The 'Not Deer' Cryptid Is Exactly What It Sounds Like

Local folklore in the eastern United States includes whispers of a cryptid simply referred to as "not deer." Nicole Antonio / DALL-E

The not deer is a creature that looks like a normal deer but just ... isn’t.

Reports of this strange deer come from the Appalachian region, where hikers and drivers claim to have seen something that resembles a white-tailed deer but moves in an unsettling way.

What Is a Not Deer?

With forward-facing eyes, unnatural sounds and behavior that doesn’t match typical deer stories, this cryptid has captured the imagination of many.

Unlike normal deer, not deer walk oddly on their hind legs, have pointed ears that twitch too precisely, or even stare directly at people eerily.

Some link these sightings to real diseases. Others believe the creature could be something else — maybe something from Native American folklore.

Not Deer vs. Normal Deer

At first glance, a not deer might seem like any other white-tailed deer grazing in the woods. But look closer, and you might notice its proportions are slightly off.

Maybe its legs are too long, its neck is too thick or its movements are unnervingly stiff. Some reports even describe not deer standing fully upright on their hind legs like a person.

Unlike normal deer, which tend to avoid humans, not deer supposedly lock eyes with people in an almost predatory way. Their forward-facing eyes give them an unnatural, human-like gaze, making encounters especially chilling.

Could It Be a Disease?

Skeptics believe not deer sightings are real illnesses affecting deer populations. Chronic wasting disease, sometimes called zombie deer disease, is a neurological disorder that causes infected deer to behave erratically, stumble and lose their fear of humans.

Similarly, epizootic hemorrhagic disease can make deer appear disoriented or act strangely before they die.

While these diseases could explain some odd deer behavior, they don’t fully account for the eerie intelligence and unnatural sounds reported by witnesses — though there's been no scientific evidence of these not deer actually existing.

A Legend in the Appalachian Region

The area surrounding Boone, North Carolina, has been home to alleged not deer encounters. Stories of strange deer appear in some folklore, often describing spirits or shape-shifters that take on the form of animals but don’t behave as they should.

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.