Coues’ Whitetail Deer

Pen and ink, 2021, 4"x6"

Coues whitetail deer were named for Dr. Eliot Coues (“cows” or “cooz”), an Army physician and naturalist stationed at Fort Whipple, AZ, during the Civil War, who made the first scientific description of them. Standing less than 30” tall at the shoulder, and averaging about 65#, they are the smallest deer in America. They are mainly grey in color, blending very well into the desert landscape, and usually live above 3000’ altitude. We see them mostly near dusk, when the slanting sun lights up their large ears and they come right into the neighborhood to graze on grass and bushes.