Appreciate the open mind, Bobo, and that's all I've really been trying to say. That what a person "sees" in the field isn't necessarily what's really going on in the field. And study after study pretty much confirms the same ballpark stats. Where these species overlap, we've all probably seen hybrids and never even had the first clue. They don't all look like a 50-50 cross... maybe they express no traits, maybe they express one or a few. But remember, assuming a hybrid breeds (they're not necessarily sterile like mules, although I've read where some are sterile), their offspring are hybrids too... even as the generations water down to 0.00001%, etc.

And of course, every area can be, and is, different. Field conditions, populations, and individual deer behavior, plus a plethora of other factors, can all influence the prevalence of hybridization.

But occasionally, you see a deer that has very pronounced hybrid traits, especially the 2" metatarsals (of which, scientists have stated is the most accurate way of visually identifying hybridization). And that's ok. Not sure why so many folks have a problem with it, especially while postulating only anecdotal evidence.