Black whitetail

[dale clawson]

Three seasons ago I took my son, then 11, hunting on a relative's place during the youth only week before the regular gun season. We set up overlooking a wheat field next to some heavy brush. It was late evening before the deer came out to feed, but everything was too far away for him to attempt a shot. Then as shooting light was fading, he said there's one! About 150 yds away walked a black......something. I said thats not a deer, it's too black. He argued that it was a deer(young eyes) so I took his gun and looked through the scope, cranked it up to 9 power and looked again. An antlerless deer for sure! I let him shoot and he pulled the shot low and shot under it's belly, scaring it away. I thought that the shadows had made it look black, then another deer came into the field at the same distance and stopped in the same place. It looked almost white in comparison, this time he didn't miss. We have hunted there numerous times in the seasons since, and I have asked the adjoining land owners if anyone has seen it, but no one has reported a black deer.The best I could tell, the deer was totally black, with not even a white flag as it high tailed it away. I've heard of white deer, but never a black one. I'm still looking for this one.

[versifier]

I have seen them white, fully albino, piebald, and even a four point doe, but I've never seen nor heard of a black one. They do have some very dark hairs in places, though, so it doesn't seem at all unlikely to me that a roll of the genetic dice could produce a black deer. I bet the rags would pay some serious money for a photograph of one. I'd be bringing a camera when scouting the area. It probably does its moving around at night and keeps to the shadows during the day. It doesn't say where you live, but if you get snow there, a trip for scouting in late January or through February might be the best time to go looking.

[dale clawson]

Eastern Texas Panhandle, We somtimes get snow, but lately we haven't even gotten rain.

[versifier]

Hmmm. Maybe a mineral salt lick and one of those cameras with the motion activated shutters. It doesn't sound like you can count on a Nor'Easter for a few feet of snow for good visual contrast and tracking ease. When nature fails, there's always modern technology.

[grumpy]

A black deer is called melanistic. It is simply the opposite of an albino. Probably not as common as an albino, but they are around. I've seen melanism in elk, coyotes and muskrats. I think it would be a better trophy than an albino.

[versifier]

Welcome to the forum, Grumpy. I knew there was a word for it, I've seen it in cats and dogs, but didn't realize it happened in deer, too. I just assumed it was another uncommon color variation. It's been way too many years since college Zoo.

[dale clawson]

Yesterday morning as I was headed to town, I passed skidmarks of a truck and saw a dead deer on the shoulder of the highway, did a doubletake and turned around for a closer look. This deer was not black, but a dark charcoal with gray undersides, but a white tail, the antlers were broken off and lying in a number of pieces for 50 yds. This was 2 miles north of the location where I saw the solid black one. This morning the deer was gone, and as I looked about there was no sign of the carcase, so I don't think it was dragged off by dogs or coyotes. Wonder if someone else noticed the unusual color and took it away? I will be looking intently in the area for the black one for the next two weeks while my sons are here to help me. Dale