Large and Small Mammal Identification

Reddish-brown to blue-gray or tan coloring; underside of tail is white, producing a "flag" when raised.

• White-Tailed Deer

• Mule Deer

• Black Tailed Deer

Reddish color in summer, blue-gray in winter; rump patch is cream colored with black tip; tail is cream-colored. Ears are larger and antlers branch equally. Geographically located midwest-west.

• White-Tailed Deer

• Mule Deer

• Black-Tailed Deer

Smaller in size and can be distinguished by its blackish or brown coloring on top of tail. Geographically located on the west coast.

• White-Tailed Deer

• Mule Deer

• Black-Tailed Deer

Reddish to tan coloring. Large white rump patch with short white tail. Rump hair stands up when alerted or fleeting. Two broad white bands across neck. Male has large black jaw patch and larger, slightly curved horns with single prong growing forward.

• Black-Tailed Deer

• Pronghorn

• Bighorn Sheep

• Elk (Wapiti)

Dark brown to gray coloring; white rump patch with short darker tail. Two heavy, tapering, curled brown horns on male; smaller and less curled on female. Lives in rocky, mountainous terrain.

• Pronghorn

• Mule Deer

• Bighorn Sheep

• Elk (Wapiti)

Dark brown to tan coloring; yellowish rump patch and tail. Large, spreading antlers on males. Lives in mountainous terrain in summer and may move to lower elevations and wooded slopes in the winter.

• Pronghorn

• Bighorn Sheep

• Black-Tailed Deer

• Elk (Wapiti)

Largest of the caribou; dark brown with whitish neck, underside, rump, and above each hoof. Semipalmated antlers with a prominent vertical tine over nose. Geographically located in the northern region (Canada).

• Elk (Wapiti)

• Woodland Caribou

• Moose

• Mountain Lion (Cougar)

Dark brown coloring; legs are grayish. Large overhanging snout; dewlap on throat. Antlers on males are massive, palmate, and flat. Geographically found in the northern parts of the US and Canada and along the Rocky Mountains.

• Woodland Caribou

• Bighorn Sheep

• Mountain Lion (Cougar)

• Moose

Large tan cat with long, dark-tipped tail.

• Mountain Lion (Cougar)

• Moose

• Woodland Caribou

• White Tailed Deer

Medium-sized with reddish-spotted fur (grayer in winter) and black on top and at tip of very short tail. Light-spotted underside including face. Geographically located in almost all regions of the US and in southern Canada.

• Mountain Lion (Cougar)

• Bobcat

• Lynx

• Coyote