# The deer and the antelope play? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 14, 2005, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-deer-and-the-antelope-play/326186 "2005-10-14T05:05:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-deer-and-the-antelope-play/326186/21 "2005-10-14T16:57:06Z")
> [@Rufus Xavier](#): > > I’m guessing a wolf could give it a run for it’s money. > > I’ve seen Gray Wolf top speeds estimated at anywhere from 30-45 mph. And wolves hunt in groups, often by continutally harrying a herd, or lone prey, until some of the herd such as young, old or sick, or the single just plain wear out. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-deer-and-the-antelope-play/326186/22 "2005-10-14T16:58:40Z")
> [@](#): > > The most likely species of deer to be found on “the range” would be Mule Deer, though these would usually be near wooded or semi-wooded areas or scrub. Don’t whitetails have pretty much the same range as mule deer? I’ve seen both varieties around here and in Yellowstone. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-deer-and-the-antelope-play/326186/23 "2005-10-14T17:35:37Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Don’t whitetails have pretty much the same range as mule deer? I’ve seen both varieties around here and in Yellowstone. They overlap, and much more than they used to. The whitetail has been expanding its range west and north, and now may be found all the way across the Northern US and Southern Canada. The mule deer doesn’t occur in the Eastern US, where the population of whitetails has grown to where they are a common suburban nuisance. If we want to consider “deer” as “members of the deer family”, we might also observe that elk share habitat with pronghorn antelope, too, particularly during winter months when the elk move to lower elevations. (btw, I mean “elk” in the North American sense of “wapiti”, not as the term is used in Europe to mean the animal called a moose in North America.) ---
**Author:** ![VernWinterbottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c67d28/32.png) [@VernWinterbottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VernWinterbottom)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-deer-and-the-antelope-play/326186/24 "2005-10-14T18:18:24Z")
First of all, it’s just a song. Second, nowhere does it say that the deer and the antelope play _with each other_. The deer play. The antelope also play. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-deer-and-the-antelope-play/326186/25 "2005-10-14T18:46:41Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Don’t whitetails have pretty much the same range as mule deer? I’ve seen both varieties around here and in Yellowstone. As **yabob** says, the White-tail has been expanding its range westward into that of the Mule Deer. But even where they occur together, the Mule Deer prefers more open habitat than the White-tail, which likes to have a substantial amount of cover, though prefers edges and second growth to deep forest. This is more what I meant by the Mule Deer being more likely to be seen “on the range,” that is, out in grassland. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-deer-and-the-antelope-play/326186/26 "2005-10-14T19:22:48Z")
> [@VernWinterbottom](#): > > The deer play. The antelope also play. But they have to step around the prairie muffins left by those buffalo roaming. Speaking of whom, aren’t the deer and the antelope denizens of the hill country, while the bison stayed mainly in the plain? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-deer-and-the-antelope-play/326186/27 "2005-10-14T19:34:27Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Speaking of whom, aren’t the deer and the antelope denizens of the hill country, while the bison stayed mainly in the plain? Antelope like flat open country where they can crank up the speed if necessary. Deer and bison are found both on the plains and in hilly country. In steep mountains it would be mostly deer. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-deer-and-the-antelope-play/326186/28 "2005-10-14T19:36:05Z")
> [@RandomLetters](#): > > There used to be [North American “Cheetahs”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracinonyx) Heh, _Miracinonyx **inexpectatus** _. Nooooobody expects the North American Cheetah! ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-deer-and-the-antelope-play/326186/29 "2005-10-14T19:40:49Z")
> [@Inigo Montoya](#): > > Heh, _Miracinonyx **inexpectatus** _. > > Nooooobody expects the North American Cheetah! [_Tityra inquisitor_](http://www.zeledonia.org/galeria/fotos/Tityra%20inquisitor.jpg) is also usually a bit of a surprise. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-deer-and-the-antelope-play/326186/30 "2005-10-14T20:08:29Z")
Odd that “Home on the Range” is the state song of Kansas, and while I see deer regularly, I don’t believe I have ever seen anything even remotely resembing an antelope. Maybe they are more prevalent in the western part of the state??? ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2005, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-deer-and-the-antelope-play/326186/31 "2005-10-15T00:23:22Z")
> [@David Simmons](#): > > And wolves hunt in groups, often by continutally harrying a herd, or lone prey, until some of the herd such as young, old or sick, or the single just plain wear out. It’s not all about speed–horses are much faster than humans, but one method of catching horses is to constantly walk after them. Horses need to spend a lot of time eating to keep themselves going, and a human constantly coming after them at a steady pace day after day will eventually exhaust them to the point where the human can catch them. Humans can carry enough concentrated calories and water to keep on the move for a couple-three days easy if they’re in good condition, whereas horses rely on grass which is short on nutrition for the bulk they eat. A pack of wolves trotting constantly after a group of fast antelope can take turns chivvying them along and not allowing them enough rest to eat or herd them away from water-- the antelope will tire themselves out with dashes away from the predators which eventually win out. Persistence and patience can overcome superior speed. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2005, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-deer-and-the-antelope-play/326186/32 "2005-10-15T03:02:42Z")
For what it’s worth, out here in Colorado/Wyoming, Deer are thought of a cool wildlife, because for the most part they have the room to avoid people, and stick more to the mountainous areas. Antelope are considered trash wildlife, since they have huge obnoxious herds right by the side of the road, and have nasty diseased coats. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-deer-and-the-antelope-play/326186.md?page=1)