The Coues (pronounced ‘cooz’) white-tail deer roam Arizona and New Mexico and are less common than the common mule deer, which can be found throughout western North America. They can be distinguished by their tight compact antlers, smaller ears, and ‘colored’ tail (as opposed to mule deers white rump with black tip tail).

When they are alarmed they run, revealing the underside of their snowy white tail, hence, white-tail.

The males are typically around 125 lbs, while the females are about 80 lbs. They graze southeast Arizona in elevations of 4,000 ‘ – 10,000 ‘.

They are a frequent visitor and often encountered in the forests around Mogollon Rim and the White Mountains.

They were first described by Army physician and naturalist Dr. Elliot Coues stationed at Ft. Whipple in 1865.