Story from TPWD
This mule deer doe was captured in Motley County west of Matador in December 2008 as part of a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department research project looking at estimating mule deer numbers using a helicopter survey method. At the time of capture, biologists aged her at 5.5 years old.
This photo of the doe was taken in December, 2019, making her 16.5 years old.
“One of the most interesting aspects of research involving deer, is catching wild deer, marking them with ear tags for identification and then releasing them back to the wild,” said the Pandhandle District of TPWD on its Facebook page. “We can get some idea of movement and longevity.”
As for this doe, the biologists said, “We think she looks pretty good for her age.”
Photo by Terry Fincher, TPWD.
