doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Piebald Buck

Had an 11 point piebald buck in my back yard today. Right in the middle of town following a doe with love on his mind I suspect. I have seen a few piebald deer but this was by far the largest I have seen. Both sons got to see a farily rare deer.

Where I live most deer are small of stature, tipping the scales about 100 pounds more often than not. This fellow would have been 150-175 plus pounds. Average in a lot of places but large for the urban over populated herds that seem collie size most of the time. Made my day just seeing him.

I saw one of those one time. For some reason my inclination was not to shoot the piebald. I've never seen another and never regretted passing up the one I did see...Geo

I used to have a herd of them on my place. Once saw three at one time while sitting in a tree stand. All gone now. I read that they were genetically inferior deer and should be culled anyway.

SRH

The only piebald deer I've ever seen was shot by the 14 year friend of my son. Seems I took the boys hunting one Sunday afternoon; and because this kid was a bit leery of a climbing stand, I put him in my ladder stand (this was the first time this boy had ever been deer hunting). After I was sure he was fixed and safe, I went to my climbing stand; and as I was going up the tree heard him shoot. Fearful that he had shot himself, I rushed back to my ladder stand to find a beautiful 6-pt piebald buck dead on the ground beneath the tree. I expressed my joy at his success; but in all honestly, inwardly I was a bit miffed as that rare deer was supposed to have been mine! My son dragged the buck out of the woods; and wanting this kid to appreciate and enjoy the full experience of his outdoors adventure, I insisted that he gut the deer (under my professional supervision, of course). In "unzipping" the buck, the kid managed to puncture the stomach, was subsequently sprayed by an explosion of green and stinking stomach contents; and was instantly reduced to a gagging wimp little "girl" creature rolling around and puking in the leaves. When the boy recovered his composure it was dark, so I told my son to hold the flashlight and I'd finish the surgery with the understanding that my new "trainee" watch closely so that I never had to do this for him again! As the kid knelt down closer and closer (at my insistence of course) to insure he fully understood all the nuances of this surgical procedure, I reached into the body cavity with cupped hands, then splashed a half pint of warm red deer blood from the boy's chin to his belt line. The gagging was now mixed with curses. Late that evening, we finally arrived at the boy's home, I personally delivered this boy to the front door of his home; and you should have seen the expression on his old man's face (his old man did not like the idea of hunting) when he saw all that blood! I then calmly explained that the boy had accidentally fallen out of the tree stand, fortunately suffering only a superficial cut in the process; and that his son's injury was not nearly as severe as those blood stains would seem to indicate. Well, without getting too deep into ensuing details, his old man did not appreciate my woodsy sense of humor; which to me, was a bit sad. However, I was never invited to take this kid hunting again; nor have I ever seen another wild piebald buck (or deer!) in the 23 deer seasons since.

This is a poor photo of a nice, odd buck. He does have a total of 11 points even if you can see only about half of them in this photo.

Fifty years ago we had another lone like this on the farm. My father did not allow us to shoot him but some one else must have killed him. He was around for several months but was never seen after hunting season. I suspect he was shot a few weeks before hunting season. He was not as big as this buck is. This fellow has more to fear from a car hitting him than any hunter.

First photo you've posted in 10 years...

topgun, hope that's just a tall tale, 'cause in reality that would've been an uncommonly mean thing to do...

Topgun - Yes it seems a bit over the top for condeming a young boy on his first hunting trip for shooting your deer and then taking it out on him.

I shot a buck piebald deer in the 70s and have seen a couple while bird hunting. Bobby

HD - True story and although the kid was totally caught off guard by being splashed, he was cool when he realized it was a practical joke; it was his old man who was not amused. I've now "mellowed out" and would never pull the kinds of stunts I pulled in my youth; but for the record, this kid was a regular fixture at my home for years; and this little episode did not turn him against deer hunting. He and my son hunted together and bagged a lot of venison until they graduated high school and went in different directions; but to this day "the boy" still laughs about the things that happened that night, and they are events he will remember as long as he lives. But the gang I grew up hunting with was forever pulling practical jokes on each other, it was great (and harmless) fun; and, now in our old age, an endless source of laughter whenever we can get together. You are certainly free to judge me in any manner you choose, but rest assured that any tales I might relate here are, in fact true stores; events that I actually lived, witnessed and experienced. Lord knows that I've been fortunate to have killed more that my fair share of game in my lifetime; but I learned long ago that it's not the weight of one's game bag and/or the numbers of game animals bagged that one remembers, it's the crazy good times you enjoyed with your friends along life's journey that are the most special.

PS: And I was actually happy for the kid.

I shot a good sized buck about 20 years ago when I was living in Illinois. However it was just about the opposite of the one pictured above in that it was dark brown/black where this one is white.
Jim

You guys in Canada and Russia evidently do not understand the "first rite" initiation that takes place down here when a kid (or a man) takes his first deer. He is blooded. It is a ritual and, for everybody except the initiatee, is all good fun. I remember well blooding my youngest son. He fought like a madman, screamed bloody murder, and had to be held by two grown men and, amazingly enough, he has not turned into a serial killer or mass rapist because of the "abuse".

We once held a guy down, cut out the paunch, slit it open, and draped it over his head. He snatched it off, ran into the lake, and scrubbed his head with his hands. Yes, he came back and hunted with us for years. It is something that is EXPECTED.

SRH

Mule deer? Do they exist in the whitetail deer?

OK, let's write it off to lack of cultural awareness. Didn't want to be rude or pass judgment (although the teacher part of me is still screaming something about teens being nytroglycerine bottles, but I'm no longer listening). It even sort of makes sense... however, let me put it down somewhere, that if I ever wind up in the States, I'd have to kill my first deer all by myself Oh, OK, my wife can be present - she's the one who's sure not gonna put blood and guts on my clothes, if you see what I mean

Mike,

The ones I am familiar with have been whitetails (and various other parts, too!)

SRH

Mike, if you are asking if Mule Deer and Whitetail Deer coexist the answer depends on which part of the country you are in. Mule Deer are pretty much a western animal located in the mountain region extending into Mexico. Whitetail range penetrates this on the edges of their ranges and the Coues subspecies of Whitetail are well within Mule deer range in Arizona. I have heard of hybrids between Mule and Whitetail, but other than a few photos have never seen one myself. They are apparently pretty rare and the hybrid may not do too well in their survival skills due to genes from different environmental pools.

This deer was a white tail. He has found a safe home for now. If he is not hit by a 60K SUV he should be fine. He had another girl friend today. Perhaps next year we will have more than one piebald deer around here. The trait is a recessive one so it may or may not show in his off spring. With local inbreeding of the deer population anything is possible.

As for inbreeding between mule deer and white tail deer have you ever seen a buck not willing to try? Unless there is a genetic problem I am sure a few cross breeds have happened. How would we know unless the product is vastly different from one the other?

Both live in my area.