# Albino Deer



## hunting777 (May 3, 2009)

So this last weekend, a good friend went out hiking. He said they jumped a herd of deer. In this herd was an albino deer. We talked about how rare this is. He is going to send me a picture. When I get that I will post it. He did say that it was a full grown deer. So I would like to propose a question. If this deer was a 2 pt. buck or a buck at all, would you fill your tag with it in season or would you let it go? I don't know much about genetics, but is this a gene that could be passed? Is this a gene we want out there? 

What would you do and what is your opinion?


----------



## lunkerhunter2 (Nov 3, 2007)

Kill it! Then everyone on the interweb can threaten your life for killing it and saying it didn't stand a chance against a hunter.


----------



## Nambaster (Nov 15, 2007)

Was this in the Cache unit? I have seen a doe that was almost pure white but she was more piebald than she was albino. 

As far as shooting the 2 point just like any 2 point it would have to be a last day kind of thing. I am pretty sure that they all eat the same. Like lunkerhunter2 says I would avoid putting him on the interweb to avoid the death threats.


----------



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I have seen a number of deer this time of year that you would swear were white or a light yellow but turned out to be just regular old deer. I doubt that it is a albino since albinos will have red eyes and have a lot of problems surviving in the wild. 

Would I shoot it if it was just a 2pt? Yes, if I was just looking for some meat, but if it is a doe I doubt it since I have never had a doe tag and have only killed one in my life when I first started hunting back in the 60's.


----------



## Charina (Aug 16, 2011)

hunting777 said:


> I don't know much about genetics, but is this a gene that could be passed? Is this a gene we want out there?


Mostly likely this is not some new spontaneous mutation. The genetics to create albinos are already "out there", hence albino deer pop up from time to time. The buck and doe that create an albino both carry a recessive gene, and 1 in 4 of their offspring will be albino (2 will be normal phenotype recessive gene carriers, and the fourth would not have the gene for albinism). It happens in humans as well.

Who are we to say what "we want out there" when mother nature has been at this business of creation and selection far longer than humans have had much of a clue about genetics? If its fit, it will survive. If it's not, it won't, and won't pass on genes, or if it does breed the genetic contribution will be snuffed out over a few generations.


----------



## lunkerhunter2 (Nov 3, 2007)

There was a video about 12 years ago I watched from Curtis Creek road on the north end of an albinio calf elk during the archery hunt. The guy who took the video told us there were others over the years in the same area. Pretty cool to watch.


----------



## KineKilla (Jan 28, 2011)

I'd shoot it and let the haters keep on hatin'.

A person could hunt their entire life and never get the chance at a white deer, let alone more than one chance. Hunting for me is all about making memories even moreso than filling the freezer (many of my best hunts did not end with an animal in the hanging tree). I'd definitely remember a hunt where I not only saw but harvested a white deer.


----------



## Jedidiah (Oct 10, 2014)

There's no reason not to shoot that animal, those genes are useless for a couple of reasons, first being that a white animal is easier to kill. The chances that it would survive more than a couple years and avoid predators are pretty small.

The second reason is simply that lacking pigment leaves an animal considerably more vulnerable to the sun, resulting in higher rates of cancer in addition to just general exposure.


----------



## Lonetree (Dec 4, 2010)

Much of what people see is not albinism, but rather leucism. While albinism is usually solely genetic in nature, and marked by red eyes and complete lack of pigment, leucism has a strong epigenetic basis, and leucistic animals will have normal eye color, and are many times piebald. 

Plan on seeing more of them. Leucism has been tied to disrupted endocrine systems, and leucistic deer sightings rose 20 years ago, just like reports of cactus bucks, in the lead up to the early '90s crash. 

When you look at cactus bucks, or any other ungulate with a metabolic disorder, wasting disease, or disrupted endocrine system, you see very high rates of leucism and or very light pigmentation caused by leucism. An example would be the cactus bucks that come off the Paunsaugunt, they tend to be very lightly colored compared to normal animals. 

Leucistic elk at feed lots will be seen curled up, and very intolerant to cold, noticeable form other animals. Many underlying associated conditions are marked by cold intolerance. 

