The whitetail deer is commonly hunted in America, but it's thought that most hunters don't even know of the existence of what are called "melanistic" or "melanic" deer—deer that are black. There are only a few researchers who have ever seen them in person.
It's not known what causes the mutation that makes the deer appear black, and there are no reported sightings of these deer before 1929.
Unlike albinos, which are either albino or not, melanistic deer aren't all totally black. They can range from shades of black to dirty brown or dark gray.
No one's certain why this mutation occurs, but the different shades of "black" lead researchers to believe that the color has to do with multiple genes, as opposed to a single gene that results in albino deer.
Oddly, most of these black deer are located in one area, although they have been seen all around the United States. It's believed that more melanistic deer are in central Texas than all other places combined.
