'One-in-a-million' buck spotted by former hunter: 'I've never heard of one'
A Michigan man stunned the internet after sharing images of a "one-in-a-million" deer he found during a photography session.
Steve Lindberg, a former state representative living in the state's Upper Peninsula, spotted the creature on Saturday, the Detroit Free Press reported.
The whitetail buck, which Lindberg said was traversing the snowy woods "with his girlfriend" had one striking, highly uncommon feature: A third antler.
"I don't recall ever seeing a three antlered deer before," Lindberg shared in a Facebook post on Sunday, along with a photo of his rare find.
It's not surprising the 75-year-old has never seen one. Dr. Steve Edwards, of Michigan's Lakeview Animal Clinic, told the Detroit Free Press that in his 30 years as a veterinarian, he's never even heard of such an animal.
"I've never seen one. I've never heard of one," Edwards said. "I'd say it's probably a one-in-a-million thing."
Edwards said that based on the photos, the deer appeared to be a "normal, healthy, good-looking buck." The vet added that the third antler may have been formed when the animal was just an embryo, after the buds that later turn into antlers were somehow harmed.
Regardless of the third antler's origins, the phenomenon drew plenty of attention online. Lindberg, an amateur photographer, used to be an avid hunter before switching hobbies in 2013.
The former state legislator decided he'd begin shooting photos of animals instead and set out to post one new image every day. But the three-antlered buck has drawn far more responses than any of his previous posts.
"That’s insane," one commenter wrote.
"A tricorn!" another remarked.
"The thing about this is that now there’s a hunter somewhere up here whose goal above all others is to seek out this animal for nothing more than his antlers," another wrote.
Some commenters even expressed doubt about the validity of photos, accusing Lindberg of photoshopping. The 75-year-old stood his ground though, telling the Detroit Free Press he spent hours watching it over the weekend.
"One more shot of three antlers ... just to dispel any photoshop rumors," Lindberg wrote in a second post sharing the remarkable buck.
It's not the first time this week that a striking animal photo has taken the internet by storm. A "unicorn" puppy with a tail growing from its head has also recently gone viral, after an animal shelter posted adorable photos of the unusual dog.
