How Likely Is It to See This Rare Deer in New York?

While there are plenty of Bigfoot enthusiasts in New York State, there's another rare creature hiding in our local woods that residents might actually be able to see with their own eyes.

Not to say that Bigfoot isn't still hiding somewhere waiting to be photographed (this article is intended for education, not starting a fight with the Sasquatch community), but true believers looking to actually catch something on camera might want to switch their focus.

Piebald deer are some of the rarest creatures in New York State... but just how likely are you to see one? (Canva)

Deer in New York with Rare Genetic Condition

It's hardly hyperbole to say that New York is overrun by deer. From New York City boroughs to far reaches upstate, over a million deer call the state home... but there's a specific genetic condition that make some of these animals stick out among the rest.

Piebald Deer in New York

Piebald deer, which are a result of a recessive gene, cause some deer to have white coloring, ranging from spots on their hair to nearly completely white coats. While extremely rare, some local residents have been lucky enough to spot one (below).

Other Conditions Associated with Piebald Deer

Many piebald deer are also born with more serious medical conditions and skeletal deformities, meaning that many don't survive into adulthood... so how rare is it to actually spot a mature piebald deer in the wild?

Piebald deer can be nearly completely white, or just have several white spots, like this whitetail buck (Canva)

According to experts, the fact that so many piebald deer die young makes an accurate statistic on birthrates difficult to estimate. That being said, the math is slightly easier for adult deer.

How Many Piebald Deer Are in New York State?

A rough estimate is that one in every 1,000 deer are affected by the condition, meaning that only 0.01% of New York State's deer population might be piebald (far more common than albino deer, which are estimated to be one out of 30,000).

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Easy math from New York's total deer population finds that there may be roughly 1,200 piebald deer across the entire state, so the next time you see an extra flash of white, do a doubletake. You may have just seen one of the state's rarest creatures.

White/Albino Animals

Have you ever seen one of these in the wild? Some can be found here in New York State.

Gallery Credit: Karolyi

Ranking 50 United States by Deer Population

The United States of America is home to one of the world's most impressive, and varied, deer herds. Using data gathered from each state by A-Z-Animals.com, let's count down to the state with the largest population of deer.