Anybody ever see a black doe? She showed up on the Southern Iowa corn feeder live cam.

[Gary Devine]

I wonder what causes that? She may have some Mule deer genes in her?

[Gary Devine]

Another photo of Ms Black.

[Gary Devine]

Another photo of Ms Black.

Where is Bioguy when you need him? LOL

[rockhound]

My vote goes for Mule deer.

[Gary Devine]

My vote goes for Mule deer.

A lady on the a Iowa cam website said it's a winter coat? ??
I never seen them that black in the winter.

[JM1993]

Still has all the normal white spots, so I wouldn't think it has anything to do with melanin. I've seen some dark looking whitetails, but not like her. Definitely a good looking deer.

[Treestand]

It looks to me She is in a Early Winter Coat color.

[Gary Devine]

It looks to me She is in a Early Winter Coat color.

Tree, I have seen many winter buckskins before, but this baby is black.

[Gary Devine]

Still has all the normal white spots, so I wouldn't think it has anything to do with melanin. I've seen some dark looking whitetails, but not like her. Definitely a good looking deer.

She looks the same color as a blackbuck doe in Africa.
Google it.

[Gary Devine]

I forgot there are some non hunters on Southern Iowa Live feeder cam website.
One lady asked me what the G2's or a G3's were that I mentioned on a buck.

[jhjimbo]

Both of them are good lookin deer.

[Treestand]

It looks to me She is in a Early Winter Coat color.

Big>G NY deer & NJ deer are the same, that's the color i've only seen in NY/Mas Boarder deer, back in the 70s, We don't have a snow winter in Fl, Our deer turn a very dk/gray/dk~Brown just before the first frost.

[country road]

I have seen quite a few deer with coloration that is that dark. Never considered it to be melanistic, which is a hundred times rarer than albinism.

[Henry]

I don't think that this deer is melanistic, but here are some melanistic, or at least very dark deer (and turkeys).
http://www.outdoorlife.com/photos/gallery/hunting/2010/09/texas-black-fawn
http://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/newshound/2007/11/unusual-sighting-black-mule-deer
http://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/big-buck-zone/2008/08/more-deer-turkey-oddities
http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/field-notes/2014/06/black-long-beard-rare-melanistic-turkey-taken-new-york#page-2
http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/field-notes/texas-teen-harvests-ultra-rare-all-black-whitetail

[Buckshott00]

I have seen plenty of whitetail doe darker than that where I hunt. I think it's a genetic trait and the deer of that part of northern Michigan are like that because they blend in with that forest better.

It's worth noting that the last 2 years the weather turned EXACTLY halfway thru my hunts. Going from too warm to, frickin' cold overnight.