Gray faced doe--age, shedding, or other?

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Motivated
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Gray faced doe--age, shedding, or other?

Unread postby Motivated » Tue Feb 20, 2018 3:02 pm

I have not seen this coloring before and was wondering if this is age-related. My dog is getting gray in the face and older too, so this was my first impression. But it is also shedding season.

Have you guys seen this and what is the reason?

Thanks for your thoughts.

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Re: Gray faced doe--age, shedding, or other?

Unread postby Horizontal Hunter » Tue Feb 20, 2018 3:27 pm

Other:

Genetic deformity. Look at her lower jaw and body dimensions. This deformity is often associated with being piebald and you can see other white patches on her legs.

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Re: Gray faced doe--age, shedding, or other?

Unread postby wolverinebuckman » Tue Feb 20, 2018 3:42 pm

Yeah, she dont look right...I dont think i would eat her. :think:
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Re: Gray faced doe--age, shedding, or other?

Unread postby Hawthorne » Tue Feb 20, 2018 3:54 pm

She’s about ready to start shedding her fur imo.I’ve gotten some similar pics. Usually in April that look like that. I’m in Michigan. Are you in the south?
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Re: Gray faced doe--age, shedding, or other?

Unread postby Motivated » Tue Feb 20, 2018 11:43 pm

This deer was outside Mammoth Cave visitor's center. Kentucky. We took a family trip over the long weekend. This deer was relatively tame. Chewing in the first pic, so that's why her jaw looked funny in that one. She had a wide head for a doe, not freakishly wide, but wider that normal from straight on.

I didn't take great pics with the cell phone.

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Re: Gray faced doe--age, shedding, or other?

Unread postby Rob loper » Wed Feb 21, 2018 12:48 am

I just think she is chewing and she has a winter thick coat on and is older deer.
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Re: Gray faced doe--age, shedding, or other?

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Wed Feb 21, 2018 2:47 pm

looks like around four years
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Re: Gray faced doe--age, shedding, or other?

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Wed Feb 21, 2018 2:51 pm

I tell you one thing your does are way different than the deer I hunt color body legs and face. mountain deer buy me are tall longer body and longer nose and ears.
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Re: Gray faced doe--age, shedding, or other?

Unread postby Brickhouse » Thu Feb 22, 2018 4:39 am

I see a lot of variation in face coloring of the deer in my area. I don't think the fact that her face is lighter in coloration necessarily means she's older. It could, but I've got pics of a buck this year with very similar coloration that I believe is 2.5 years old. I guess I think of it like humans. There is a lot of variation in our body sizes and physical characteristics. I think it is the same for deer.
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Re: Gray faced doe--age, shedding, or other?

Unread postby wolverinebuckman » Thu Feb 22, 2018 6:28 am

Brickhouse wrote: I guess I think of it like humans. There is a lot of variation in our body sizes and physical characteristics. I think it is the same for deer.


x2
I think it is neat to see varying characteristics within kinds throughout creation. Different facial structure, color, size and shape. Some animals are good looking, while others look dorky. It's cool!
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Re: Gray faced doe--age, shedding, or other?

Unread postby Dewey » Thu Feb 22, 2018 6:41 am

wolverinebuckman wrote:
Brickhouse wrote: I guess I think of it like humans. There is a lot of variation in our body sizes and physical characteristics. I think it is the same for deer.


x2
I think it is neat to see varying characteristics within kinds throughout creation. Different facial structure, color, size and shape. Some animals are good looking, while others look dorky. It's cool!

I started turning gray in my late 20’s yet friends that are older than me in their 50’s still have no gray hair. My Grandpa didn’t start showing any gray till his mid-70’s. Lot’s of variation in people and I’m sure deer are no different.
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Re: Gray faced doe--age, shedding, or other?

Unread postby Brickhouse » Thu Feb 22, 2018 12:21 pm

Dewey wrote:
wolverinebuckman wrote:
Brickhouse wrote: I guess I think of it like humans. There is a lot of variation in our body sizes and physical characteristics. I think it is the same for deer.


x2
I think it is neat to see varying characteristics within kinds throughout creation. Different facial structure, color, size and shape. Some animals are good looking, while others look dorky. It's cool!

I started turning gray in my late 20’s yet friends that are older than me in their 50’s still have no gray hair. My Grandpa didn’t start showing any gray till his mid-70’s. Lot’s of variation in people and I’m sure deer are no different.

Hahaha that's great Dewey :lol: Another deer that comes to mind was a buck last year. Had a body like a mule but his antlers were basically spindly 14" main beams with no measurable points on them. Later in the season I got some close up pics of his head and face and could tell he was a young deer. To this day I still think he was 1.5 last year. Very short snout literally looked like someone put antlers on a button buck's head
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Re: Gray faced doe--age, shedding, or other?

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Thu Feb 22, 2018 1:04 pm

the differences in bucks in my area change drastically hears an example both of these bucks were 5.5 when I killed them both were running together all summer and winter one is reddish color tall and lanky with a long face and big feet had heavy bases and a tight rack dressed 180 190 range shot him during rut. the other buck was gray bull headed wide buck he was jacked and heavy bodied with shorter legs and smaller feet he was like this in January dressed at 205 on scale. ImageImage
then this big 9 was 4.5 he was tall and heavy bodied with big feet and tall he had a beautiful red coat and super heavy rack an absolute stud for my area he was almost a blend of the two other bucks.Image
all of these bucks came out of the same block of mountain swamps within 3/4 of a mile of each other three years in a row.
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Re: Gray faced doe--age, shedding, or other?

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Thu Feb 22, 2018 1:07 pm

look how different two bucks of same age are.Image
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