Because of the way in which the defect in pigmentation cells occurs in leucism, enviromental factors can trigger its expression, via epigenitcs, much like with other malformations and diseases. This is usually congenital. There are clearly defined associations with hypo/hyper-pigmentation(hypo being leucism) and metabolic conditions such as diabetes and hypothyroidism.

Edit: Leucistic bighorn sheep were not known to occur in the Whiskey mountain bighorn sheep population until they began to decline 20 years ago, since then there have been several.


----------



## toppin (Apr 2, 2008)

Shoot!


----------



## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

If I knew no one would shoot it then I'd pass. It'd be neat to have around. But if I knew someone would shoot it if I passes it up, Id take it and have it mounted.


----------



## Lonetree (Dec 4, 2010)

And yes I would shoot one.


----------



## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

Everyone has a different standard for what a "trophy" would be for them. I've been cruising around the hills looking for deer for 25+ years both as a tag-along kid and a hunter myself, I've never seen an albino (or piebald) deer. Ever. That, in and of itself, would make it a trophy for me. But it might be good enough to just take a picture, video, or mental note and let it walk. 

Would I shoot it or not? I don't know. I've passed animals that I thought for sure I'd shoot. I've shot animals I didn't think I would. I kind of go off what I feel in the moment for that stuff. I try not to make my hunting too complicated. I do it mostly for fun and enjoyment. If I set too many rules for myself outside of what is already legal/illegal, it takes the fun out of it. Gut feeling...I'd shoot it.


----------



## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

I'd personally pass on it but if the grandson wanted to shoot it I wouldn't talk him out of it.


----------



## 3arabians (Dec 9, 2014)

I wouldnt shoot one. Not because i think its not fair or anything. From the pictures ive seen of them they strike me as weird. I dont want to shoot a freak show.


----------



## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

TS30 said:


> Everyone has a different standard for what a "trophy" would be for them. I've been cruising around the hills looking for deer for 25+ years both as a tag-along kid and a hunter myself, I've never seen an albino (or piebald) deer. Ever. That, in and of itself, would make it a trophy for me. But it might be good enough to just take a picture, video, or mental note and let it walk.


I've never seen one in all my years and thousands of deer seen in the field. I've seen close to a hundred cactus bucks over the years. If I did shoot one, I might get the hide tanned.


----------



## HunterDavid (Sep 10, 2007)

My son found one, a BIG BUCK, that was all white. He and a friend were muzzy hunting with me and the friend's dad. We went and pushed him out of some trees and he happen to run out on the friend's side and was shot at twice, but he missed both times. A few weeks later on the rifle hunt, we found an albino leg on the hill, but no body or antlers. Because of their numbers, we assume it was him, but we really hope it wasn't. It really was a BIG antlered buck.


----------



## hunting777 (May 3, 2009)

Nambaster said:


> Was this in the Cache unit? I have seen a doe that was almost pure white but she was more piebald than she was albino.


Yep, it was on the Cache. I think he was somewhere up by your cabin. He didn't tell me exactly where, but in that general area. He also didn't know if it was a buck or doe due to time of year. Hopefully get a picture today.


----------



## Old Fudd (Nov 24, 2007)

Old School. I would let it walk.Some old stories bout bad luck following you around if you kill one..with the way my luck has been. who needs anymore bad stuff?


----------



## derekp1999 (Nov 17, 2011)

There was a little white 2pt buck running around near my family cabin a couple years back. Only ever saw him for that one year & I never personally laid eyes on him.


----------



## Smokepole (Oct 21, 2008)

I've seen a couple piebald deer while out and about. I was able to get a pic of one using my phone camera. Not a good pic but, you can easily see the piebald and I have to point out the other deer in the photo. Based on visibility it's easy to "see" why these type deer generally don't live very long. I'd probably shoot one if it was a buck.

Smokepole


----------



## Packfish (Oct 30, 2007)

Used to vacation in Georgia 50 years ago- there was a red clay tennis court in this pavilion out in the woods- a whole herd of Albino deer would stand and watch


----------

