Color Variations

[Mr. Jonathan]

I was scouting this weekend and glassed three does. One doe had a white rump patch that extended from about the middle of her hams and curved up to the base of the tail and continued down the length of her tail, much like a mule deer's rump patch. I'm certain she was a whitetail, the tail itself was long and broad and had no black at the tip like a mulie, but her whole rump was white, like a mule deer. the other two had the typical whitetail rumps with the brown overlay covering the length of the top of the tail. Was this an old doe, or perhaps a hybrid? Has anyone seen anything like this? I would've gotten a picture, but I can't get my photos through my spotting scope to turn out at all.

 

-Jonathan

[firstcoueswas80]

A few years ago, in 32 I had spotted a buck that had a SOLID white rump. The top of his tail and all!

 

This last buck I took, had a black brisket.

[desertdog]

I think all deer just have different color variations. Look at the past threads "Coues in South America" and "Mexican Coues" and just see all the discussion about sub-species, color, size, shape ect. and this can be a never ending topic. I have always found hybrid discussion interesting, but after a lot of reading one comes to the conclusion that it does not happen very often at all.

[AZhunterNCJ]

And maybe there could be cross breeding depending where u were at.

[Mangum]

Just as different genetics produces different antler configurations.

 

Different genetics produces different hide coloration.

[Coues Archer]

I would say genetics more than anything else but it can very well be a hybrid. Cause i know this area where i hunt and the bucks dont have eye guards probably because of genetics.

[WHT_MTNMAN]

You know I was thinking about this again today. I've seen alot of variations but the buck I killed the other day had a red tint to his skull cap, I wondered why he was this way, all the other bucks I've seen in this area are more grey.

 

[Huntin'AZ]

 

Here is a picture of a Coues buck with a white rump that I took a couple of years ago in unit 32

[firstcoueswas80]

 

Here is a picture of a Coues buck with a white rump that I took a couple of years ago in unit 32

 

I have seen the same exact thing in 32 as well!

 

[SilentButDeadly]

I've seen coue's whose coats are brown; they really look different standing next to another deer that is obviously gray...

 

 

 

[IHunt2live]

There was a place in 34A I used to hunt in high school that had several deer running around that had a redish coat.

[synper100]

genetics play a big part

[matthewp45]

I saw a buck one time on the San Carlos that was so dark it looked black. He was with a bunch of does and another smaller buck and the color difference was night and day.

[billrquimby]

Color variation is not unusual among deer. The coats of all 40 or so species of deer vary according to season. The reddish phase on Arizona whitetails is normal for summer; gray is normal for winter. Color also varies among individuals in the same area. I've seen more than a few Coues deer with reddish skull caps and red on the tops of their tails in fall hunts.

 

Bill Quimby