Black Colored White Tail?

[mysticguido]

OK everyone, on Saturday May 31, 2003 I saw a black colored white tail deer ( jet black ). The next day someone else saw the same deer. It was in Warren county NJ. I will hunt the deer now for photos only. This deer season I don' t think I would shoot it, But I know some others that would shoot it as soon as they see it. What would everyone else do?? and has anyone out there seen or heard of a black deer?

[Sq2Hunter]

never seen a black deer.....heard of them and white ones to. Im not sure if i would shoot it. It would be kinda neat but i think that i would probably let it walk. Pictures would defintitly be cool. Would love to see it in the wild.

[mysticguido]

Sq2, it was really cool it' s like seening a albino 1 in a million. So this would be 1 in 3 million.... when I get pics I will upload them.....

[MDManiac]

It' s Called a Melanistic deer. Odds of getting one are slim to none. They are so very rare. a KID took one last year in Pennsylvania, most people never even heard of one...

Here' s a Pic of it:


and part of the story:

By Tom Fegely
Special to The Morning Call

When Andrew Hargrove took aim on the dark-colored buck chasing a doe beneath his treestand in a Bucks County woodlot at 3 p.m. opening day, the Allentown youngster had no idea he was about to claim a niche in Pennsylvania deer hunting history.

' ' I saw it was a buck so I shot,' ' said the 18-year-old Allentown resident, a student at Faith Christian Academy in Sellersville. ' ' I was excited about it and I was a little worried when it ran off, but Roger and I found him about 100 yards away.' '

and then, This little bit of information from http://www.kerrlake.com/deer/albino.html

...Melanism results from overproduction of pigment and is less common than albinism. Hunters see dark deer with some frequency but to actually see a Melanistic deer is rare.

[MDManiac]

and to answer your question mystic, I' d shoot it in a heartbeat, only because it is so rare. then, I' d get a Full body mount!

[mauser06]

i agree...black white brown....i see it and its legal and its will hit the ground unless im buck hunting and its small...even then black or white id take it.....sooo rare.....make on heck of a trophy...no sense in passing hoping it grows..the next guy will take it....

[Jason N]

All the above info is correct! I would like to add that in some states shooting albino' s is against the law....I' ve never heard of anyone saying anything similar about melanistic deer though. IMO niether should be protected....both are genetic abnormalities and protecting that is condoning improper deer management![:' (] Simply put, the states that protect these " special" deer are only protecting them based on emotions....they' re " pretty." There is no scientific reason to protect such animals. I' d whack it if you get the chance and do just like MD said and get a full body mount!

[mysticguido]

The pic that MD put on is no way close in the color. That one looked to light, The one I saw was really black and no other color on it. But Jason you do have a point. If that deer comes close IT' S MINE.....

[Quilly]

if it is legal i will shoot it. cause if i don' t someone else will. you should hear the tlak of an albino where i hunt. everyone wants to shoot it ! part of life.

[NJ_Bowhntr]

A friend of mine saw one in Burlington County last year. It was small, so it looked like a pure black goat at first, but after looking at it for a while, he confirmed it was a deer. That was the first one I had ever heard of