Melanistic (Black) Red Deer

So i took my nephew and another dad son combo out for a hunt in the weekend trying to get some meat for the freezer and get onto a deer for my nephew.

Managed a nice eating red yearling in the evening and went for a look in the morning and ended up shooting this thing stuffing her face on the crop paddock
I initially thought it was a fallow but i have never seen fallow there in 13 years of hunting the property
On closer inspection and talking to a few fellow hunters im pretty sure that its a Melanistic (Black) Red Deer
Im after a bit more information on them if anyone knows or has anything?

The deer was only young, yearling or 2 year old and when i skinned it, it had black fatty around the tail (which fallow don't have)
Lets hope it doesn't blow up here as it did on facebook haha im sure there's quite a few less keyboard warriors here :)

Attachment 158507

Not sure why the photo of the rifle is there!??
Admins can you remove? I can’t seem to :)

Nice rifle, have you got a picture of the Black Red deer?

Hungarian fallow?

Half breed ?

It sure looks like fallow deer features, is the tail like a red deer or longer like the fallow?

that's what i thought when first looking at it

Freaky

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short stumpy tail like a red

Is this the first moose shot in NZ this century?

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Originally Posted by burtonator

short stumpy tail like a red

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Sure is a strange one, as stated above could well be a cross between the two species.

I recall a Red of the that colour when I was farming them. Just one. It was born on the place and stayed that colour until it was sent to the works as a 2 year old. Its mother had been captured out of the scrub (Wairarapa) and was an ordinary Red. To me, yours is another one. Too thick in the neck and big in the head for a Fallow doe.

Also the hair is much more like red. Pretty unusual. Shame it's dead.

Has it got 2-3 inch long widely spaced guard hairs on the body....?

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Originally Posted by Nathan F

Half breed ?

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Fallow and Reds can't crossbreed, two different genus, fallow = dama dama, red = cervus

If it has ivories it's a Red which I think it is. If not it's a Fallow.

Sick!
not as bad as the Aussie punk who shot the ONLY WHITE sambar heard of in history LOL.....

Looks interesting....... following thread

Doesnt look like a fallow. Natures a funny old thing isnt it

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Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

Fallow and Reds can't crossbreed, two different genus, fallow = dama dama, red = cervus

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The day you say something cant happen in nature, it does :)

Big head, long jaw=red.Fences must of been low where they breed.

It is a red deer. Very unusual, keep the skin as a prize

Well if they can be white why can’t they be black. You should all be familiar with the white stag or white hart. There was one in Scotland back in the 70s think it was shot in the end as it got to friendly :O_O:
Melanistic can throw both ways I think. So yeah I’d say it could be a red. Could you tell the difference from the skull once skinned?

Attachment 158530
Here’s a white one

That's way cool. Certainly not a fallow. Thanks for sharing.

Has it a musk gland on the tail?

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Originally Posted by Sideshow

Attachment 158530
Here’s a white one

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That is a white Wapiti / Red deer hybrid. There were white Red Deer in Europe and some were imported into Alberta. Wolfgang Such bred some white elk from animals captured out of the Yahatinda. There are White red deer on some farms in NZ. The biggest herd is at Geraldine.

Black Red Deer are very unusual.

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Originally Posted by Gibo

The day you say something cant happen in nature, it does :)

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Yup I crossed a cat with a dog and got a cog. Then I crossed a goat with a deer and got a gear. Now going for a gear cog and reckon that if I succeed then that would be quite differential. Ha ha ha ha

You qould have to select the right gear to achieve that kind of transmission as well @Rushy

There is no comparison size wise between a red hind and fallow doe. How big was it and thats your answer. Hard to tell from picture with no reference but looks like either a very old fallow doe or a red. more likely a red to look at but size will tell.

If that's were I think it is then its not the only one from there.
https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co....king-red-9761/

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Originally Posted by sneeze

If that's were I think it is then its not the only one from there.
https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co....king-red-9761/

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yea mate its from where your thinking :)

funny thing is i remember nick talking about this and i just found this
A spiker we shot about 2014

Attachment 158590

Was about to tag @sneeze in this but there he is just up there.

Any pictures of rump patch?

Bruce Banwell mentions the dark/black reds in one of his books , might of been Royal Stags of Windsor ,few photos as well