White Deer

[PinesExplr]

Spotted a white, Yak-like deer on my way into work today at around 7:00am behind Tauton Lake.

I must have seen thousands of deer in the last 5 years, but never one like this one. At first I thought it had just rolled in the snow, but as I got closer I could see the fur was heavy & longer than most, it had spots & was darker near the neck and head.

Anyone know how rare these things actually are?

 

[woodjin]

Pie bald deer. If you search piebald you should find a thread I had a that a while back.

Jeff

 

[Boyd]

I believe there's some legend regarding the sighting of a white stag near Quaker Bridge. Perhaps from one of Beck's books? I think there's also a superstition that bad things will happen to you if you kill one.

 

[Darkstar844]

I remember reading an article in New jeresey Outdoors about a population of melanistic White tails in southern Jersey, Could be one of them

 

[Sue Gremlin]

Piebald deer are probably the result of inbreeding since it's the expression of a recessive gene, and this gene isn't conducive to them being able to camouflage as well as brown deer. They don't have as good a chance at survival than their cohorts with normal coloring.
They also usually have Roman noses so their faces look different.
Do these look like the deer you saw?

 

[Sue Gremlin]

I remember reading an article in New jeresey Outdoors about a population of melanistic White tails in southern Jersey, Could be one of them

Melanistic deer are black or very dark brown.

 

[Hewey]

they say melanistic deer are more rare then albino or piebald deer. I have only seen one piebald deer in the woods once in my life, it had antlers to boot, that was about 20 years ago on our old farm in warren county.

 

[omega]

Just talking with a friend at work today who lives in Shamong and he told me of how he saw a white deer recently while out riding his horses.

The White Stag of Shamong reputedly shows as a warning of ill things ahead. Stage coach driver in the pouring rain saw it one night, as he was heading toward Quakerbridge, stopped the coach to check, went around the bend and saw the bridge was out.

 

[Boyd]

Stage coach driver in the pouring rain saw it one night, as he was heading toward Quakerbridge, stopped the coach to check, went around the bend and saw the bridge was out.

That's the story I was thinking of! Thanks.

 

[PinesExplr]

Similar

yep, looked like them.

Medium size, a little more white and longer matted fur. Thanks for the info, now I know.

Piebald deer are probably the result of inbreeding since it's the expression of a recessive gene, and this gene isn't conducive to them being able to camouflage as well as brown deer. They don't have as good a chance at survival than their cohorts with normal coloring.
They also usually have Roman noses so their faces look different.
Do these look like the deer you saw?

 

[Stu]

I saw a melanistic squirrel in the woods by Parkway ramp 88 once. Its fur was pretty shaggy. Looked like a lil' sasquatch hopping from tree to tree.

 

[woodjin]

here is the link to the thread I had regarding piebalds a little while back.
http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/showthread.php?t=1438&highlight=piebald

Jeff

 

[Darkstar844]

Yeah sorry my mistake I meant Lusistic.

 

[ICANOE2]

There is a group of four white/albino deer that hang around Browns Mills. You always see them together. They all appear to be doe's. I see them several times a month. Usually in the same area at the same times. They keep a pretty tight schedule. LOL
Going through FT. Dix a few years ago I saw a large 8 point Albino buck, I only saw it once.
I have yet to see any of the Pinebald variety.....Mike

 

[woodjin]

There is a group of four white/albino deer that hang around Browns Mills. You always see them together. They all appear to be doe's. I see them several times a month. Usually in the same area at the same times. They keep a pretty tight schedule. LOL
Going through FT. Dix a few years ago I saw a large 8 point Albino buck, I only saw it once.
I have yet to see any of the Pinebald variety.....Mike

They are probably not albino. I have seen piebald in the same vicinity that appear almost entirely white. However, if you were to look them over closely I suspect you would find a little brown here and there and brown eyes.

Jeff

 

[oji]

There is a group of four white/albino deer that hang around Browns Mills. You always see them together. They all appear to be doe's. I see them several times a month. Usually in the same area at the same times. They keep a pretty tight schedule. LOL
Going through FT. Dix a few years ago I saw a large 8 point Albino buck, I only saw it once.
I have yet to see any of the Pinebald variety.....Mike

A friend of mine has a picture of the buck with a doe and fawn,all of them are white.They were walking behind his yard not far from Hanover Furnace.That was about 8 years ago.I have heard of as many as 9 now and I've seen them at the end of my street near Hanover Blvd/East Lakeshore intersection.Friends of mine have seen them along N.Lakeshore also and said one had a brown spot over one eye.

 

[infinite sameness]

ive never seen a "white deer" but i have seen a white squirrel it was pretty neat

 

[Aaron]

I know Salem county has a few that people see from time to time

 

[ICANOE2]

A friend of mine has a picture of the buck with a doe and fawn,all of them are white.They were walking behind his yard not far from Hanover Furnace.That was about 8 years ago.I have heard of as many as 9 now and I've seen them at the end of my street near Hanover Blvd/East Lakeshore intersection.Friends of mine have seen them along N.Lakeshore also and said one had a brown spot over one eye.

Those are the deer. They have been around for years.

 

[Phil from Philly]

i've seen white deer in that area around taunton lake as well. must be a large population of them over there