Light Deer vs Dark Deer

• Sep 12, 2008

• #1

C

Cane_Creek

Guest

I've hunted several times so far in SC. The other evening I saw 11 deer and the next evening I saw 6.

I've noticed some are darker in color than others. I saw 2 four points the other evening. One was really dark looking and one was light brown colored. Same thing with the does.

What causes that? Age? Or do some deer loose their summer coats earlier than others?

The darker deer seem to be more aggressive from what I've noticed.

 

• Sep 12, 2008

• #2

Milkman

Deer Farmer Moderator

Staff member

I think one factor that influences their coat color is whether their day beds are in the sun or shade

 

• Sep 12, 2008

• #3

ditchdoc24

Senior Member

I thought light deer had fewer calories than dark deer.......

 

• Sep 12, 2008

• #4

C

Cane_Creek

Guest

Milkman said:

I think one factor that influences their coat color is whether their day beds are in the sun or shade

Click to expand...

I was thinking that as well.

 

• Sep 12, 2008

• #5

CPiper

Senior Member

Melanin .... is a substance that gives the skin and hair its natural color. It also gives color to the iris of the eye, feathers, and scales.
More Melanin = Dark
Less Melanin = Light

No Melanin = Albino
LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of Melanin = Melanistic

It is that simple.

 

• Sep 12, 2008

• #6

D

Davexx1

Senior Member

We have noticed the same thing down here. Some deer just appear to be darker than others.

I have heard there are 15 or 20 sub-species of whitetail deer and I was wondering if that may have somethiing to do with it.

If the deer has been running and is hot, you would expect his coat to be damp and would probably have a darker apppearance. I have noticed that more of the older bucks have the darker appearance than all other deer. Maybe that is because the older bucks tend stay deep in the woods and swamps and out of the brite daylight more so than the others.?????

Dave1

 

• Sep 12, 2008

• #7

robertyb

Senior Member

Racist deer post.

 

• Sep 12, 2008

• #8

BOWHUNTER!

Senior Member

ditchdoc24 said:

I thought light deer had fewer calories than dark deer.......

Click to expand...

Beat me to it..

 

• Sep 12, 2008

• #9

merc123

Senior Member

None of the above. Light coat = summer, dark = winter.

Example:

6 pointer on the 1st of September

Same deer on the 12th of August

 

• Sep 12, 2008

• #10

doublelungdriller

Senior Member

some need a bath and some have already had one.

 

• Sep 12, 2008

• #11

rumcreek

Senior Member

its a a new subspecies "diversity deer" found mainly in the southern states