Yosemite nature notes . so-called granite bucksof the very high country may usually beidentified as of the Rocky Mountain va-riety. In Yosemite, it is not always pos-sible to rely on field identification ofdeer. Joseph S. Dixon, after over thirtyyears of observation, felt certain thatblack-tailed deer always elevate the tailvertically when frightened, while muledeer always hold it below the horizontalunder those conditions. He further basedidentifications on the length of the meta-tarsal gland, which is located on the hindfoot above the toes and below the hockor heel. It is at least 5 inches l

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• Dimensions: 1685 x 1483 px | 28.5 x 25.1 cm | 11.2 x 9.9 inches | 150dpi

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Yosemite nature notes . so-called granite bucksof the very high country may usually beidentified as of the Rocky Mountain va-riety. In Yosemite, it is not always pos-sible to rely on field identification ofdeer. Joseph S. Dixon, after over thirtyyears of observation, felt certain thatblack-tailed deer always elevate the tailvertically when frightened, while muledeer always hold it below the horizontalunder those conditions. He further basedidentifications on the length of the meta-tarsal gland, which is located on the hindfoot above the toes and below the hockor heel. It is at least 5 inches long onmule deer and but slightly over 3 incheson blacktails. This determination can notalways be used on certain hybrids. Because of characteristics which pre-dominate in most of them, we usuallyrefer to the deer of Yosemite Valley asCalifornia mule deer, although certainindividuals may show some features ofthe other two forms. Since these are soeasily approached, much informationabout the habits of the California mule.