Creature Feature Friday: The Not Deer
Have you heard of the “Not Deer”? It’s like a deer… but it’s… not. Much like the horrifying creature in Episode 476: Skinwalker Encounter at Quantico Military Base, this eerie folk cryptid out of Appalachia may look normal at first glance, but a closer inspection reveals it’s anything but natural:
1) The Not Deer comes out of the folk tales of Appalachia, with many sightings originating in Virginia, although there have been encounters recorded all over the United States. The creature is a hard one to pin down because, just as the name suggests, the Not Deer looks like a regular deer - only, it’s not. After an initial impression, those who have spotted the Not Deer in the woods or along a road realize that there’s just something “off” about what they’ve seen. Sometimes it’s the face that’s wrong, with forward-facing predatory eyes or an elongated mouth of teeth like a canine’s, or claws (and even hands) instead of hooves. For others, the deer’s proportions aren’t normal, with too many joints, or a moose-like body, or just disproportionate measurements from top to bottom.
2) Along with its atypical appearance, some sightings of the Not Deer also allege that the indeterminate cryptid walks on two legs instead of four as a traditional deer does, and can reach speeds of up to 30 miles per hour. Whether walking on two legs or on four, the Not Deer has a jerking, disjointed way of moving that only adds to the unsettling nature of its presence.
3) One final eerie attribute specific to the Not Deer is also its seemingly total lack of fear. Where a normal deer would turn and flee upon the arrival of a human or predator, the Not Deer is known to face down those who encounter it. While they do not always exhibit malicious intent, Not Deer seem to possess a kind of sentience that can discern emotions, make decisions, and even use reason.
Image from TikTok.
4) There have been several explanations posed for the existence of Not Deer, ranging from the natural to the supernatural. One such natural reason may be Chronic Wasting Disease (also known as “zombie deer disease”), a progressive illness that attacks the central nervous system of the animal, resulting in movement difficulty, behavioral changes, emaciation, and eventual death. On the side of the supernatural, there are some who believe that Not Deer may be legendary skinwalkers taking on the form of a deer.
5) Because there have been many incidents of Not Deer sightings over the years across many locations, and each with a different description no less, the Not Deer seems to be a type of phenomenon instead of a single deer monster roaming the vast woods of Appalachia. However, since many tales of the Not Deer have been passed down through oral tradition rather than the written word, it may be impossible to determine just what they really are, and where they might be encountered next.
For some creepy stories about what may or may not be Not Deer, tune in to Episode 136: Trespassers Will Be Shot... Last Chance! and Episode 476: Skinwalker Encounter at Quantico Military Base, and also check out Written Confession: The Broken-Necked Deerman and Written Confession: Schooner Captain Took a Walk With a Bipedal Deer... And Then It Disappeared!
