Mule Deer
Mule DeerMule DeerMule DeerMule Deer

Mule Deer

Odocoileus hemionus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered Endemic
60–70% · Likely
overall probability at Rocky Mountain National Park
1,082 Verified records at Rocky Mountain National Park
December Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) is a deer indigenous to western North America; it is named for its ears, which are large like those of the mule. Two subspecies of mule deer are grouped into the black-tailed deer. Mule deer are found in the western and central parts of North America. Various subspecies range from the western Great Plains to the Rocky Mountains, the southwest United States and northern Mexico, and the west coast of the continent. Their range is smaller than the related white-tailed deer, which are found throughout most of North America east of the Rocky Mountains and in the valleys of the Rocky Mountains from Idaho and Wyoming northward. Mule deer have also been introduced to Argentina and Kauai, Hawaii. Wikipedia →

60–70% of wildlife watchers report a Mule Deer sighting in Rocky Mountain National Park, based on 1,082 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Rocky Mountain National Park

Elk
LC Endemic

Elk

☀️🌙 Day & Night Mammal

Cervus elaphus

80–90% · Very likely
Elk
LC

Elk

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Alces alces

60–70% · Likely
Moose

Moose

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Alces americanus

10–20% · With luck
Bighorn Sheep
LC Endemic

Bighorn Sheep

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Ovis canadensis

20–30% · Possible
Pronghorn
LC Endemic

Pronghorn

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Antilocapra americana

<5% · Rare
Mountain Goat
LC

Mountain Goat

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Oreamnos americanus

<5% · Rare
American Bison
NT

American Bison

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Bison bison

Insufficient data

📅 Monthly Probability

70–80
Jan
80–90
Feb
70–80
Mar
70–80
Apr
60–70
May
60–70
Jun
60–70
Jul
60–70
Aug
60–70
Sep
70–80
Oct
70–80
Nov
80–90
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
80–90%
2 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
80–90%
3 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
70–80%
4 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
60–70%
5 Badlands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
60–70%
6 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
60–70%
7 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
60–70%
8 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
50–60%
9 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
50–60%
10 Guadalupe Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
50–60%
11 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
40–50%
12 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
40–50%
13 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
40–50%
14 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
40–50%
15 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
40–50%
16 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
30–40%
17 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
30–40%
18 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
20–30%
19 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
20 Kluane National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
10–20%
21 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
10–20%
22 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
23 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
24 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
25 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Mule Deer in Rocky Mountain National Park?

About 68% of wildlife watchers report a Mule Deer sighting in Rocky Mountain National Park, based on 1,082 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Mule Deer in Rocky Mountain National Park?

December has the highest sighting rate for Mule Deer in Rocky Mountain National Park in our monthly data.

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