Mike: I think I may have another candidate for your big nose deer collection. I took this doe in Duluth, Minnesota. It looks a lot like those other deer with the big muzzles, but not as severe. I still have the head and am wondering if I should get in contact with Kevin Keel, the wildlife pathologist at the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study in Athens, Georgia. Let me know what you think. I posted more photos to my blog. –Leif B.
I advised Leif to contact Kevin and possibly send the scientist some tissue samples for further on this phenomenon. To date, scientists believe these big noses are caused by bacterial infections.
Yesterday Leif wrote back: “I finished up de-boning the deer earlier this evening and noted that the ball joints in the hindquarters were both brown. The actual bone on the ball was a dark brown. I have never seen that before either, they should be white. So now I am very skeptical about eating the meat, and probably won’t unless I hear otherwise from Kevin.”
I think that is definitely a good call.
[…] Edit: Now officially part of Mike Hanback’s Big Nose Deer Collection! […]