The Not Deer are cryptids found in Appalachian woods and mountains. The name “Not Deer” actually originates from TikTok. The Not Deer gained significant popularity back in 2020, and to this day the hashtag #notdeer has 96.4 million views. There is no true origin for these deer, nor is there any particular descriptive feature to categorize a Not Deer. In fact, the only characteristic that a Not Deer has comes in the form of its behavior.
Not Deer typically look like deer, but with some particular trait that makes them stand out. Reports have included antlers falling off, paws instead of hooves, front-facing eyes, and more. Additionally, a Not Deer may act differently to their normal counterparts. Not Deer have growled at people, bent their legs in wrong directions when running, and refrained from exhibiting any sign of fright or caution in the presence of a person. As some people note: the deer is not afraid of you. You should be afraid of it.
The Not Deer appears to share some similarities with skinwalkers, but people who have run into skinwalkers and read the description of Not Deer know the difference between the two. Some explanations have been offered by people regarding the strange behavioral patterns and appearance of Not Deer—most relating to some sort of disease. Chronic wasting disease is the primary culprit correlated to posts about the Not Deer, thus debunking most videos of Not Deer sightings online.
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a form of prion affecting most deer and elk, which causes them to act strange. Deer that have this disease may take a significant amount of time to show it, but the results of the disease are significant. Animals with CWD may have significant weight loss, stumbling, infections, and neurological issues. Reports show that elk or deer with CWD might be less afraid of humans, likely due to the degeneration of their brain inhibiting proper function. These animals might seem lopsided or confused, making walking or running difficult. CWD in deer is fatal and there are no treatments for it.
Another possible factor in the strange appearance of the deer could come from Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD), which is spread through eating midges (small flies) carrying the disease. Deer begin to experience breathing problems, fever, and swelling at the beginning stages of this disease. Deer with chronic EHD will experience lesions in their hooves, forcing them to move around on their chest or knees. Deer will continue to deteriorate over time, eventually resulting in the spread of infections and wounds across their body. These deer appear sickly, almost zombie-like. People are warned against approaching these deer, as they could risk being hurt or exposed to EHD.
Despite their popularity on social media, Not Deer are surprisingly not well known as cryptids. This could possibly be the result of other users on the platforms debunking many “sightings” as people accidentally running into deer with the diseases listed above. Strange behavior and appearance due to disease is uncommon in multiple animals—not just deer—thus making it harder to pinpoint if the Not Deer phenomenon is worthy of being its own category or should coincide with skinwalkers.
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