Like the elk and bison, mule deer were reduced to dangerously low numbers in the mid-nineteenth century due to overhunting. At the turn of the century, Yellowstone served as a sanctuary and continues to protect them from hunters within the park's boundaries.
Mule deer are browsers with a highly varied diet.
Studies have documented mule deer in the Rockies that eat over 600 different species of plants. They feed on grasses during spring and summer, and on branches of trees and shrubs in winter. Palatable grasses and shrubs now flourish in many of the areas burned by the 1988 fires. Where to find them Not seen alot in Yellowstone, but can be found in many locations. Most often seen along the Madison River and in the Mammoth Hot Springs area.