely on stealth or concealment rather than speed as a means of escape. Activity periods are influenced strongly by temperature.

Check our Living with Wildlife, Deer and Elk with tips on living with deer. Black-tailed deer are susceptible to Deer Hair Loss Syndrome, Adenovirus Hemorrhagic Disease, Chronic Wasting Disease, and Fibromatosis. 

Photo by Ronald French