Deer Man is a cryptid whose legend originates in the folklore of North America. Sightings of the Deer Man have been reported from several U.S. states, although there is some variation in the descriptions given.
Appearance[]
A hybrid animal, Deer Man has the antlered head of a great stag, a human's torso, and legs described as similar to either those of a man or deer. In addition, it is usually said to be well muscled, and surprisingly fast for its size. Other accounts gift the beast with the power to transform itself from a regular deer into the form described above.
Sightings[]
Ohio, Date Unknown[]
An unnamed 14 year old witness was playing at his cousin's house near sunset when he spotted a creature emerging from the brush. His report read:
“It was getting dark and I was the one searching. I heard leaves crumpling, and when I turned to look, I saw what looked like a deer on its hind legs. I clearly remember seeing “dog legs” running, but the rest of the body was straight up. And it ran with incredible speed, and I knew it wasn’t either of my cousins hiding. I ran as fast as I could back to the house, and my one of my cousins was running in too, he saw the same thing. It still creeps me out to this day, because my uncle always told us how he saw weird things on that property.”
Hockessin, Delaware, 1993[]
Another account from an at-the-time 8 year old witness (again unnamed) who was staying with his grandparents at their home in the woodland states:
“It was RIGHT there, like almost pressed against the window in profile. I stared in awe. And that is when it changed. In one smooth movement, it reared up on its hind legs and it was no longer a deer, but a man. There were only two men in the area, my grandfather and my dad, and it was clearly neither (not sure if that made it better or worse). Grandfather was very built for his age, dad had a gut. This silhouette was clearly younger, muscular but not in the “like a brick” way my grandfather was. It exuded strength. And scared the hell out of me. It stared to the side for a moment, and then strode off with purpose. Looking back, I want to tell myself it was just the imagination of a half-awake child, but I remember the awe and the utter fear I felt when the “deer” changed.”
A Deer-Man
Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma, 2012[]
In this report, a man named Kyle Heying was out with his friend photographing the night sky when a number of wild animals, including both elk and bison, rushed past, giving off the impression that they were attempting to escape from something lurking in the nearby forest. Subsequently, a deathly silence descended across the landscape. Decidedly unsettled by this turn of events, the men packed up their gear and began to retreat to their vehicle when a sudden rustling in the long grass caused them to bring their rifles to bear. Reaching their vehicle, Heying and his companion were about to drive off when a Deer Man emerged from the shadows and began to lurch towards them. By now terrified, the two men hit the accelerator, and sped off as fast as they could manage.
Commenting on the encounter, Heying said:
“We were scared s***less. Things got even quieter when we stayed there. While there we heard one ear-piercing screech or scream, almost a hunting screech of some sort that made my hair stand on end and gave me goose bumps even worse. With that we left the mountains completely, we felt as though we were not wanted there that night. The way the wildlife acted, the figure that we came across that the animals had to have ran from, and then the scream of which I can only find references to happens to be the Banshee. I cannot forget that figure we saw, as well as the scream. It was not human but it was not of any wildlife I am familiar with from out there.”