Diagnosis

 

Looks gross, eh?

These images showed-up on a trail camera recently showing what appears to be a pendulous tumor on an otherwise healthy-looking whitetail.  Curious, I forwarded them to a biologist I know who heads-up the UW School of Wildlife Biology in Madison.

She shared them with the DNR’s Chief Veterinarian.

Here’s the response back from the doctor:

Hi all-

While I can’t make a diagnosis from a picture, the image would be most consistent with a fibroma.  They can vary greatly in size and shape.  Usually they’ll eventually regress.  Sometimes that can be irritated by injury or insect bites but again that is self-limiting most of the time.   These fibromas are just a lesion of the skin and caused by a deer specific papillomavirus.  More info can be found here: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/wildlifehabitat/disease/Deerfibroma

Best
Lindsey

These are  deer fibroma, or warts, and generally disappear as the animal mounts an immune response and do not present a health risk to humans.  The meat is safe for consumption too. Michigan DNR also hosts a detailed webpage on the subject here: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/managing-resources/Wildlife/Wildlife-disease/WDM/deer-fibroma

 You learn something every day.....