Keep trophy records honest: Identifying whitetail/mule deer hybrids

Jim Heffelfinger; Renee Prive; David Paetkau; Carlos Alcala-Galvan; Roy G. Lopez; Irv Kornfield; Eldon Buckner

Treesearch

Keep trophy records honest: Identifying whitetail/mule deer hybrids

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Jim Heffelfinger, Renee Prive, David Paetkau, Carlos Alcala-Galvan, Roy G. Lopez, Irv Kornfield, Eldon Buckner

Year:

2012

Type:

Magazines or Trade Publications

Station:

Rocky Mountain Research Station

Source:

Fair Chase. 27(4): 66-70.

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Download (PDF 1.77 MB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/46850.pdf

Abstract

Humans have always been fascinated by hybrids. Consider such classic monsters as Wolfman, Dracula, and Mothmanor heroes such as Spiderman, Batman, and Catwoman. This trend pre-dates Hollywood by millennia; the "Minotaur" in Greek mythology was half man and half bull. Our fascination with creatures that are half one thing and half another extends to wildlife. Early naturalists often described new animals as a combination of parts from animals already known to them. Even the mule deer was described by John ]. Audubon in 1846 as having fur like an elk, but hooves like a whitetail.

Keywords

whitetail/mule deer hybrids

Citation

Heffelfinger, Jim; Prive, Renee; Paetkau, David; Alcala-Galvan, Carlos; Lopez, Roy; Kornfield, Irv; Buckner, Eldon. 2012. Keep trophy records honest: Identifying whitetail/mule deer hybrids. Fair Chase. 27(4): 66-70.