Now that is WEIRD!

[Michelle_Nelson]

OK, this might be kinda a weird thread to start but I though it could be interesting.

About a year after I moved to Georgia I started working at a Deer Processor skinning and gutting deer.  I did it mainly so I could have plenty of extra capes in my freezers.

What is the weirdest thing you have see on a deer, elk, or bear?

I have seen some pretty wird stuff:

1.  Had a buck with all of his Reproductive parts back wards.  Yes I mean backwards.  Instead of pointing forward it was pointing back between his back legs.

2.  On a dow we noticed the back bone looked a little different.  Up on inspection we  noticed a big bump on the back bone in the middle of the rib cage.  We don't know if it was a birth defect or if the deer had been shot but what ever caused it made 6 of the ribs grow crooked.

3.  I found broken arrows, broad heads, Old bullest that had scar tissue around them.  I've see a few deer with 3 legs that were completely healed. 

4.  I had a deer come in that I skinned and gutted.  We could not find a bullet hole.  Their was no blood shot muscle or nothing.   about 6 of us looked for about 30 minutes.

[Guy]

In Oct 2005 I put the .25-06 bullet through the buck's ear and out the opposite side eye. Virtually no external signs of a hit at all, and needless to say the buck dropped dead instantly. I expected a big exit wound and a shattered skull, but that was not the case. Bullet was a 100 gr Barnes TSX @ 3340 fps mv, range was just over 100 yards.

I can't go around recommending the shot, because it's an easy one to blow - resulting in either a miss, a dinged up antler or worst of all, a terribly wounded deer that will likely get away to die slowly. Still, it works like lightning... 

Very weird though when the carcasses are all hanging in the barn and there's not a bullet hole anywhere to be found in one of 'em...

[Dman]

 I've seen one albino doe before. My uncle saw a fully developed 4 pt. buck in Montana that only stood 2' tall, no BS. He said it was truly just a midget deer.

[PolarBear]

Where I hunt in Republic, there was a spike whitetail doe with 8" candle shaped antlers.  2 years ago she had 2 mule deer fawns on her.  Last winter my buddy found her, she had been taken down by a cougar.  We called her "rotten horn sally".

[jackelope]

Back in new york when i was a kid i remember on our game club property, we had 2 albino does running together. everyone had a deal not to shoot either of them, and i don't think anyone ever did. not sure whatever happened to them.

[Dman]

 I'm sorry, I'm still laughing about the buck with the "backwards tool"....

 

[Michelle_Nelson]

Yeah I am thinking that deer was mighty frustrated. 

We have had a few piebald Deer come up to the Deer Processor.  I know of 4 off the top of my head but I know their were like 8 or 9 in the 3 years I was their.  One was an nice 8 point.  I helped another Taxidermist do a Life Size mount on him.  Looked like an over grown fawn.  I've also got the hide off of one in my shop.

Melanistic deer are more rare than an Albino.  Didn't know if any one knew that.  I guess it goes from most rare: Melanistic, Albino, Piebald, Standard.  Melanistic deer are very very dark almost if not competly Black.  I've never seen one.  I have only seen 2 pictures of them ad they were not from here.  One was from Texas but not sure where the other one was from. 

[pacyew]

Further weirdness - Albino or piebald deer are protected in WA State. An old act of the legislature.
The WDFW of the day had nothing to do with it.

[bobcat]

Not anymore. You can go ahead and kill the next albino deer you see. Looks like it was repealed in 1998:

77.16.320  Albino animals — Penalties for taking, dealing.

[1987 c 506 § 68; 1981 c 310 § 5; 1980 c 44 § 1.]
Repealed by 1998 c 190 § 124.

[boneaddict]

Sweet, I did not know that.  I would have let him walk.

[boneaddict]

Here is one Idabooner and I ran into one November day.  I'll se if I can dig up the other files of her.  Sorry for the name through the middle of it.  Its from the days of me being an aspiring wildlife photographer.

[boneaddict]

How about an albino moose.  Many of you have seen this picture on other sites, but I love it. 

[pacyew]

Thanks, Bobcat, for the update!

Yeah, they're interesting to see.

[Michelle_Nelson]

Albinos are only true if they have the pink eyes!  You can have an all white deer with pink skin but if the eyes have any color other than red and pink than it is not considered an albino.

[Dman]

 That moose shot's incredible.