Illinois Hunter Harvests Rare Cryptorchid Buck

A southern Illinois hunter was out early this week and took down a whitetail buck. Or so he thought, until upon further inspection he found that he’d bagged a Cryptorchid buck.

From the National Deer Association – “Cryptorchidism occurs when a buck’s testicles remain in the abdominal cavity rather than descending into the scrotum. In some cases, a buck’s testicles may eventually drop but are often small and malformed. In other more extreme cases, both testicles remain in the abdominal cavity and never descend into the scrotum.”  -Cole Gander

The odds of you coming across one of these is tiny. But, rare occurrences aren’t unheard of though. Last September (2023) A Missouri hunter took down an 18 point antlered doe in Barry County, near Shell Knob, Mo. Which is technically different from a Cryptorchid buck. These are both different from a hermaphrodite deer, which would have both male and female reproductive organs.

All are unusual, and referred to in “once in a lifetime” terms for hunters. This Cryptorchid was brought down in rural Madison County, Illinois near Livingston.