I was leaving my ranch on friday around noon-time and as I was about 200 yards from the front gate I looked to my left and saw a whitetail doe trotting from my 9 oclock closing in to about 60 yards. I had to do a double take at her cuz this wasn't any ordinary whitetail doe. She was fully grown and COVERED in spots just like an axis or a spotted fallow deer and she had a white tag in her left ear. She probly weighed about 120 on the hoof. I'm not thinkin she was a piebald but maybe crossbred with an axis or fallow? anybody have any ideas on that?

and this is a family ranch that my dad has been hunting for 25 years and i've been hunting all my life on this ranch and neither of us have ever seen anything like this so it was awesome to see on the place

Sounds like a axis or fallow that someone bought at an auction and got away. I had an axis buck a few years ago that wandered in with a tag in his ear.

sounds like a spotted split tail

had to be an axis or fallow.


adult whitetails don't have spots

Black panther?

Chupaxis

Noon is pretty early to be drunk. Especially on a weekday!

Axis most likely. I've seen some that looked like whitetails except for the spots.

We have a HF game ranch near our place. We had a Axis Doe wander on to our place a couple years ago.

Not to be off topic but is it legal to shoot an exotic that has a tag in it's ear? I am refering to if was hunting my land and saw one.

If an exotic is on your property, it belongs to you.

Illegal Immagrant....

see i thought it was just an axis or just a fallow but it the face and body looked way too much like a whitetail for it to be anything else. i had my gun beaded on her and i didnt pull the trigger only because it looked way too much like a whitetail. idk thats why i was askin if yall knew if it could be a cross-breed. and i got a good look at her too, she was only 50-60 yards from me for a good 5 minutes

Probably not a cross breed with a tag in her ear.

I agree

well that makes me wish i woulda pulled the trigger on her then. oh well, if she's still around my property come bow season i wont be makin that mistake again

Why wait tell them. If you see her again period, shoot away and enjoy the meet.

my grandma photographed a deer that fits this description a few years ago near Kerrville. Never seen anything like it

very true. i went into town and let people know about it so its owner might be goin out to try and tranq her but i gotta go back up in a couple weeks. i'm gonna take my bow and try to get close enough for a shot cuz she didnt seem too skiddish. i figure i could get about a 45 yard shot at her

I could be wrong, but I did not think axis/fallow could breed with a whitetail. I read it somewhere I thought.

Ive heard this too that it wouldnt take. Im not a mad scientist though.

You know how it is, Saturday night all the animals get to drinkin in the woods, one thing leads to another and BAM . You got yourself a cross breed.

yea i heard the same thing and forgot all about it until last night when i was talkin to someone about it. makes me feel even worse for not pullin the trigger

axis/fallow cannot breed whitetail.

By your description I think probably a fallow. In summer months fallow tend to fade a bit and resemble whitetail closely other than color.

Also, fallow are generally less skiddish than WT or axis, as this deer approached a truck to 60yds I would assume fallow. Also, fally tend to roam more than the other 2 species and with a tag in its ear I would assume it was a recent transport from auction. We see them ALL the time.

Only other thought...could be a small sika deer, they too have light colored spots in the summer months.

ac

naw i know for sure it isnt a sika. my best bet would be a fallow as well. theres a breeding ranch about 10 miles down the road from us full of black bucks, fallow, and various goats. i've been tryin to find out their phone number so i can call them to see if their missin a doe.