There was a thread on here some time ago about deer having manes. The discussion showed that the occurence of a mane on a deer varies greatly around the country. In my little corner of the country (SW Indiana) it is quite common. Of the 170ish deer to come though our taxidermy shop this year I would say nearly 20% have had a mane. This morning I snapped a photo (albeit a poor quality one) of what appears to be a small mane on the front of the deer near the throat patch. I can't say that I have ever seen this before, even after handling several thousand deer over the years. Has anyone else seen something similar?

Yes it's where the hair gets roughed up and out of place.

Bruce T, I disagree. This is not a roughed up patch of hair.

The hide in the picture has recently been washed with a detergent, and combed moments before the pic was taken to make sure it was not simply some hair out of place. The upright hairs are more similar to a "cowlick" on someone's head.

I've never looked really

i think my last buck and my dads had one all b it smaller but on the back of the neck

Clump of ticks trying to get warm.

Have seen it alot

Northern Trapper, see lots on the back of the neck, just never on the front

Hair is out of place.It happens alot.Its not a mane

I usually see it on the front.

I'd think A Taxidermist would know if it was out of place hair

The hair grows that way

You don't like to be wrong

Theres more.Most my mounted bucks have it.

I suspect most people would never notice them, they usually just look like a roughed up patch of hair. I used the see one every once in a while when I did some taxidermy, though I can’t recall seeing on on the throat like that one. Sucks trying to get them to lay flat, or explaining to the customer that its natural.

And those pics aren’t the same thing.

When I'm wrong I admit it.I have shot over 400 deer in my lifetime.Most bucks have it.The hair grows that way out of place compared with the rest of the hair.