Albino Deer

[so lucky]

This week a local hunter shot a big albino buck here, and the public outcry has been amazing. The poor guy is even getting death threats in the mail. Even though the deer was kind of old and had several wounds and health problems, and the conservation agent said he wouldn't have lasted long, lots of people felt that since it was an albino, it should not have been harvested. There is sort of a mystic quality about seeing a ghost white animal in the wild. I can see their point, but still....
I guess it doesn't take much to get the public riled up.

 

[Smart Red]

This week a local hunter shot a big albino buck here, and the public outcry has been amazing. The poor guy is even getting death threats in the mail. Even though the deer was kind of old and had several wounds and health problems, and the conservation agent said he wouldn't have lasted long, lots of people felt that since it was an albino, it should not have been harvested. There is sort of a mystic quality about seeing a ghost white animal in the wild. I can see their point, but still....
I guess it doesn't take much to get the public riled up.

You are so right, @so lucky! Shoot an aging deer during hunting season and there is a huge outcry. Have half a dozen children get shot on a weekend in Chicago and we hear, "Tisk, tisk! That's terrible! Pass the pepper."

 

[baymule]

People are hysterical idiots. Death threats over a deer, that is really sick. These are the same people who would riot in the streets if the supply trucks to the grocery stores were cut off.

 

[Jared77]

People feel empowered because of the anonymous part of the internet. They can spew hate, violence, and all sorts of vile things and they don't really have to own it. A free email account and they can post stuff most places even here.

So I wish I could say I'm surprised by this...

 

[journey11]

Yeah, I read that article and showed it to my DH. My BIL has been seeing a piebald doe about 15 minutes down the road from us and got a pic with his cell. I'll see if I can get him to text me a copy. It has really pretty markings.

If a hunter with a license gets an opportunity take it, they are within their rights. Certainly no need for death threats. You see that a lot anymore, where someone objects to killing a bug, bird, animal, etc. but has such malice toward their fellow man. Ridiculous. That kind of thing should be fully prosecuted.

I guess they said that deer had been seen and left alone for 7 years. It is neat, but really it should have been taken sooner because of the problems with its genetics. Albinos usually have all sorts of health problems and it would be passing those on to its offspring. Not to mention, the deer would not have lasted long as a fawn had the natural balance of predators been present in the area. Perhaps the best solution would have been to tranquilize it and put it in a zoo or preservation area and not allow it to breed, but people could admire it all they wanted to then.

The article I read said the hunter is having the whole deer mounted and is donating it to a nature center. There is one like that I've seen at the Seneca Rocks natural history museum here in WV.

 

[Nyboy]

A man who got rich off selling meat lived across from my sister. He had a whole heard of albino deer that you could see from the rode. When he died the herd disappeared, not sure what his family did with them. But there is a high number of piebald in the area.

 

[flowerweaver]

Albinism as a hereditary trait is very rare because it is the outcome of recessive genes, and isn't easily passed down to the next generation. The chances of albinism is something like 1:100,000.

@Nyboy perhaps the herd of deer are actually a kind of white deer? Here we have an all-white Eurasian imported Fallow deer. Technically, they are leucistic (reduced pigmentation) but look albino.

 

[Nyboy]

You might be right his name was Karl Ehmer he owned a chain of stores. I wasn't able to find any info on his deer.

 

[catjac1975]

I agree that the albino should have been spare. However. Death threats? People are so stupid.

 

[canesisters]

I hear albino deer taste better - pass the gravy.