On That Note
I have been on the hunt for a deer. Yes, I know, deer is out of season. Don't worry. I only want to shoot a photo.
You see, a few weeks ago, I received a tip that there is an Angus-black white-tailed deer running around in Kosciusko County. Of course, this immediately perked up my ears. Who has ever heard of a black white-tailed deer? Apparently, they do occur.
The deer was described as being so black it was almost mistaken as an Angus cow. However, it featured the tell-tale white on the underside of its tail and was traveling with her tan-and-speckled fawn.
According to the National Deer Assn., black white-tailed deer, or melanistic deer, are considered to be the rarest of all genetically mutant deer in the U.S., with estimates of one in 500,000. They have been sighted in only a few states, including: Mississippi, Michigan, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Texas and South Carolina. And, now, Indiana.
That makes them more rare than albino, leucistic (it's like albino except without the red eyes) and Piebald. And we have one in Michiana. To give a better perspective, albino deer are found at a rate of one in every 30,000; leucistic deer make up less than 1% of the population, and piebalds are as common as one in every 1,000. None of those are even close to the one-in-500,000 odds melanistic deer boast.
Apparently, in addition to being rare, this melanistic deer is also extremely elusive. I have scouted the general area a few times now with no luck of getting a photo. On one occasion, I took Hubby along for an extra pair of eyes. After about 45 minutes of wandering around some winding backroads, he gave me a look.
"Did you see anything," I asked.
"No, no. I was just thinking ... maybe a neighbor bought a black cutout and moved it around, playing a prank on your caller," he joked.
"Ha ha, I don't think so," I said, as I eyed a group of deer, roaming a cornfield in the twilight.
Eventually, it got too dark to see any wildlife, and we called off our search for the night. I am still seeking this elusive deer. Maybe it was wearing black because it's a ninja.
On that note, if anyone captures a photo of this rare deer, or any other rare sight, let me know. I am always excited to see Indiana's wildlife anomalies.