strange colored deer
- Thread starter NASCAR88
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gunguy
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It's that darn bigfoot at it again!
NASCAR88
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Response I received back from ODFW
Thank you for contacting ODFW about the strange looking deer in your yard. I have examined the photos that you sent and can confidently identify the animal as a Black-tailed deer fawn and not a deer/elk mix. The dark coloration of the hair that you are seeing is common to deer that are in the "pre-clinical" stages of Deer Hair Loss Syndrome (DHLS). Why it turns dark is unknown, it may be a result of the hair clumping and retaining water rather than shedding water.
This deer also has some patches of "clinical" DHLS where the deer has pulled away the long outer guard hairs, exposing the yellowish inner layer of hair. Because the deer doesn't pull the hair out in all areas you get that rough looking coat, long in some areas and short or missing in others. The deer will continue to bite and pull at the hair in an attempt to stop the irritation created by the lice.
Because the fawn does not have a full coat of hair it will not be able to maintain its body temperature and will likely succumb to hypothermia or pneumonia. Unfortunately, there is no treatment or preventative measures that can be implemented to stop DHLS. Nature will take it's course.
Thank you for contacting ODFW about the strange looking deer in your yard. I have examined the photos that you sent and can confidently identify the animal as a Black-tailed deer fawn and not a deer/elk mix. The dark coloration of the hair that you are seeing is common to deer that are in the "pre-clinical" stages of Deer Hair Loss Syndrome (DHLS). Why it turns dark is unknown, it may be a result of the hair clumping and retaining water rather than shedding water.
This deer also has some patches of "clinical" DHLS where the deer has pulled away the long outer guard hairs, exposing the yellowish inner layer of hair. Because the deer doesn't pull the hair out in all areas you get that rough looking coat, long in some areas and short or missing in others. The deer will continue to bite and pull at the hair in an attempt to stop the irritation created by the lice.
Because the fawn does not have a full coat of hair it will not be able to maintain its body temperature and will likely succumb to hypothermia or pneumonia. Unfortunately, there is no treatment or preventative measures that can be implemented to stop DHLS. Nature will take it's course.
