Caribou, Deer, Elk & Moose - Sounds Wild
Skagway Mule Deer

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Download Episode: Skagway Mule Deer (MP3 file 2,365 kB)

Transcript

A big deer steps out on the shoulder of the highway coming into Skagway from Canada in northern Southeast Alaska. The forests of Southeast are home to Sitka Black-tailed deer, but this is not a black-tail, this is a mule deer. Mule deer aren't native to Alaska. Black-tails historically inhabited coastal forests of the Pacific Northwest, and while they are abundant in most of Southeast Alaska, they are uncommon in the Skagway area. Mule deer are native to the mountains and more arid regions of the American West, and mule deer in British Columbia are expanding their range north and west into Southeast Alaska. Fish and Game biologists are working to learn more.

In 2019, the Alaska Board of Game established hunting regulations for mule deer. In April 2026, a hunter in Skagway harvested the first mule deer in Alaska,  keeping the venison to eat and providing Fish and Game with a wealth of tissue samples, which will help biologists better understand mule deer movements into Alaska, the distribution and any problems they could be bringing. There is concern that the new deer could carry diseases, parasites and ticks, that could spread to Alaska's deer and moose. Tests showed that this deer was tick free and did not raise any concerns.