'It don't matter if your black or white'

Neat!

nice pics , thanks for sharing them .

Thats something you dont see everyday. Very cool

Thats something you dont see everyday. Very cool

Yea no kidding! That black buck is AWESOME!

Thats awesome man nice pics!!

that is weird!

akw270, you mentioned the genetic aspect of this and thought I would throw some stuff out there in case folks were interested (If your not I guess you can skip this post...LOL).

To keep it short, Albinism is a result of a hypopigmentary congenital disorder. Albinism is a result of the lack of pigment melanin.

Melanism is the opposite of Albinism and turns the subject black...or much darker than normal. Although Albinism is caused by a recessive gene and is not "contagious" (It can occur even if both parents are normal...or can occur if only one parent carries the recessive gene), Melanism can be passed through bloodlines OR can be caused by environmental changes or human "actions" such as industrial pollution. Both can also occure in various forms or stages such as abundism or psuedo-abundism which causes stripped or spotted animals to grow wider or more encompassing spots and/or stripes. Piebald is another genetic "quirk" resultant of a lack of pigmentation in spots or areas vice an all-encompassing covereage.

The picture of the white Muley buck outside of Rifle, CO is an example of a leucistic animal. In other words, he suffered from a pigment cell, or chromatophore, defect. He is not suffering from a lack of melanin production and therefore is not an albino...hence the normal eyes and presence of some black areas. Again, these types of genetic "quirks" are refered to as leucistic.

One really interesting thing I found in my studies is that there are links that suggest that Melanism can/does effect the immune system of the animal in question creating a better resistance to viruses/viral infections.

I could go on but I'll keep this short. There really is a lot of cool stuff regarding these animals out there for those folks who choose to read up on it.

Below is another example of a buck with melanism...this time a whitetail buck.

Lol AGCHawk, that last buck looks like a skunk-buck!!

Cool Hawk, once again GREAT info and thanks for educating us.

thats why it's gonna suck when you take off for a year. great info hawk, that black whitetail is wild!

thanks for the info hawk. =D> thats the kind of stuff we are gunna miss from you

Thanks for the info. I read about a black buck a couple of issues ago in Trophy Hunter I think, it was pretty neat.

Wow thats cool stuff and that is a sweet whitetail buck taht thing is cool looking!!

I heard that that white muley that used to live outside of Rifle/Meeker area died last year. If I remember right, it was hit by a car.

Thanks hawk, ive seen a white one but never a black one. Way cool!!

The only really stange thing I noticed right off was that the antlers were appear to be black as well. That makes me wonder if the picture isn't doctered up. Every picture of a black deer I have ever seen has had normal colored antlers.

Where did the picture come from? (???) (???) (???)

Southwind, I believe that the black muley is still in velvet...therefore his antlers would also reflect the melanism since it is live tissue. Once the velvet is shed the antlers will be stained by blood, dirt, and whatever he's rubbing on and would then appear normal.

Hiker, I heard the same thing but have been unable to verify it. Also, I refered to the location as Rifle, CO but I may have been mistaken (Is Meeker close by or was I way off?). I am not overly familiar with the area and only know of the buck through reputation.

By golly I think your right. Those over 40 eyes of mine. :))

I heard that that white muley that used to live outside of Rifle/Meeker area died last year. If I remember right, it was hit by a car.

A guy named "Roy" posted this info on the photo in the gallery of the White Buck!

THIS DEER WAS NOT POACHED TO DIVISION OF WILDLIFE FOUND HIM DEAD IN THE FIELD IN MEEKER COLO HE IS NOW MOUNTED IN THE DOW OFFICE IN MEEKER. THANKS AND THIS DEER PICTURE WAS TAKEN IN MEEKER COLO

Very cool looking.

Hiker, I heard the same thing but have been unable to verify it. Also, I refered to the location as Rifle, CO but I may have been mistaken (Is Meeker close by or was I way off?). I am not overly familiar with the area and only know of the buck through reputation

Hawk, Meeker and Rifle aren't to far a part. He could have lived in the middle or something like that.

Brett, That's great that DOW kept him and mounted him....rare one.

wonder if it was a full body mount

that would be a sweet full body mount

HEY all
the white buck did live a few miles out side of meeker,is dead, is a shoulder mount at the DOW office and good news this spring ther was a white fawn in town. Every ones wishing its a buck. I haven't been there since July so I dont have any more news.

"BIGBUCKCRAZY" wrote:HEY all
the white buck did live a few miles out side of meeker,is dead, is a shoulder mount at the DOW office and good news this spring ther was a white fawn in town. Every ones wishing its a buck. I haven't been there since July so I dont have any more news.

That's good news. Hopefully he will have a son or two.

That black whitetail is about the coolest thing I have ever seen. I would have a full body mount done on that guy. :good post

BIGBUCKCRAZY

Thanks for the info. :thumb

that is one whitetail that has perked my interest i would love to take one like that.