An Albino Deer~Would you shoot or not?

[GirlGuide]

I know we talked about this once last year, but we have had a lot of new members since then.  I would like to hear your opinions on this.  If you had the opportunity to shoot an albino deer, would you take the shot?

I most definately would take the shot.  I think this would be a once in a lifetime chance, and I would do it in a heartbeat.

What would you do? 

gg

[Don Stenseth]

Tough call GG. I believe that if I was hunting private land where I felt that the Deer may have a chance to live to a ripe old age I would pass on the shot. On the other hand if I was hunting public property where the next guy up the ridge was probably going to shoot him I would take the shot. Does that make any sense?

[Grute Man]

I'd take it.  No need to be racial.  I don't care if its white or brown.  It would still end up in my freezer.  If the rack was that impressive, that might even end up on the wall.    

[GirlGuide]

Tough call GG. I believe that if I was hunting private land where I felt that the Deer may have a chance to live to a ripe old age I would pass on the shot. On the other hand if I was hunting public property where the next guy up the ridge was probably going to shoot him I would take the shot. Does that make any sense?

It makes complete sense to me Don.     gg

[Spinach]

I know personally that the taking of Albino animals especially Whitetail is frowned upon by our Native Americans, they are very protective of white animals, so if you take an Albino, be careful who you tell. We have 8-9 Albino Whitetails on a friends land and even he will not allow harvesting them, he aslo says the Native Americans in that area would be looking for you if you did.

I personally would not shoot a white deer, they are so beautiful and rare. I wouldn't personnally care if anyone else did though.

[Grute Man]

I've also heard that their a weak strain in hte family tree so its actually good for the heard to weed out the albinos (and piebalds - sp?).

[Spinach]

I've also heard that their a weak strain in hte family tree so its actually good for the heard to weed out the albinos (and piebalds - sp?).

True.

[Fiasco]

I would  that thing in a heartbeat if it met my other requirements (size/age for a buck, breathing for a doe). Albinos typically have a very short lifespan anyway.

[HD]

I've got a small 6 on my land, I have watched him since he was a fawn.
Been waiting for him to get bigger, I wanna see what he looks like next year.

Honestly, I don't know if I could shoot him now, cause he's around so much.

The kids would prolly be upset if I did.......So, I don't think so.

I've had this deer with in 20 yards of me on several occations.
(if I remember, I'll post some pics later)



Hunter

[Super Star!]

is it legal to shoot a white deer in MN??

[GirlGuide]

Yes it is legal in MN, but not in Wisconsin.

Here is one of the reason I posted this subject on here.  The following is a post I put up here last July.

I think this would be a once in a lifetime opportunity.  If I saw a 30 point buck, would I take the shot?  Yes, and if I saw an albino deer I would also take the shot?  Yes, I do believe I would.  My husband had this opportunity 2 years ago, and he did shoot an albino deer.  I've never seen someone so excited in his life, what an experience it was for him, for all of us, our whole hunting party.  I have pictures, I will try to post them somday.  We did have a very big let down afterwards though, very big.  We did not know this at the time, but an Albino deer has a very very fine hyde compared to normal deer.  Well we let the deer hang too long, before we brought it in to the taxidermist.  He said that with albino's you need to bring them in a.s.a.p. because the hyde literally falls apart, it is that fine.  We went and got second and third opinions and everybody said the same thing.  My husband and I both felt terrible about this, and still do.  We have some really great pictures, but if we knew the deer was not going to be mounted, he never would have shot it.  I am only telling this story to you all, in case you ever do get the opportunity to shoot anything albino, please please please bring it in right away.  It was a hard lesson to learn, and we will never feel quite right about it all.  I will say that we have learned from this experience, but it was a very hard way to learn.  So I guess I'm trying to say that we found out the hard way, which really sucks.  If we knew then..what we know now....Hope this helps somebody out, I feel terrible even talking about..it's a hard thing to admit to.  Live and Learn...gg 

[GirlGuide]

I just wanted to share our experience wiith the Albino deer with the rest of you.   Maybe just maybe someone will be able to use this information someday.  If they get an albino deer, and they want to have it mounted,  they will know to be diligent in getting it done asap.  I know we could of used some information on this ahead of time.  But who would of ever thought we'd ever get that opportunity anyway...I guess you just never know...that 30 pointer COULD be just around the corner. 
It's nice to hear all of your opinions on this.  As long as it is within the law, you have your own right to your own decisions, and I respect and appreciate all of your opinions.

