Skinwalker or Diseased Deer? The Legend of the 'Not Deer' Continues in Alabama

Two stories linked to white-tailed deer in Alabama have been making headlines in very different circles. A mainstream news story, "Deadly deer disease could be linked to hunter deaths," has been making the rounds among hunters and outdoorsmen in our state. In cryptid communities, photos of weird-looking zombie-like deer that some people believe are a new type of cryptid or even a type of "skinwalker" have also been circulating. The latter is not a new phenomenon. Terrifying stories of a cryptid called the "not deer" have been cropping up on the internet for a few years. In northwest Alabama, where we have had several cases of Chronic Wasting Disease, or CWD, in our deer population, creepy tales of this zombie-type creature have soared in popularity. Supposedly, there is a very old Appalachian legend that backs up the "not deer" tale. Could it be true that there's really a creature called a "not deer" lurking in our darkened Alabama forests, or are new diseases and chronic conditions in the deer population to blame? Let's take a deep dive into the "not deer" phenomenon.

Trail cam photo of creepy deer (computer generated)Photo byBing image created by April Killian

What Is a "Not Deer?"

According to cryptid tales and supposed eyewitness accounts, the "not deer" is a creature that may appear as a deer but is something far more sinister in disguise. Thus, the name "not deer." it's even been touted as "The Appalachian Cryptid" on many paranormal websites. The "not deer" supposedly has physical traits that are "off" for a regular deer. Its legs may be crooked, and its joints may bend backward, causing it to move in a jerky and unnatural way. It may be covered in blood and rotting flesh. Some accounts say it has a larger head than normal, glowing eyes, and may walk entirely on its back legs. It's unafraid of humans and will often stand and stare before closing in like a blood thirsty, carnivorous predator. Some say the "not deer" has even been seen devouring the bloody carcass of its supposed prey. Viral posts and Tik Tok videos claim the "not deer" is most likely a skinwalker or a rare cryptid. There are diseases and rare natural behavior, however, that could explain these "not deer" sightings. Then there are the claims of folklore about the "not deer." That's where things get a little shady.

Appalachian Legends of the "Not Deer" Questionable

This is where the stories of the not deer become highly questionable. No matter how far one searches, actual tales of the "not deer" only go back a few years. Although many podcasts, Tiktok videos, and websites go into detail about native Americans legends and Appalachian folklore of the "not deer," those legends simply don't exist. In an article published in The Skeptical Inquirer, author JD Sword tracked down the online origin of the "not deer" to one Tumblr user named Will-o-the-Witch (real name Madison), who posted a story to the site in 2019. The "not deer" was an urband legend that seemed to have spring up among her small group of friends in Boone, North Carolina. Author, JD Sword found no Appalachian or southern folklorists who had ever heard stories about a "not deer." In my personal opinion from researching this topic, I believe that most of the "not deer" phenomenon originated directly from The Witcher: a series of six fantasy novels by Andrzej Sapkowski and video games based on them by CD Projekt RED. On The Witcher Fanon Website, for fans of the novels and video games, a detailed description of a fantasy creature called the "Not Deer" or "Nid Ceirw" is practically identical to the supposed "not deer" cryptid.

Deer with chronic wasting diseasePhoto byKentucky Dept. of Fish and Wildlife

So, What Are People Seeing?

There are some strange photos of deer circulating on the internet. What's to blame for those? There are several diseases spreading among white tailed deer populations that have rarely been seen before. These are most likely the culprits for the recent photos and sightings of strange and "creepy looking" deer. Many of these diseases can cause even the most experienced deer hunter to be taken aback when they spot one of these diseased animals for the first time. For example, Chronic Wasting Disease, or CWD, has only been documented in the deer population of Lauderdale County in northwest Alabama sice 2022. CWD has been called the "zombie deer disease." It's a disease of the brain and neurological system, so it can cause jerky movements and a shocking skeletal appearance as it slowly ravages the deer. It can also cause deer to not seem as afraid of humans as normally expected. Then there are other diseases that can give deer a creepy appearance. When the very first "not deer" sightings were posted to Tumblr in 2019 about deer in Boone, NC., Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) was spreading in the deer in that area. Deer with EHD appear weak and disoriented. They can have a high fever, which causes them to wander, dazed, into human habitats in search of water. EHD can also cause the deer's head and face to swell. That could account for sightings of the "not deer" having a head that is larger than normal. According to the Department of Fish and Wildlife, "Deer in the early stages of hemorrhagic disease may appear lethargic, disoriented, lame, or unresponsive to the presence of humans. As the disease progresses, the deer may salivate excessively or foam at the mouth, have bloody discharge from the nose, lesions or sores on the mouth, and swollen, sometimes blue-tinged tongues." That sounds eerily similar to many descriptions of supposed "not deer" cryptid sightings. Lastly, deer warts can afflict a deer with tumors and warts all over their bodies or sometimes only on the face and eyes. Seeing a deer with deforming warts, CWD, or EHD, can look scary at first sight.

