Mule Deer with tumors

[bowhunterforever]

This evening i was out scouting and saw a nice muley buck with 4 tumors, they looked like they were black. He had 2 softball size ones on his neck and 2 more golf ball size ones on each cheek.I have seen deer in the years past with little tumors but nothing like this buck had I wouldn't shoot that buck. Do any of you guys no what causes this/ any info about deer with tumors?Thanks

[couesbitten]

They're stick-ons. This buck is smart enough to figure out that they increase his likelyhood of surviving another season. LOL  
Being serious now, I've seen a post or two about this subject before, I just don't recall what it said and can't remember which site it was on. I would have to agree though, I would be a little reluctant to kill and/or eat a buck in this condition.

[Ricochet]

I saw a couple bucks here in Oregon packing some kind of growth last August.  Nothing quite as large as you discribed, but still noticable.





I'm also curious about their cause and if it effects the meat.  Any info out there?

[DOUBLELUNG]

They are called fibromas, and they can get as big as a basketball.  They don't harm the deer unless they interfere with eating, vision, locomotion etc.

They are a viral epidermal skin tumor.  Ugly as all get out, but have no effect on anything inside the hide.  Seem to be most common on mule deer, but they occur on whitetails, elk, moose too.  They are undetectable on a skinned carcass, ie, no effect on meat.

Here's a good link: http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10370_12150_12220-26637--,00.html

[spikehunter]

Wow , thanx for the website info.

[Pathfinder101]

A few years ago a friend of ours shot a 3x3 mulie that was in the velvet (in late October).  He looked like he had AIDS.  When they cut him open he had these horrible smelling internal tumors.  We called WDFW and they came and took the deer and reissued the tag.
Last season CoryTDF's dad shot one with a couple of big external tumors, like you guys are talking about.  We called WDFW, they came, looked at it, said no big deal and left.  The did call them Fibromas.  I think the warden said that cattle get them too.

[h2ofowlr]

Haven't scene one's like those in the field.  A deer I shot two years ago had his leg broken at one point and the bones fused back together side by side.  Must have been hit by a car at one point.

[yelp]

Here is one I have on trail camera..cutaneous fibroma..I believe.

[jeepasaurusrex]

I shot a 3x3 Muley a few years ago that had a couple of small ones. They were not discolored, but were about the size of a golf ball. Ate all that meat. No noticeable effects. Ate all that meat. No noticeable effects. Ate all that meat. No noticeable effects. Ate all that meat. No noticeable effects.













 

[flashover52]

Are those out by Hanford?? 

Sad state to see those things in -- look nasty.

[yelp]

I see a few deer with this every year.  It is very tough to see deer wander around looking like this.  I have seen several deer with tick infestations that look terrible. 

[Pathfinder101]

I shot a 3x3 Muley a few years ago that had a couple of small ones. They were not discolored, but were about the size of a golf ball. Ate all that meat. No noticeable effects. Ate all that meat. No noticeable effects. Ate all that meat. No noticeable effects. Ate all that meat. No noticeable effects.


 










 

[JBar]

I posted about a Blacktail I had seen with huge softball sized tumors on it's face and smaller ones running down it's side.