The comb-over isn’t going to work on this one.
QUESTION: I noticed many times that bare spots (all hair missing, only skin showing) happens to a few bucks. How does this occur? I know it would seem obvious that this happens when bucks fight. However, for skin to be completely bare it is difficult to imagine how cleanly all hair in spots measuring 10 inches in diameter can happen. Please provide your thoughts.
ANSWER: There are several possibilities to explain bald spots in deer. One is wounds, which could be from fighting, a bullet, arrow or a collision – possibly a glancing blow from a vehicle. It’s also not uncommon for deer, especially in farm country, to have bare spots on the top of their back from going under a fence. Large bare spots also could be due to mange, which is caused by an infestation of skin mites. Another possibility is dermatophilosis, sometimes called rain rot, which is a bacterial skin infection. From a distance, deer may also appear to be balding in the spring when their winter coat of long, hollow hair is replaced with a spring coat of light, thin hair.
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