Native Deer Species of Texas

Three deer species are native to Texas:

• White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) — Statewide, most abundant.
• Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) — West Texas, Trans-Pecos region.
• Coues deer (O. v. couesi) — Subspecies of white-tail; South/West Texas brush country.

White-tails dominate; mule deer prefer arid, rugged terrain; Coues are smaller, desert-adapted.