Axis deer question

[dmize]

Does anyone know if an Axis can breed with a whitetail? I am guessing that by many ranches in Texas having both species that the answer is no.
Somehow we ended up with 3 or 4 Axis running free in my area in Central Missouri. A huge buck was seen about 1/4 mile from my farm and Sunday we saw a very spotted very large doe about just up the road. Does anyone have an idea on their range? Either we have more than 4 running around or they cover a LOT of territory.

[potatojudge]

That's pretty far north for Axis and their ability to survive the winter without good cover and feed is doubtful, but never say never with nature.

I'd imagine if 4 have been spotted there are more in the area.

I've never heard of hybridization with the Axis and I doubt it's likely. The page below is from Deer Antlers: Regeneration, Function, and Evolution by Richard Goss. One is an Old World deer, the other New World based on their metacarpal bones, which suggests their evolution is more divergent than something like white tail and mule deer which overlap quite a bit but still hybridize infrequently. The different chromosome numbers don't help, but that's not an insurmountable barrier as seen in mules (horses and donkeys have different chromosome numbers) though it does make the hybrid offspring generally sterile.

By the way, if anyone is interested why moose are listed as having 68 or 70 chromosomes it's pretty neat. 

[KRal]

I ask this same question to a large ranch owner in Texas where I was hunting Axis once. I was told they had no documentation or evidence of any cross breeding. I seen many whitetail and axis with nothing that looked suspicious to me.

[dmize]

There are two ranches around here that they had to have came from. One has been closed for several years but is only a couple miles away. The other one is still in operation but about 30 miles and 2 rivers away.
I guess the sketchy part will come up this deer season. They are not a native animal BUT Missouri has a "permissive" game code in which we are allowed to harvest Whitetail Deer. Havent found an agent yet that will give a definite answer. Neighbor is going to call the Dept.

[kings6]

Just remember to never say never. A mule is a sterile hybrid due to different chromosome numbers between the donkey and the horse but there have been about 3 cases of molly mules having colts

[taffin]

Sept 12, 2018 7:38:19 GMT -5 dmize said:

Does anyone know if an Axis can breed with a whitetail? I am guessing that by many ranches in Texas having both species that the answer is no.
Somehow we ended up with 3 or 4 Axis running free in my area in Central Missouri. A huge buck was seen about 1/4 mile from my farm and Sunday we saw a very spotted very large doe about just up the road. Does anyone have an idea on their range? Either we have more than 4 running around or they cover a LOT of territory.

I JUST WISH WHITETAILS TASTED AS GOOD AS AXIS.

[dougader]

Mule deer taste pretty good after eating alfalfa hay all spring/summer...

[sixshot]

One year we spent the winter in Bandera, Texas & every evening the Axis deer would come out of the cover & we would throw corn over the fence to them. They were beauties & I sure wanted to shoot a couple of the bigger ones. I've heard they are really good eating & I've actually ate it at a church in Bandera. Problem is it was a wild game feed & they had so many different kinds of wild meat that I got everything mixed up & couldn't remember if I was eating Gorilla or Donkey!

Dick

[jsh]

That drive through zoo deal outside Springfield had a BUNCH of axis deer. I was told later on they were more intended for the big cats than as a critter to look at.
Kids thought the place was neat, I thought it was a sorry mess.
Jeff

[45MAN]

AXIS AND WHITETAIL DO NOT CROSS. AXIS IS SUPER EXCELLENT VENISON. AXIS ARE NOT GENERALLY CONSIDERED COLD WEATHER DEER BUT SEEM TO HAVE BEEN ADAPTING OVER GENERATIONS TO COLDER TEMPERATURES. ALTHOUGH AXIS RUT ALL YEAR, MOST AXIS COME IN TO HARD HORNS, AND RUT, IN THE SUMMER MONTHS. AXIS ARE ALSO A GREAT GAME ANIMAL.

[jgt]

When axis were first spotted running free in the hill country of Texas (early 1970ish), most people I knew enjoyed seeing them and let them alone to breed. As a result, now it is not uncommon to drive through there and have one run across the highway in front of you just as whitetail do.