After deer hunting for a good 30 years or so and searching for that trophy buck, this season I came across a little guy that was a trophy in his own right. Until this year I had never heard of the skewbald deer (sometimes called piebald or referred to as pintos.) Come to find out, it is quite uncommon to see one of these beautiful creatures and so I am not likely to ever have this opportunity again!
For those unfamiliar with the term, skewbald is a genetic variation that is uncommon to white-tailed deer. It causes the areas of brown to have white mottled in, similar in appearance to a pinto pony. Many times the terms are used interchangeably but the term piebald refers to black and white while skewbald is in reference to other colors - not black.
After doing a bunch of my own research, it doesn’t seem as though there really are any answers to what causes skewbald deer. They are not, as some believe, a cross between an albino and a normal white-tail but are just a genetic defect. Some believe they are the end result of inner breeding and these animals are inferior to the rest of the herd and should be removed to prevent them from carrying on this genetic flaw.
Myself, I was happy to take this skewbald from the area. He is currently at the taxidermist where he will be preserved forever and will no doubt be an interesting conversation starter at my house for years to come! And for those that are wondering, Yes - he made for some good eating too!
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