Tales of the Not Deer: The Creepy Cryptid of the Appalachians

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There are a lot of cryptids out there, some of them with better names than others. Some names give us a pretty good sense of what the cryptid is, where it’s from, and what it looks like. For instance, the fact that the Lizard Man of Scape Ore Swamp is a half-man, half-lizard cryptid from a part of South Carolina called Scape Ore comes as no surprise. If we examine the name “Bigfoot”, things get a little less clear. Yes, Bigfoot does have a big foot (in fact, he has two of them); however, it tells us little else about what kind of creature he is. Then, you have some names of cryptids that tell you pretty much nothing about the beast in question, such as “Not Deer”. 

The Not Deer has become a hot topic of speculation recently, particularly on the social media video-sharing platform TikTok, largely due to this cryptid’s intriguing name. The name “Not Deer” implies only one thing: that it’s not a deer. It could be literally anything else. A teapot? A ham sandwich? Who knows? In reality, we are able to ascertain a few details about the Not Deer (apart from the fact that it’s not a deer) from the many eyewitness accounts of this monster that have been floating around the internet. 

A large portion of reported Not Deer sightings have taken place in the foothills of the Appalachian regions of Pennsylvania, Virginia, and North Carolina. However, many others have reported encountering the Not Deer in other parts of the Appalachian Mountains (a mountain range that spans the greater part of the East Coast of the United States). So, if you’re anywhere on the East Coast, you might want to avoid walking through wooded areas alone at night. The Not Deer may be waiting for you. 

Let’s take a look at this urban legend, some reported sightings of the Not Deer, and how people have described this ghastly beast. 

What Is a Not Deer?

Now that we’ve already established was a Not Deer is not (it’s not a deer), let’s talk about what it is. In contrast to many other cryptid stories out there that describe a single monster, the Not Deer seems to be more of a phenomenon than a single entity. Essentially, the phenomenon is characterized by an encounter with something that appears to be a deer at first but, upon further inspection, is actually something much more strange and creepy. 

People who claim to have seen the Not Deer say that the beast may appear to be a deer at first until they realize that it has front-facing eyes like a predator or legs that bend and move in unnatural ways or a head that’s severely misshapen or an exceptionally long neck or any number of other deformities. In all accounts, the Not Deer isn’t something you’d describe as “cute”. Its presence seems threatening and implies a sense of danger. 

In addition to their strange appearances, Not Deer are also said to behave strangely. While deer tend to instinctually avoid humans and run away whenever humans approach them, the Not Deer has no such instincts. If you should be unlucky enough to walk toward a Not Deer, it will stand its ground (and possibly even move toward you). They’re also said to move in erratic jerking motions and make clicking noises. 

The Origin of the Not Deer

While most people today have probably heard about the Not Deer on TikTok, there have also been lengthy discussions about this cryptid on sites like Reddit, Quora, and Tumblr. However, this legend may date back far further than any of these social media platforms. In fact, some believe that these stories started with the Native American tribes that once inhabited these Appalachian regions. 

Some have suggested that “Not Deer” is just a modern name for what the Navajo would call a Skinwalker. In Navajo folklore, Skinwalkers are practitioners of witchcraft who are able to shapeshift, transforming themselves into the form of a deer to carry out their nefarious deeds. 

Others have said that the Not Deer may be a reiteration of another urban legend: the Wendigo. The Wendigo, however, is a legend most commonly associated with the region around the Great Lakes. This creature is half-deer and half-man and has an insatiable hunger for human flesh. Since most people describe the Not Deer as being more ominous and strange than outright bloodthirsty, I would say that the Not Deer is different from the Wendigo. 

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So, it’s still pretty unclear where the legend of the Not Deer originated. However, we do know that it’s become an internet sensation today. The hashtag #notdeer has over 106 million views at the time of writing this. People are now going out into the woods with the specific purpose of searching for the Not Deer. Things are getting crazy. 

So, whether this is an old myth resurfacing from Navajo folklore or a new phenomenon created in the Internet Age, it’s clear that more and more people are growing weary of the Not Deer. 

An Explanation for the Not Deer?

While many have accepted the idea that the Not Deer is a malevolent supernatural entity, others have looked at the phenomenon from a slightly more logical perspective and have proposed a possible explanation for these strange sightings. Some have suggested that these creatures are actually just normal deer afflicted by Chronic Waste Disease (CWD). 

CWD is somewhat similar to “mad cow” disease in that it affects the central nervous system of the deer and will cause it to behave strangely, become emaciated, and eventually die. Some symptoms of CWD include drooling, stumbling, aggression, and a lack of fear of humans. 

To further this theory, many who claim to have seen Not Deer say that the creature will travel with a herd of normal deer and that the other deer will not notice the presence of the Not Deer. In the wild, it seems that normal deer will not take notice if a member of their herd with CWD is behaving strangely. 

Chronic Wasting Disease is believed to be caused by a misfolded protein known as a “prion”. And, while we do understand the biological cause of CWD, it’s hard to say whether environmental factors play a significant role in causing the disease. 

It’s also hard to say whether or not every reported sighting of the Not Deer was just a deer with CWD. It’s entirely possible that many of these sightings can be attributed to CWD, but who knows? Maybe there are some deer-like demons roaming the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains lusting for human blood. Personally, I’d rather not find out. 

Next time I go hiking in the Appalachians, I’ll be 100% sure to get back to my car before sundown. Whether they’re evil monsters or just deer with an unfortunate neurodegenerative disease, I’d rather not encounter a Not Deer.