The Not Deer is a creature said to inhabit the Appalachian Mountains with most sightings being in the state of Tennessee. The animal is characterized as looking like a normal deer at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it becomes apparent that something is off with its anatomy and behavior.
Description[]
The Not Deer is described as looking like a deer from a distance but as one looks at it longer or gets closer something about it is off. Their movements are described as being like a new born deer but appearing as an adult. Some accounts suggest the creature is double jointed or has additional joints in its limbs. The limbs are described as longer than those of a deer and the chest very barrel like. The way it moves is said to be aggressive compared to a deer. The most defining feature however is that Not Deers do not have eyes on the side of their head but rather the front, like a predator. This distinction is usually the first thing noticed as off. A few accounts involve multiple eyes though most do not. Other uncommon outliers to the typical account involve describing the head as bovine.
Behavior[]
Not Deers are said to not be afraid of humans. Those who encounter them say they have an uneasy feeling that there is an intelligence and emotion about them that furthers the feeling that something is off. The Not Deer will generally approach humans and it's because of this that the odd movements are noted. Despite encountees feeling off the creature has only been reported to attack if provoked such as when an encountee tries to scare them off. Some accounts of such involve being chased up a tree by the Not Deer. The Not Deer may walk on its hind legs for a bit, as some animals may do, in order to intimidate or in attempts to reach individuals who are chased up trees.
Witnesses[]
The Not Deer reports are primarily found on Tumblr [1] and Reddit [2] but after getting attention seeped in recent years to Tik Tok and other sites. Usually sightings are on roads, such as a case of driving alone on a motorcycle on an Appalachian road and seeing in the road what looks like a deer but becomes very obviously not a deer as it or the encountee gets closer.
Explanations[]
It's not a Deer[]
... it's a Kangaroo[]
It has been suggested that the Not Deer could be sightings of kangaroos in North America. The kangaroo is a species not native to Appalachia and with its tail typically on the ground such feature could be hidden from sight. The kangaroo has fur tones resembling the North American deer and stands upright. This theory relies on the assumption that kangaroos who escaped either a circus or a zoo are capable of establishing a population in the forests of North America or that such escapes must have happened not long before a Not Deer was sighted.
It's a Deer[]
... that is deformed[]
Not Deer encounters are suggested by skeptics to be encounters with deer who have birth defects causing unusual walking patterns and head shape. [3] The feelings reported by those who claim to have encountered Not Deers are thought to be the result of isolation, sleep deprivation, or other factors.
... that is diseased[]
An alternative to the deformed deer explanation is that encountees stumbled upon deer suffering from the early stages of CWD (Chronic Wasting Disease) aka the Zombie Deer Syndrome. CWD also being suspected as a possible source for modern day wendigo sightings which tend to express a deer skull face. In regards to CWD the first sign of the illness is difficulty in movement. A follow up sign is a change in behavior which includes listlessness, tremors, and nervousness. Excessive salivation and increased water intake follow. The deer loses its fear of humans and looks utterly confused. After this the wasting begins and those who favor this explanation for the Not Deer suggest that the accounts of double joints or multiple jointed legs are merely of legs that have lost some internal tissue allowing the lower leg to swing slightly in either direction. Some suggest that multiple eyes are a misidentification of open lesions whose exposed fluids reflect light.
In Popular Culture[]
- Not Deer are featured in the popular trading card game MetaZoo: Cryptid Nation.
- A possible Not Deer is featured prominently in the Adventure Time episode No One Can Hear You, serving as the main antagonist. While Not Deer weren't relevant at the time, he has forward facing eyes and walks upright. He is often considered the second scariest character on the show for this reason.
- Not Deer are classified as SCP 6448 by the SCP foundation.
Gallery[]
