ryoushi:
That melanistic buck is really unique. Have you seen him since summer?
The black buck is no longer with us, so no. An adjacent property owner took him out during our recent eastern Oregon rifle season. That owner is quite well off, so perhaps he'll do a mount and put it on display somewhere. We had heard rumors of his presence for the last two years but did not have trespass rights to nail down his location or get pics. This past summer he moved north to adjacent properties and we were granted permission to try for some photos with the stipulation that we not divulge the location or post those images. Those stipulations ended with his demise, but we'd still like to keep quiet on the specific locations.
Some local opinion suggested the trait typically generates wimpy bucks. This year's example, however, sort of disproves that.
The doe and fawns in the other pics are from a locale about 20 miles away from where the buck lived. This year's doe's, and this season's fawn both came from normal colored does, so I suspect the melanistic trait is a double recessive deal. Certainly unique, as with my 70+ years afield on both coasts, these have been our first encounters.
In the last 7 or 8 years, we've totaled 7 such sightings in the region. First a black doe. Two years later a single sighting of a black doe and fawn together. Nothing for two more years and then last year a single black fawn. This year, the buck, doe, and a fawn. Rumor has it this year's fawn might be a buck. Can't say, however, that I've personally viewed evidence of such, but here's hoping.
Internet searches have not revealed much in the way of factual probabilities among mule deer. Given the audience here, and our combined years afield, I'd just have to say the trait is a rare event indeed.
