What is wrong with this deer?

[kingudaroad]

Picture taken with game cam in Central Texas hill country. I've seen a lot of deer around here but nothing like this. Any ideas?

 

[Tommy Vercetti]

Lepotena mazamae "deer ked"

These arthropods, often refereed to as "deer ticks" are actually wingless flies. The adult is about 1/8 of an inch long and they live in the hair of the animal. They are well adapted to this existence and feed on blood. They can live on the deer for up to 6 months. The blood feeding activity produces irritation and can result in hair loss and an anemia. Animals in poor condition with heavy infestations may experience difficulty in severe winters. Transmission from one animal to another is by direct contact. This species appears to be restricted to infesting only deer. The distribution in Oklahoma is state-wide.

 

[jhgreasemonkey]

In Wa state the dept of fish and wildlife have reported a "hair loss disease" in deer that is supposedly spreading. But I have yet to see one. They have the info on their website. Maby that's a possibility for this critter.

 

[Capt. Charlie]

Body mass looks average and the affected areas have a clean margin. Any chance we're looking at physical injury?

 

[Scorch]

I am not sure if Texas has EHD (Ectopic Hemorragic Disease), but that could be it. EHD is caused by a parasite (similar to mange) and causes hair loss in patches, just like in the photo. There were problems with EHD in Washington, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Arizona and Nevada. Don't know about anywhere else.

 

[Trip20]

Bot Flies?

 

[sanctified]

looks like deer ticks to me.

 

[jhgreasemonkey]

Put out a bucket of rogain for the poor feller. He's not gonna get any ladies lookin like that.

 

[kingudaroad]

Wow! 7 posts and 7 different diagnosis. I thought one of those scars looked like a hoof print.

 

[roy reali]

The Final Answer

It looks a side effect of using BALCO products.

 

[Wild Bill Bucks]

Could it be the deer has been sprayed by some nit wit using bird shot?
Just asking-not telling.

 

[Art Eatman]

Email the photo to TP&WD. Let their game biologists have a look.

Art

 

[Long Path]

One more possible (not likely, but possible) solution: Barbed wire.

I've seen some deer caught in barbed wire, and seen scars of same. Usually they're long slashes. But I could imagine that it could turn out this way.

 

[caz223]

Prolly a parasite of some sort.
It looks a little like ringworm sites, but they're in the wrong places, they're usually concentrated near the eye.

 

[FirstFreedom]

What's wrong with him is that his rack is not over my door yet and his meat is not on my table yet.

 

[sparkysteve]

Super deer meets buckshot?

You got me.

 

[VirgilCaine]

Beats my two-pair.
Run in with a Coyote or 3?

 

[Anthony2]

"Coyote or 3?"
Could very well be...I saw video of a buck not too long ago...had the same general markings. I found out later:
Day 1-Deer gets shot by hunter.
Day 2-Deer gets chased by pack of coyotes.
Day 3-Hunter finds deer tangled in barb-wire cow fence. Upon approach deer frees itself and is in short order turned into dinner.

Is that what happened to your deer? We'll never know...
But if I ever learn to speak deer AND see that one...I'll ask!

 

[youp]

It would appear to my untrained eye that this deer is 'icky' and you should avoid contact with it.

 

[FirstFreedom]

Is that a scientific term, youp? Anthony, that deer sure enough had a bad 3 days.