November 29, 2023
By Josh Honeycutt
Whitetails are unique and interesting for many reasons. They express different physical and behavioral traits that make them individuals. And, sometimes, trail cameras capture incredible moments that set images apart as unique, too. As such, here are 20 whitetail deer trail camera photos you have to see to believe.
1. One Antler Hung Low - Weird antlers rarely result from oddball genetics. Instead, it’s usually an injury to blame. Damage to the antler pedicle, a growing antler or body, tend to result in whacky racks. Rarely is it actually genetics. This buck likely damaged the antler during the growing phase. Photo Credit: Josh Honeycutt of Kentucky
2. Beach Ball Bucks - It isn’t common to snag a trail camera photo of a buck with a beach ball stuck in its rack. But that’s exactly what happened here. This big Kentucky buck sports a massive pink and clear ball front and center. I can only hope a hunter killed the buck and had it mounted with the ball still in place. Photo credit: Matt Lile of Kentucky
3. The Action Shot - Trail cameras tend to photograph interesting encounters, but this one is downright cool. A father and daughter recorded this great sequence of events. The youth hunter sees the Bluegrass buck, shoots the deer and recovers it, too. Photo Credit: Dave Skinner of Kentucky
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4. Bucket Head - Another rack ornament, this Kentucky buck has a bucket stuck on its head. Maybe it’s collecting acorns and rainwater? Regardless, it adds a good bit of weight up top. This Bluegrass bucket-head buck offers up a good laugh, for sure. Photo credit: Kevin O’Dell of Kentucky
5. Catching Construction - This Ohio deer appears to have gotten in a fight with a mesh construction fence. Obviously, the deer won. But it seems the fence stuck on the rack, and the fence is making the buck pay for it. That’s especially true if it takes until shed time to rid of it. Photo credit: Tim McDaniel of Ohio
6. Curly Cue - Deer damage their antlers and body often. Whitetails live in a rough world, and injuries are common. While this leg could be either a birth defect or injury, it’s a brutal one, regardless. Obviously, the buck learned to overcome the disability, though. Photo credit: Ken Tucky
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7. Calico Buck - This Pennsylvania deer is clearly a piebald, but an interesting one. It appears to have red, white, and black coloration on its fur. That’s especially true given the darker nature around its face and back. Photo credit: Josh Kitner of Pennsylvania
8. Antlered Doe? - The true odds of an antlered doe is about 1 in 10,000. Usually, what appears to be an antlered doe might be a cryptorchid buck. But according to Lee Rasmussen, an antlered doe is exactly what we have here. Very rare! Photo credit: Lee Rasmussen
9. Bowing Down - Whitetails are playful, but this buck appears to be especially so. This photo makes it seems as if the deer is bowing down to its co-hort. It’s an interesting trail camera photo, for sure. Photo credit: Rex Featherlin of Illinois
10. Warts a Plenty - Although somewhat uncommon, deer can get warts. That’s exactly what we see here in this trail camera photo from South Carolina. The deer clearly has fibromas. While not altogether common, this disease does appear from time to time. Photo credit: Sarah Michelle Pressley of South Carolina
11. Even More Warts - This buck has even more warts than the previous whitetail. It has large clusters of these unseemly objects. While there’s nothing to be done, some deer live through this illness. Others don’t. Photo credit: Luke Wilkinson
12. Nothing but Net - This Kentucky buck is all about the swish. He wants that nothing-but-net feeling. Somehow, the deer entangled its rack in a basketball net. It likely remained on there until shed time. Photo credit: Scotty Potter of Kentucky
13. Netted Up - It’s another deer with netting or wiring stuck on its head. The buck clearly got wrapped up in some mesh that wouldn’t let go of its headgear. Again, this is one of those bucks that possibly held on to the décor until shed time. Photo credit: Jake Gerhards of Kentucky
14. Gettin’ Saggy - This saggy buck has something weird going on. It has multiple lumps in its head, chin and neck. I’m unsure of the cause, but it can’t be comfortable for the big North Carolina deer. Photo credit: Jason Spradlin of North Carolina
15. Deer ‘n’ Gator - Courtesy of Allen Chiasson, this image captures a photo of a whitetail and alligator in the same frame. Clearly, the deer isn’t afraid of the big predator, or it doesn’t know it’s there. Likely it does, though, and it just watches as the gator moves on by. Photo credit: Allen Chiasson of Louisiana
16. Eye Guards - Most deer hunters refer to the brow tines as the eye guards, but this deer truly has an antler that comes out of its head, reaches skyward and protrudes like a dagger. It truly has eye guards! Photo credit: Ben Collingham of Nebraska
17. Lopsided Crown - This broken-antlered deer is a bit lopsided. It appears to have broken its skull plate. Oftentimes, deer die from injuries such as this one. But this one appears to be trucking right along. Photo credit: Chas Bostic of South Carolina
18. Flat Rack - This deer showcases a very flat antler design. The North Carolina whitetail almost has the antlers coming out of the side of its head, only to turn upward in a unique fashion. Photo credit: John Martin of North Carolina
19. Wacky Rack - Likewise, this deer has a very flat-shaped rack, too. The antlers then curve upward, yet have points extending downward, too. It’s certainly a unique 4-pointer. Photo credit: Christopher Rechtin
20. Goofy - Finally, we have another buck that grows its antlers in weird directions. One antler grew correctly. The other turned downward. It’s yet another example of how unique whitetail antlers are. Photo credit: David Box of Mississippi