We sure did take the whole situation to heart, I hope that you are able to see that.  We do have some nice pictures and we will always have the memories...it's something we won't be forgetting in the near future.  gg

[GirlGuide]

I copied and pasted this article from another site, I hope that is okay.  The picture's didn't come up with it, but there is some good information in the article.


Two albino deer shot on hunting opener

by Brett Larson
Editor

 
Although rare, albino deer can sometimes by seen in the Mille Lacs area. Photo by Kathleen Saumer
 
 
CO Dan Perron took this photo near Wahkon.
 
Mary Rakotz of Avon wasn't shy about shooting an albino deer in Mille Lacs County - at least at first.

Rakotz happily told her story to WCCO-TV, saying it was "thrilling" to see a white deer but "100 times more exciting" to take it home.

According to WCCO, she was going to contact Cabela's to see if they would buy it. Cabela's did not respond to the Messenger's request for information.

Neither did Mary Rakotz, who might've decided to lay low after becoming the target of Internet bloggers' scorn.

One website posted her address and phone number and encouraged people to call her.

Bill Lundeen said another albino deer was registered at Lundeen's Tackle Castle.

Lundeen said he heard other reports of albino deer being shot but wasn't sure if they were true.

Steve Piepgras, acting area manager at the Mille Lacs Wildlife Management Area, said protecting albino deer is a "social issue," not a biological one.

"Some people are protective of them, and that's OK," Piepgras said. "It's a matter of personal choice whether you harvest them or not."

Albino deer are not protected by law in Minnesota, but albino bears are, he said. It is legal to sell hides and antlers, or to have a mount made and sell it.

"Biologically speaking, removing them from the population is the right thing to do," he said. "It's a genetic trait that reduces their ability to survive and reproduce. By perpetuating it, you reduce the health of the herd."

Albino deer tend to be smaller and less able to withstand a harsh winter. They have eyesight problems, and they stand out, which increases the rate of predation.

Albino facts

Steve Piepgras said albinism is a rare trait linked to a recessive gene. Albinos do not produce an enzyme that is used to color skin and hair.

The pink eyes are actually colorless. What people see are the blood vessels behind the eyes. The same is true of the pink ears and nose.

There are also "piebald" deer in the area, Piepgras said. These deer may have the gene for pigment, but it isn't working correctly. He has seen an albino squirrel in Onamia and partially albino turkeys in the Mille Lacs WMA. He said the turkey had white around its feathers, which gave it a ghost effect.

For a deer to be born as an albino, both parents must carry the recessive gene, but even in that case, the chance is only 25 percent that the offspring will be an albino. If both parents are albinos, however, the offspring will always be an albino.

The chance of a deer being an albino is between 1 in 30,000 and 1 in 100,000, depending on the source, Piepgras said.

Piepgras believes the high number of albino deer in the area - especially around Father Hennepin State Park - is due to albino deer breeding with other albinos.

http://www.millelacsmessenger.com/main.asp?SectionID=9&SubSectionID=34&ArticleID=17416
[/QUOTE]

[Ryan]

There is no way I would.  For some reason I would not be able to eat the meat off of one even though it is probably the same as a normal deer.  I guess that makes me kind of a deer racist.  There are none around the area I hunt so luckily I should not ever have to think about it.

[todd]

when I was 19 a buddy and I were hunting around pine center and we watched one feeding in a meadow for orver an hour but neither one of us could shoot it.
we've seen 10-12 of them over the years and it's an unwriten rule that you don't shoot them.

[Auggie]

Yes it is legal in MN, but not in Wisconsin.

Here is one of the reason I posted this subject on here.  The following is a post I put up here last July.

I think this would be a once in a lifetime opportunity.  If I saw a 30 point buck, would I take the shot?  Yes, and if I saw an albino deer I would also take the shot?  Yes, I do believe I would.  My husband had this opportunity 2 years ago, and he did shoot an albino deer.  I've never seen someone so excited in his life, what an experience it was for him, for all of us, our whole hunting party.  I have pictures, I will try to post them someday.  We did have a very big let down afterwards though, very big.  We did not know this at the time, but an Albino deer has a very very fine hide compared to normal deer.  Well we let the deer hang too long, before we brought it in to the taxidermist.  He said that with albino's you need to bring them in a.s.a.p. because the hide literally falls apart, it is that fine.  We went and got second and third opinions and everybody said the same thing.  My husband and I both felt terrible about this, and still do.  We have some really great pictures, but if we knew the deer was not going to be mounted, he never would have shot it.  I am only telling this story to you all, in case you ever do get the opportunity to shoot anything albino, please please please bring it in right away.  It was a hard lesson to learn, and we will never feel quite right about it all.  I will say that we have learned from this experience, but it was a very hard way to learn.  So I guess I'm trying to say that we found out the hard way, which really sucks.  If we knew then..what we know now....Hope this helps somebody out, I feel terrible even talking about..it's a hard thing to admit to.  Live and Learn...gg 
[/quote
Any specimen, Albino or not should be taken to your taxidermist promptly if you are going to have it mounted. The sooner the better!!!! I can not stress this enough.
And yes I would shoot an albino. Most of the albino deer reported are not true albino deer. They are deer missing a pigment gene and most likely do not have the pink eyes, nose, hooves ect. Survival chance in the wild are slim for most to begin with.

