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Are They Fibromas?
By Bob Humphrey
Q: We had this picture come up on our game camera and wondered if it was cutaneous fibromas or something more serious? She looks really horrible and on side views you can see its eyes but any forward sight is completely blocked. Will they go away eventually or stay on her, her whole life? Can you still eat the venison from her also?
A: At first glance they do indeed look like fibromas, which can occur anywhere but are most common around the eyes, face and neck. They are typically not harmful to the deer except in extreme cases, like yours, where they may impact a deer’s ability to see. No human infection has been reported. However, bacterial infection can sometimes occur, in which case the unpleasant exudate at the infection site would be obvious. One other possibility is that the deer’s palate has been compromised and while eating, food becomes impacted. This would be even more likely to result in bacterial infection and eventually death.