Different deer colors?

[HICKMAN]

Two buddies of mine, with two different types and colors of deer.

I've only ever seen bucks like the lighter one in this picture. This one was taken near Springville in Lawrence County.

The chocolate deer was taken by INGOer MNOONAN near Bloomfield in Green Country. Noonan says he's only seen these darker ones in his area.


Is this a deer age thing? Or are there different "colors" of Whitetails?

 

[HuntMeister]

I believe it is just a something unique to each deer and not an age related issue. I believe that unique characteristics such as colors and antler shapes and so on can be seen in a local herd. A area I hunt has produced several bucks over the years with main beams that curve back around so that the tips are very near each other.

 

[1mil-high]

I am not sure of the cause, but I had never seen a darker deer like the one on the right until I moved to Indiana. Even now, they are few and far between. I have hunted extensively in Michigan and Illinois without ever noticing one. This isn't to say they aren't present in those states too, but it is interesting and adds to the character of the deer.

 

[Bunnykid68]

Tanning?

 

[snapping turtle]

Pure and simple genetics.

Seneca White Deer, Inc. | World's largest herd of all-white, white-tailed deer (Seneca Army Depot, NY)

 

[DEC]

Just deer and their unique genetics. No different than people, even of the same race people have different skin tones and hair colors.

All of these deer are from this fall. The lightest and dark gray/black one came off the same farm, shot 150 yards apart. The darker brown deer, about 5 miles away.

 

[remauto1187]

Ive seen both the tan and the chocolate in Illinois. There are also "white" and Chocolate antlers too.

 

[ghuns]

We have a VERY dark chocolatey looking buck running round our farm.

 

[dawg1981]

We have a VERY dark chocolatey looking buck running round our farm.

Has a lot to do with diet such as eating corn/beans/acorns etc

 

[6mm Shoot]

I saw a doe and a yearling the other day coming home from the store. They were both black and tan. Not dark tan but black and tan. They looked so strange. I have also seen gray deer around here. At one time I thought they were all shades of tan around here. Not so much any more.

 

[MRP2003]

I have seen several really dark does both in Indiana and Pennsylvania. I just attrbutted it to genetics as in both areas, the deer are all eating pretty much the same food.