Can anyone explain these weird spots running down the spine of this southern IL buck? I've never seen this before.

I have seen that once before seems its some fawn spots that never quite go away ! HH

A gal I know in VT took a 4pt with a bow 3 or 4 years ago with spots like that. She tanned the hide because it was "different." pretty cool

Odd looking deer and in all my years of deer hunting all over the northeast and some of the mid west I saw a similar dead doe a few years ago in Vt. The spots on the adult doe ran all the way down the back on both sides and were part of the under coat that showed through. It looked to me like they were remnants of the fawn spots that normally go away.

Neoteny of different types is fairly common. Could be genetic, could be hormonal.

I've seen Bucks, with one testicle, have normal antlers on one side and deformed antlers or a mass that resembles a cauliflower on the other side.

I've seen Wild Boar with remnants of their squeaker markings, even splotches of their squeaker markings in adulthood.

I shot one really old (sick, had a bullet lodged in her jaw) Doe that was the oddest color I've ever seen, she was a dark Charcoal color, almost a pygmy and according to her teeth the oldest I'd ever seen at 14+ years.

One reason I harvest out Bucks that are still hanging around their mother into their second year. In breeding (recessives) can produce some odd results.

I've got one Doe hanging out on my lease now who is a uniformly red chestnut color, no splotching at all. Longer than normal legs, large overall, a really beautiful animal. She had no fawn this year. She insists on hanging out near the railroad tracks, I expect her to be hit sooner or later.