Deer with cutaneous fibromas or "deer warts"Photo byAlabama Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources (via AlabamaOutdoors.com)

Sometimes Deer Are Naturally Just Plain Creepy

Deer can do things naturally that may seem extremely creepy to the untrained eye. You're probably familiar with the phrase "like a deer in the headlights." This phrase comes from the behavior of deer when confronted with the bright lights of a car or flashlight at night. They'll usually just stand there, completely frozen and wide-eyed, staring back into the light and sometimes will even walk toward the light. Also, because deer are nocturnal animals, their eyes will reflect the light, causing their eyes to appear as if they're glowing. During mating season, called the "rutting" season, young male deer, driven by a hormone surge, will often do crazy things. They're much more aggressive at this time and may be unafraid of humans. Then there's the shedding of velvet on a young buck's antlers, which can give deer a horrifyingly bloody look, like they were just at the scene of a murder. The deer often make a snack of this bloody velvet as it dangles from their antlers. Seeing a deer with bloody antlers and eating what looks like strands of flesh hanging from them could easily look like something from a horror film!

Deer shedding velvet from its antlersPhoto byPosted to r/natureismetal by thegreattober on Reddit

Rare But Natural Behavior Caught on Camera

There are other very strange, yet natural behaviors of deer caught on camera in recent years that have caused many people to jump to the conclusion that the "not deer" cryptid exsists. For example, deer are not exclusoively herbivores. Although rarely seen, deer can also be opportunistic carnivores. A couple of years ago, the shocking video of a young deer eating a snake that it had just killed went viral. Of course, the internet went crazy with speculation of what caused this behavior. Everything from "demonic possession," to vaccines was mentioned - when in fact, the behavior was natural.

What About Deer Walking Like Humans?

So, what about encounters where white tailed deer have been seen walking entirely on their back legs? This couldn't be natural, right? This has to be some sort of goatman cryptid horror tale! Sorry to be "Captain Buzzkill" for the cryptid community once again, but deer actually do balance and walk on their hind legs very often. They do this to reach fruit and vegetation on trees, and quite often they stand and walk on their back legs as a defensive posture.

Skinwalker Tales Did Not Originate in the South

The "not deer' is often called a "skinwalker" in the south and attributed to native American lore. That's incorrect. People who associate tales of the skinwalker with Eastern American Indian tribes such as the Cherokee or Creek, are mixing cultural traditions. Actual legends of the skinwalker originated with the western Navajo people. For the native Americans that lived in the Appalachian region, the skinwalker was never a part of their vernacular or their folklore. They may have had slightly similar legends - but the true legend of the skinwalker is Navajo in origin. In the past decade, native American legends surrounding the skinwalker have surged in popularity. It's become commonplace to label anything weird seen outdoors or among wildlife as a "skinwalker." If you hear or see information that a skinwalker is a southern or Appalachian legend, that should be a big red flag that it's not true.

So, the "Not Deer" is a "Not True" Legend At All

Although I love a good cryptid tale, it seems evident that the "not deer" is not some rare or new cryptid or a skinwalker. It's simply a modern internet sensation. It probably originated with The Witches novels as I explained earlier. It's also not backed up with Appalachian folklore or native American folklore as claimed. So, will the "not deer" phenomenon die out and go away? Probably not. Sightings and stories of the "not deer" will probably continue. Just recently, a photo of what was most likely a diseased deer appeared online in the r/cryptids subReddit - and a few folks, of course, immediately brought up the "not deer" as a possible explanation. Thanks to the popularity of Tiktok videos, websites, subreddits, and more, the "not deer" is now a part of our modern pop culture. As new diseases take over deer populations and creepy photos and videos of these weird-looking deer exhibiting strange behavior are shared online, new stories of the "not deer" are bound to continue. Although the "not deer" is not a thing at all, it looks like the legend will continue lurking in the dark corners of the internet.

What do you think? Do you still believe there is such a thing as a "not deer" or do you think that people are simply seeing diseased deer or just plain old weird deer behavior? Leave a note in the comments!

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