Black-tail Deer

( Originally Published Early 1900's )

By the hunters in Colorado the mule-deer is commonly spoken of as the black-tail, although that name properly belongs to a species confined to the mountain-ranges bordering the Pacific in the neighborhood of the Columbia River, and unknown to the eastward of the Sierra Nevada. This deer is rather smaller than the mule-deer, with relatively smaller ears, but nearly similar antlers. The comparatively short round tail is black throughout, except for a short strip of about one-fourth the circumference running along the under surface. The general color in winter is tawny gray with white on the under-parts and throat. The face is gray, and the legs a dark cinnamon color. In summer the color changes to hay.