A local Blacktail

[smdave]

These pictures are of a local yearling, the odd thing is both yearlings look like this. Sorry about the fuzz in the corner it was taken through a chain link fence.
Dave

[boneaddict]

cool color....seems small

[archery288]

cool color....seems small

It does look a little small.... definetly different though!

[Michelle_Nelson]

I have noticed something kinda similar to that on the last couple of fawns I have seen.  Their not that light in color more of a light dirty sandy brown but the discoloration is in the same general area.  The Does they are with look perfectly normal.

[Bscman]

I have noticed something kinda similar to that on the last couple of fawns I have seen.  Their not that light in color more of a light dirty sandy brown but the discoloration is in the same general area.  The Does they are with look perfectly normal.

+1
I noticed a pair of fawns outside Sedro last week that could have been siblings to those pictured above..same colorations. Unfortunately, my cell phone has a LOUSY camera so no pics.
The doe with them looked perfectly normal as well.

[robodad]

I live on a mile long dirt road and have seen two sets of fawns that look exactly like that, hope it don't get too cold for them !!

[smdave]

From far away without the camera it looked like the fur had a problem like mange or louse. but after taking the pictures it looks like the fur is in good shape and it is just a color thing.
Dave

[bow4elk]

that's hairloss syndrome, not color.  Deer that make it to spring will shed out and grow their summer coats.

[Coasthunterjay]

i have seen a deer like this BT all full grown and it had the brown and white coloration to it also.....this wasnt from hairloss....it is a geane mutation of some kind........i forget whats its called..

[billythekidrock]

From far away without the camera it looked like the fur had a problem like mange or louse. but after taking the pictures it looks like the fur is in good shape and it is just a color thing.
Dave

that's hairloss syndrome, not color.  Deer that make it to spring will shed out and grow their summer coats.

It's not hair loss, but it's not natural color either. This is caused by the deer chewing (scratching) at parasites. If I remember correctly the parasite is transfered to the deer by a small snail that they ingest when eating grass. You see a ton of deer like this in the Thurston County area.

[singleshot12]

Mange,parasites,hair loss,shedding?  Whatever it is i've only seen it in the last few years and always this time of year!  And most usually the yearlings.

[Snowman]

There was a small problem with cwd around the snoqualmie valley awhile back. But that coloration is nothing to deer in the snohomish, monroe and sultan area. Growing up you used to see  a family of deer in sultan with that coloration. We use to always call them the Appaloosa Deer. It has to do with genetics and food source can't remmember all the details about it. But cool pics been awhile since I seen that coloration

[robodad]

I was going out to my freezer to get out some deer steaks for dinner and I found these in my back yard !!





It is a doe and her twins and I don't know what is wrong with the twins or if that color is normal but it seems like that is pretty common on the OP... much like the ones you posted above !!

[singleshot12]

That is definitely not hair coloring!  those deer are mostly bald.

[Head-shot]

looks kinda like mange to me...

[BrushChimp]

Looks like the same thing that seems to be responsible for killing hundreds of deer in the past 10 years where I hunt.

[LongTatLaw]

like 50% of the deer Ive seen in the last month look like that...thought it was just losing the winter hair???

[Hunting Cowboy]

We've got the same thing going on in our neighborhood. If I can, I'll try to get some pictures of our local deer. At first glance I thought we had some piebald deer, but upon closer inspection it looks like some kind of mange.

[Curly]

You see a ton of deer like this in the Thurston County area.

I see deer like that every spring around my house.  They do seem to get over it by summer and by fall they usually look normal.

[PolarBear]

It is hair-loss syndrome.  It can cause the hair to become yellowish or even white looking.  It dosent always lead to total bald spots but extreme discoloration of the hair is definately one of the signs of hair-loss syndrome.  Every one of the 15+ yearlings around my place has it.  It is caused by parasites in the muscles and lungs thanks to some damn snail from Asia.  If they live through their fist winter with it they usually kick it by their second fall.  You probably will never see a 2 year old or older deer with it.

