Standard English Name(s): mule deer (or black-tailed deer, including the coast deer or Columbian black-tailed deer subspecies)
Local English Name(s): deer
Scientific Name(s): Odocoileus hemionus (Rafinesque)
Upriver Halkomelem Name(s):
Downriver Halkomelem Name(s):
Island Halkomelem Name(s):

Description, Habitat, Ecology, & Distribution:
     Mule deers are so-named for the resemblance of their large and nearly constantly moving ears to the long ears of mules. They are widely distributed throughout most of British Columbia, with the coast deer being the only of three subspecies (O. h. columbianus) to occur within the Halkomelem territory. All of the subspecies differ markedly from the other deer of the province-the white-tailed deer (O. virginiana), which is larger and lacks the black-tipped tail of the mule or black-tailed deer. The coat colour of the coast deer ranges from reddish-brown to greyish-brown sprinkled with black in winter, to reddish-buff in summer. Adult males may reach 167 cm (66 in) in length, with females being slightly smaller. They inhabit the western slope of the Coast Range. Being excellent swimmers, they also travel to and between coastal islands. These herbivores consume vegetation, especially Douglas-fir, western red cedar, Pacific yew, Pacific trailing blackberry, red huckleberry and salal, as well as a host of smaller herbaceous plants.

Upriver Halkomelem Cultural Role(s):

Downriver Halkomelem Cultural Role(s):
     Deer were hunted by individual hunters, or by hunters who participated in cooperative drives. Individual hunters used bows and arrows with detachable points, snares, and pitfalls. In deer drives, the deer were chased by a line of hunters toward other hunters who killed the deer with clubs. Some hunters lured deer at night with flares, then clubbed (in pre-contact times) or shot (in post-contact times) the deer.

Island Halkomelem Cultural Role(s):