Piebald Deer
A piebald is an animal, usually a mammal such as a white-tailed deer or horse, that has a spotting pattern of large white and black patches. In fact, piebald deer are deer that look a lot like an American Paint Horse. The color of a piebald’s skin underneath its coat may vary between black under the black patches of hair and pink under the white patches.
The coloring is generally asymmetrical, resulting in piebald deer with abnormally wild brown and white coloration. In addition, many piebald-colored animals exhibit coloration of the irises of the eye that match the surrounding skin. This condition also occurs in white-tailed piebald deer and makes for a very unusual animal.
Piebald whitetail are often striking animals because of their unique beauty. Observers are often shocked to see such a remarkably colored deer. Let’s face it, most whitetail are very similar to one another when it comes to hair coat coloration. Not piebald deer; they are all different!
Genetics on Display
A genetic variation (defect) produces the piebald condition in white-tailed deer, not parasites or diseases. Piebald deer are colored white and brown similar to a pinto pony. Sometimes they appear almost entirely white. Regardless of the pattern, piebald animals always cool to see.
In addition to this coloration, many piebald deer have some of the following observable conditions: bowing of the nose (Roman nose), short legs, arching spine (scoliosis), and short lower jaws. This genetic piebald condition is rare. Typically, less than one percent of white-tailed deer are affected.
Read article: Residents Fawning Over Rare Deer
Video: A Herd of Piebald Deer
More Piebald Photos
Viewing Piebald Deer
In closing, piebald deer are oddly colored and beautiful deer. They are different looking, but they are still white-tailed deer. Piebald are generally not protected any differently than other deer. All states have deer hunting regulations that protect deer for most of the year, but piebald can be hunted and harvested during open hunting seasons like “regular” deer.
Piebald deer behave much like other whitetail. Stay calm and quite when viewing piebald, as deer do not like loud noise or sudden movement. In addition, make sure to abide by all laws when trying to get that “once in a lifetime” piebald deer photo. Do not trespass on private property!
If you have seen a piebald recently, please comment to let us know if you observed any of the following, and where:
- Shorter than normal legs
- Bowed (Roman) nose
- Sort lower jaws
- Arching spine
- Colored irises of the eyes
Two sets of piebald twins frequent our place in NE Washington State.
I have a piebald deer living on my property at the present time. He appears to be 2 1/2 – 3 years old. He is a buck and is very healthy. I see him fairly regular on my trips down there. He is not real timid but is a wild animal and stays out of the way, but is curious. We will not harvest this animal due to his rareness. I also have two does with white patches on them so they my be offspring. About 4 years ago there was a 6 point there but he left not to return.
I never heard of piebald whitetail deer until I saw one in my back yard today. Very regal buck with at least 6 points. If it were possible, I’d upload the pictures I took. I also took a video of a doe walking up to him and he chased her away.
I saw a piebald deer this morning. It was an amazing sight. We live in Cordova, Alabama.
Practically a Christmas miracle!
A few years ago, I shot and killed a piebald elk but it was raised in captivity in Indiana.
Tonight on my way home, on Naughright Road, in Long Valley, NJ, I discovered my first encounter with a piebald deer. In fact, there were a couple behind her that were also white with large brown patches. How amazing!
Just spotted one in a small herd at the corner of West Belt Parkway and Hanes Drive in Wayne near the Totowa border on Friday, January 8, 2016.
I have great photos of twin blacktail piebald deer.
One in my yard right now in Parsippany near Mountain Lakes!
Piebald deer can have some abnormalities and physical differences and some people think that piebald deer should be culled, to keep the “natural” strain of the deer healthy. Is this a good idea or is it just a matter of opinion?
Eileen, piebald deer can have some physical abnormalities. It’s not something that anyone must cull. A physical abnormality that is a liability will naturally be taken care of by predators.
I saw one in with a regular herd in Danboro, Pennsylvania. April 2016.
Saw my first piebald deer last night in my backyard in Nashville, Indiana. Had never heard of it so asked a buddy of mine and then went researching on the web. The one I saw was mostly brown with a large white patch on her back towards her hind quarters. Wish I had taken a picture. Thought it odd that she was alone. All other deer I’ve see traverse my property in the past 2 years have done so with at least one other deer if not several.
I have one that started coming to my yard in the Highlands of Victoria British Columbia, just a couple of days ago. Now she comes several times a day. We have just under 2 acres and so much vegetation to eat.
I saw one at camp the other day.
Observed a nearly all white piebald deer this morning in Ellijay, Georgia. So cool.
Just saw a large piebald deer this evening close to our farm. This is the first one I have seen for about 25 years, sincen my son shot one during whitetail season.
Location is Badger, MN.