[BuckorBust]

I would have to go along with Pat Turnquist, I would not shoot an albino anything. Pat was right when he talked about the Native Americans frowning on this. A friend of mine shot a albino squirrel, we stopped at a store and an older  Native American lady saw the squirrel and was very upset, she told us about the white animals of the woods being sacred and that killing such an animal was very bad luck. All I can say is boy I am sure glad I did not shoot it, and as far as the bad luck goes, all I can say is my friend will never, ever, shoot anything albino again.

[Mayfly]

I know personally that the taking of Albino animals especially Whitetail is frowned upon by our Native Americans, they are very protective of white animals, so if you take an Albino, be careful who you tell. We have 8-9 Albino Whitetails on a friends land and even he will not allow harvesting them, he aslo says the Native Americans in that area would be looking for you if you did.

I personally would not shoot a white deer, they are so beautiful and rare. I wouldn't personnally care if anyone else did though.

So are they protective of walleyes as well??   

What if they caught an albino walleye in their gillnet?

[GirlGuide]

So are they protective of walleyes as well??   

What if they caught an albino walleye in their gillnet?

 
Yes let's let them continue to clean up all the lakes of any walleye, and make sure that we get some week herds of albino deer running around...that is what is truely important, right? 
 

gg

[BuckorBust]

So are they protective of walleyes as well??   

What if they caught an albino walleye in their gillnet?

 
Yes let's let them continue to clean up all the lakes of any walleye, and make sure that we get some week herds of albino deer running around...that is what is truely important, right? 
 

gg

I do not know what walleye's have to do with albino deer, but as far as netting goes I am against it, but I thought the question was if I would shoot an albino deer. Genetically albino deer have been around since the beginning and seem not to have affected our deer herd at all. I remember people use to say, "shoot spike bucks because they pass along bad genes" well now they find out that a spike buck can still have trophy potential. The question was would you shoot an albino, no I would not, for those of you that would, good luck to you. Am I superstitious, you bet.

[Mayfly]

Sorry with the topic on many fishermans mind this year I could not help it. Back to deer!

[BuckorBust]

Thats ok Tim, it seems that most of us on here are avid outdoorsman and you have a deep passion for all the outdoor activities. We all just need to stick together in all we do, because there is a large group of people out there that would rather see us stay home and play nintendo, than to go out in the woods and water and harvest the fish and deer. I love it when people have passion, there are a lot of things wrong with our laws, and it takes the people who have passion for there sport, to change the injustices.  Sorry now I am getting off track of this post. 

[EagleEyeJack]

I am not sure if I would shoot an albino of any kind, not because I care that some people feel that they are sacred animals or that they might get PO’ed about it, but because I would enjoy just watching them. I tend to watch the animals more than I used to. I still kill them but I am not in such a rush now days.

Since I do not critique the deer I shoot to see if they are genetically inferior, I would not do so with an albino either, even though I know them to be inferior. To me removing an animal because it is an albino is just stupid, nature has been taking care of that issue just fine.

If I did shoot one the last thing I would spend my money on is taking it to a taxidermist, I would rather spend that money on a new gun, bow or some other toys I enjoy. LOL

[deadeye]

I probably wouldn't shoot a doe or fawn, however I would shoot and mount a nice buck.  The life expectancy of an albino deer is quite short.   People could admire natures work through the mount for decades.   

[jkcmj]

We saw a piebald doe a couple of times around our Dad's farm by Winona 2 years ago, but nothing last year at all.  Must have been shot or something.  About half of the deer around there have white speckling in the lower half of their legs as well.  Not sure why.  I never see it in the other areas I hunt. 

[iowabowhunter]

In Wisconsin, albino deer are pretty common.  I've personally seen three in the Northwoods just running across the street all w/in about three years and I don't live there anymore.  I'd shoot it. :)