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Introgressive hybridization between members of Odocoileus was examined using the mitochondrial cytochrome-b (maternal marker) and paternal sex-determining region Y (Sry) genes. Eight out of 130 free-ranging individuals from the Panhandle and Trans-Pecos regions of Texas were determined to possess the mitochondrial haplotype of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus (Rafinesque, 1817)) and the paternal haplotype of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus Rafinesque, 1832). Results indicated that hybridization between deer species in Texas (6.15%) was more broadly distributed than previously reported. Previous studies demonstrated that ancient hybridization events (1.32 mya) involved the capture of the white-tailed deer mitochondrial genome by mule deer, indicating a male mule deer × a female white-tailed deer directionality relevant to hybridization. Alternatively, contemporary hybridization events …