I saw a piebald fawn in my back yard this morning in central New Jersey, around Princeton. It was with another fawn (regular coloring) and two does. It was amazing to see. The hindquarters and legs are white. The upper body tan, and face had white and tan. It DOES have shorter legs. I get a lot of deer in my area, and this is the first time seeing this.
I saw 3 in a herd of 8 today. So beautiful. We took many pictures. Sad to think they won’t last long with hunting season about to start here in PA.
I saw a piebald fawn in my back property this morning. It kind of looks like a baby cow at first because of the coloring and distance, far away. I live in Bonney Lake, Washington.
Saw one on Sprague Road in North Royalton, Ohio. It seemed big for a deer.
My friend has two mid-sized bucks and a fawn all displaying strong characteristics of piebald deer here in the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota. Must take the kids out to see this beautiful site.
Observed a medium sized buck with the back half pie-bald in Washington Grove, Maryland on Oct. 3. A normally colored whitetail buck standing nearby.
I saw one by Grove Lake, Royal Nebraska October 8 about 5 pm standing with a brown deer. I was so excited I didn’t see if it was a buck or a doe.
Have seen several of these cool deer around Cass County in East Texas.
Tonight, I saw six deer in backyard and two were piebald deer. In northeast Florida.
Bo, nice sighting! Thanks for chiming in for Florida.
We have 5 does with 4 fawns, one being a piebald. Thought it was a dog at first. That’s been over a week ago and they come back every evening and morning for water we put out due to being in a drought area right now.
Had one in our yard yesterday in Enumclaw, WA. It’s not a whitetail… just a black-tailed deer.
I have several pictures of them on my game cams in the last few years in Central NY. I have also noticed they run flat like a dog and do not appear to have the bounce of a normal whitetail.
My neighbor shot a piebald deer central New York.
I saw two piebald deer with several other deer grazing in Orting, Washington, this morning. They appeared to be black and white such as a black and white cow. They were small. I had never seen one before and people were taking pictures of them and told me what they were called.
Saw a monster piebald buck today in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In Philadelphia county, believe it or not. Lot of deer around here. Big buck – couldn’t count the points but I thought it was an escaped horse when I first saw it!
My husband and I just saw a piebald deer running across the road in Northwest Alabama. We turned around to see what it was because we had never seen a deer look like that before. It stood still on the side of the road for almost a minute and we got a good look at it. Very beautiful and unusual!
Saw a small piebald doe as I drove into Ayden, NC (eastern NC) this evening. Couldn’t imagine what it was at first because I had no idea that these beautiful creatures existed. It was divided almost perfectly in half, brown on top and all white, including the legs, from the midline of the body down. I turned the car around to look at it again, but didn’t have time to get a photo before it jumped into the underbrush.
Susan, sounds like you got to see a really neat patterned piebald. Very cool!
Saw one near Freeport, Maine, browsing with another “regular” whitetail deer. Right off the side of the highway… Very cool, indeed!
We have them here in Tolland, MA, as well, beautiful. Had never heard of them, or anything else pie-bald, but I do have friends with vertiglio. So was too surprised they exist in the animal world. Cool looking!
I have seen twin piebald deer in a green space in semi-suburbia…. Portland, Oregon. This is the second year I’ve seen them. One is male with a nice set of developing antlers this year. They should live a long life here.
Just saw two young deer. One brown and still had its spots the other was a piebald same age. Seen in Bushkill Township, PA. I hope some of my gun happy neighbors leave it be.
I just saw 2 in the National Forrest Etoniah near Grandin, Florida.
Seen one today in central Virginia. So shocking to see!
7-28-2017
Saw my first Piebald deer on July 23, 2017 on Seabrook Island in South Carolina. He had 8 points or so and his antlers were covered in velvet. Quite a sight to see.
Jeff, that does sound like a good looking buck!
My daughter and I saw one yesterday eating grass off the side of interstate 55 between Enid and Oakland exits of Mississippi. It was a sight for sure.
Are there differences between a piebald, a pinto, and a paint. Referring to horses of course for the last two but are there similarities? Growing up my understanding was that a piebald was tri-colored a paint had irregular or jagged shapes to it’s pattern and a pinto had rounded shapes to it’s pattern. And they often had blue eyes or one blue eye and one brown eye. Any truth to that?
I just saw a young one in Westerly, Rhode Island, yesterday. Never heard or saw one until then. I texted my friend who is big outdoorsman. Told me he has one running around his farm in PA. Nature never ceases to amaze me!
The 6 deer herd were grazing in the early morning in my yard. The unusual white and brown deer was among them. I did not know what it was called, but was able to get a beautiful shot of the deer. My son later informed me that it was a piebald.
Just saw one in Vulcan, Michigan. Amazing, surprising sight!