Mule deer are named for their large ears, and Mt. Hood is a good place to see both of Oregon’s forms of the species. Columbian black-tailed deer, a subspecies of mule deer, live in western Oregon from the west side of the Cascades to the coast. Mule deer in the narrower sense live east of the Cascades and move up into the mountains in summer, so Mt. Hood sits right where the two ranges meet.
East-side mule deer have a white rump patch around a narrow white tail tipped in black, and a cinnamon-buff coat in winter that turns more reddish in summer. Bucks grow antlers that branch into paired forks, shed them in late winter and grow new ones in velvet each spring. When startled, mule deer often bound away on stiff legs with all four feet landing together, a gait called stotting that lets them see over brush and change direction quickly on rough ground. Black-tailed deer are more secretive, mostly active at night, and favor thick undergrowth.
Does usually give birth to a single fawn, sometimes twins, in late spring or early summer. Spotted fawns can walk within minutes and have very little scent, which helps them stay hidden. Deer are most active early and late in the day, so dawn and dusk are the best times to watch for them.
How to identify it
A medium to large deer with very large ears. Mule deer have a white rump patch and a thin white tail with a black tip; bucks carry antlers that branch into paired forks. West of the Cascade crest, black-tailed deer belong to the same species but favor dense cover.
Look-alikes
White-tailed deer have a bushy white tail rather than the mule deer's thin, black-tipped one.
Habitat
Forests, clearings, meadows and brushy edges. Black-tailed deer favor dense, brushy forest west of the Cascade crest; mule deer use the drier east side and in many areas spend summer at higher elevations and winter lower down.
Sightings in the forest
130 research-grade sightings in Mt. Hood National Forest on iNaturalist, most recently on October 10, 2026. See them on iNaturalist →