Squirrelhunter91 Posted April 3, 2005 Report Share Posted April 3, 2005 Do deer go through a moult stage when turning from orange to grey/brown or from grey/brown back to orange? The reason I am asking is because I saw a doe before that had a bald spot on her side. I see these deer every single day. I got video of the bald spot on the doe. If anyone knows anything about it please tell me. http://www.huntingfootage.com/showphoto.php?photo=1278&sort=2&cat=507&page=1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTbowman Posted April 3, 2005 Report Share Posted April 3, 2005 Re: Do deer moult? I do not think they do. I believe it would be called shedding. I know they drop a ton of winter coat come spring, but I have never seen a deer loose any hair during the color change from red to brown/grey. You must of had one with mange or something like that where she chewed or rubbed the hair off. But then again I am not sure. DogDoc is your man on this one... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squirrelhunter91 Posted April 3, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2005 Re: Do deer moult? VTbowman, did you watch the video? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTbowman Posted April 3, 2005 Report Share Posted April 3, 2005 Re: Do deer moult? No I did not sorry..... I could not get it to open or play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squirrelhunter91 Posted April 3, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2005 Re: Do deer moult? Ohh. You clicked the pic on the huntingfootage.com website? It should have worked. It opens up in QuickTime. Do you have QuickTime? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimT Posted April 4, 2005 Report Share Posted April 4, 2005 Re: Do deer moult? I think they shed also. I got a pic of a doe on a Stealth Cam once that had a big bald spot on it also....It was early june when I got that pic though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted April 4, 2005 Report Share Posted April 4, 2005 Re: Do deer moult? Don't know what the technical definition of molt is, but they do indeed shed their winter coat right about this time of year. When we're out looking for sheds it's not uncommon to find beds with tons of fur laying in it. Also, my buddy Tom told me a couple weeks ago that he read that deer will bite each other when they fight for food and thus we'll find clumps of winter fur here and there. That could explain the bald spot on the deer you saw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted April 4, 2005 Report Share Posted April 4, 2005 Re: Do deer moult? Deer do shed their winter coats. Could be a couple reasons for seeing bald or thin spots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squirrelhunter91 Posted April 4, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 4, 2005 Re: Do deer moult? Tominator unless there is another dominante doe in the area, it can't be the deer biting eachother.. The bald spot is on the momma doe. We know she is the momma doe because of her large body, long snout and the two fawns that always follow her. We have a few deer every night in the yard. We actually have named them... lol 1) Momma Doe 2) Buck ( Buck Fawn) 3) Two Doe Fawns 4) Gimpy ( Doe w/ broken leg) 5) other bucks that have shed We always see momma doe and gimpy slapping the fawns around when looking for food. They box just about every night. Last night was the first night we saw the buck fawn though. But back in January and February we had a buck with one 2 pt antler on every night... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted April 4, 2005 Report Share Posted April 4, 2005 Re: Do deer moult? Have seen bald spots where deer had been shot and recovered, where they have been cut with fence or other sharp objects, and where they have fought with other deer and other animals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted April 4, 2005 Report Share Posted April 4, 2005 Re: Do deer moult? Actually, the winter coat and the summer coat are completely different hairs. The winter coat consists of coarser tubular structured strands that they lose in the spring. Many people see deer in that transition stage and assume that they are diseased. They sure can look pretty scroungey during this switch-over. Actually it is just a normal annual transition from the winter coat to the summer coat. I assume it is a heat regulating change. The term moulting is probably not the correct one as that generally refers to birds. I guess like someone above, I would call it shedding and re-generation. Doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
too_pointer Posted April 4, 2005 Report Share Posted April 4, 2005 Re: Do deer moult? I would think it is much like a dog shedding their winter coat for a lighter summer coat. I think the hair color also changes as a darker hairs would probably retain more heat as compared to lighter colored hairs during the hotter months. too_pointer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squirrelhunter91 Posted April 5, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2005 Re: Do deer moult? I am also noticing that the buck fawn has little pediscles coming out of his head.. Antlers in velvet! Now I need to look for his daddy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdoc Posted April 5, 2005 Report Share Posted April 5, 2005 Re: Do deer moult? technically speaking--shedding is a form of molting. So yes--deer do molt--twice a year. I believe it is triggered by changes in daylight hours. In the spring as daylight hours increase it stimulates a molt---shedding of the thicker winter coat and in the late summer/early fall as daylight hours decrease the shedding process is stimulated again. todd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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