Weird genetic traits.....

[IkemanTX]

Have you ever come across weird genetic traits in a small local population?

I have 2 separate spots with odd traits that are common there, but nowhere else nearby....

My Father’s property has a high prevalence of deer with double white patches on their necks. I never though much of it, just a thing in the area and something we used to identify potential offspring of specific does and/or bucks.

I noticed this year, however, a doe group with exactly 50% expression of another anomaly I don’t think I have seen elsewhere.... white patches on the backs of the ears. It is almost like these deer have evolved “white flags” for when their ears are alert. This is a doe group of 8 does and fawns combined and exactly 4 of them have the trait. It is not a “lighter” patch, or a bare patch... it is a stark white patch.

What do y’all think about this? Normal, or odd????

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-IkemanTx

 

[IkemanTX]

A few more

 

[Homebrew454]

Interesting find. I have seen both but never in quantities like you have.

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[kobudo]

The Missouri whitetail herd around Bethany had white dashes on the back on eack side of the spine. They looked like backstrap dashes. I wish that I saved some pictures.

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[Apex7]

Where I hunt the Bucks have bladed brow tines dark antlers.

 

[Allegheny Tom]

We have several does with manes. I know one has been around for at least 10 years.
We call her "The Boss". She has a special demeanor about her, too. Very laid back. She has a very unique walk. We have sever other does with manes, too. But never any bucks with manes. I could never figure out why.

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[kyler1945]

We have several does with manes. I know one has been around for at least 10 years.
We call her "The Boss". She has a special demeanor about her, too. Very laid back. She has a very unique walk. We have sever other does with manes, too. But never any bucks with manes. I could never figure out why.

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Pictures!

 

[Allegheny Tom]

Pictures!

I have some at home. Will post them later.

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[KYHunter]

Crazy that you mention this! This year I found a small doe population in the Tennessee portion of LBL that has this exact same white spots on the ears. Never seen anything like it but very distinctive.

 

[EricS]

That’s pretty neat. I would have thought some kind of parasite and maybe they had scratched the hair off. But you’re saying it’s white fur and 50% of the group. Very odd.

 

[Allegheny Tom]

Pictures!

Here ya go.
These are 2 different does in these pics. These were taken in 2012, but I know they were around (as adults) at least 2 years earlier so they HAVE to be more than 10 years old now.
We used to see them in the yard almost daily, but in the last year, they are not quite as regular.
The 1st pic is "The Boss" and she was in charge. The other does always stepped aside for her and her fawns. And she is always laid back. I never saw a deer so calm. The others can be jumpy, nervous, and skiddish. She always walks, rarely runs, and walks with her head almost level with her body. She always has has that "look" about her. Ive seen her literally many hundred times over the years.
The other doe has a longer mane (linearly long, not the hair itself being longer).

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[IkemanTX]

Here ya go.
These are 2 different does in these pics. These were taken in 2012, but I know they were around (as adults) at least 2 years earlier so they HAVE to be more than 10 years old now.
We used to see them in the yard almost daily, but in the last year, they are not quite as regular.
The 1st pic is "The Boss" and she was in charge. The other does always stepped aside for her and her fawns. And she is always laid back. I never saw a deer so calm. The others can be jumpy, nervous, and skiddish. She always walks, rarely runs, and walks with her head almost level with her body. She always has has that "look" about her. Ive seen her literally many hundred times over the years.
The other doe has a longer mane (linearly long, not the hair itself being longer).

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Now that’s pretty cool.
I would love to shoot a buck like that.

 

[Recurveaholic]

Here in NC I have a bunch of does with the white on their ears I wonder what causes this???

 

[slonstdy]

The Missouri whitetail herd around Bethany had white dashes on the back on eack side of the spine. They looked like backstrap dashes. I wish that I saved some pictures.

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I saw the same two dashed lines running down the back of a doe this year! At first I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me then I thought maybe all does do and I never noticed? Luckily three more doe joined her under my tree and sure enough she was the only one with what I called "racing stripes".

 

[NCbowhunter4life]

Here in NC I have a bunch of does with the white on their ears I wonder what causes this???

I too have some with white on the back side of the ears. One is a spike that hangs around.


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[swd]

We have deer with a dark, nearly black strip running along their spine on one farm.