Columbian Blacktail Deer

Columbian black-tail deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) are the subspecies of black-tails native to the San Francisco Bay Area. They inhabit woodlands and chaparral-covered mountains. Nearly 60% of the 560,000 deer in all California are Columbian black-tails; the rest are various subspecies of mule deer. Juan Bautista de Anza (1736-1783) noted that black-tails were abundant around San Francisco Bay. Their typical life span in the wild is 7 to 10 years, but they can survive in suburban habitats for 17 to 20 years.