Pic of a black deer

[Wild Tracks]

anyone ever see a deer like this?  My mother sent it to me and asked if it was real.

[JBuresh@ICT]

Yep its real, its a "melanistic" whitetail.

[Wild Tracks]

Thanks JB, after I posted it I looked it up on the net and an article said that they are melanistic and are more rare than an albino.

Wild Tracks

[Wild Tracks]

another pic

[John C]

notice the tip of the tail is white.

[Vicki Chritton-Myers]

Melanistic is basically the opposite of albinism. Where the albino is lacking in the cell pigments, the melanistic animal has an excess. You can buy melanistic pheasant from some of the hatcheries, etc.

The doe in the pic looks unusually dark as well. Possibly she was one of twins, where the other was a buck and this is the result of their breeding. We had a blackish fallow born here years ago. Too bad it didn't make it. =(

Thanks for sharing! Very neat!

[Bubbas]

We have a friend that has a 6 pt and doe on their hunting club. I have been invited this year to try and harvest them!! I plan on being int he woods everyday!! The pictures have been awesome of them.

I will post pictures if/when I get one!!

[nate]

Just seen a segment on melanistic deer on North American Whitetail television this morning. Pretty neat!

[cypresslake]

Man that is beautiful