[billythekidrock]

It is hair-loss syndrome.  It can cause the hair to become yellowish or even white looking.  It dosent always lead to total bald spots but extreme discoloration of the hair is definately one of the signs of hair-loss syndrome.  Every one of the 15+ yearlings around my place has it.  It is caused by parasites in the muscles and lungs thanks to some damn snail from Asia.  If they live through their fist winter with it they usually kick it by their second fall.  You probably will never see a 2 year old or older deer with it.

It is my understanding that the parasites that cause them to bite down their hair is different then the HLS. Either way both can cause them to get hypothermia and die if we get alot of rain and cold weather.

[bobcat]

BTKR, from all that I've ever read about Hair Loss Syndrome, it is caused by just the parasite you are talking about.

[billythekidrock]

BTKR, from all that I've ever read about Hair Loss Syndrome, it is caused by just the parasite you are talking about.

I could be wrong..wouldn't be the first time. But I thought I read somewhere that HLS actually makes them lose the hair from the folicle.

[billythekidrock]

HLS is caused by non-native species of lice that causes the animal to lose hair from incessant licking and scratching. Infected deer eventually become thin, lethargic and have diarrhea, which can lead to death. Effects are most pronounced during the winter.

From here. http://blogs.nwifc.org/weblog/general/2008/04/disease_likely.html

I am still confused about the lice/parasite deal. If the ingest a snail with parasites (internal) could it manifest into and external louse?

[PolarBear]

Try this link.  Some good info on hls.
http://www.enviro-navair.navy.mil/currents/fall2002/HairLossSyndrome.pdf

[Jackjr]

Hair looks kind of thin to me.   

[M_ray]

I've seen a few around the Black Diamond area that looked like that. Don't know what it is but it doesn't look right to me? 

[ICEMAN]

nasty.

[bow4elk]

It's not hair loss, but it's not natural color either. This is caused by the deer chewing (scratching) at parasites. If I remember correctly the parasite is transfered to the deer by a small snail that they ingest when eating grass. You see a ton of deer like this in the Thurston County area.


Yes, you are correct - and this is called Hairloss Syndrome by the WDFW...I've been through the Briggs Hall's training to provide WDFW with counts of deer in western washington.  See this link:  http://wdfw.wa.gov/depinfo/director/nov0504rpt.htm.

some deer don't make it through winter and some remove more hair than others.  Depends on how "infested" they get.

[robodad]

Does this affect the elk population as well ??

[bow4elk]

Guys - this is indeed Hairloss Syndrome...all of them.  Dr. Briggs Hall, from WDFW.  He's THE expert on this condition.  I attended a training session led by Dr. Hall several years ago about how to recognize deer affected by this condition, the cause (parasite ingestion from slugs or snails), and participated in a field reporting program over a couple years time.  Don't be confused by "color".  Piebald condition in deer looks completely different.  The condition can vary from mild to severe, which can and does lead to hypothermic death.

from the WDFW web site:
Deer Hair-loss Syndrome: Dr. Briggs Hall has had several long discussions with Dr. Jack Mortenson of the USDA regarding the hair loss syndrome. Evidence is mounting that the lice causing our black tailed deer to groom excessively is an exotic louse species. A second louse expert from Oklahoma has concurred with Dr. Mertins at NVSL that the lice are in fact an exotic species. Oregon has submitted a number of louse samples from both hair loss deer and normal deer, including mule deer. The samples have been submitted without information as to where they came from or the condition of the deer. In every case, the experts have identified the lice from the hair loss deer as the exotic louse Damalina cervicola, and the lice from the normal black tailed deer and mule deer as the normal deer louse Damalina tricholipeurus.

[smdave]

This mornings pipeline deer.
Dave

[addicted]

didnt have the big lense did ya. knew i should have gotten up and gone with ya this morning. havent seen a deer in 6 months. 

[Curly]

Here are a few hairloss deer that have been hanging out in my yard.