Saw HIM again today

Better check your state hunting laws. Here in Iowa it is illegal to shoot any albino game animals. Would hate to see you get in trouble.
 
I guess the question really comes down to which would bring you more pleasure. Meeting up with him now and then or seeing him on your wall. Nobody else can answer that besides you.
 
j williams said:
All of the people that would flock to see him, would also flock to shoot him. That sounds like a Trophy buck to me. Plus the fact that an albino is a fluke, and not something that will reproduce likely depending on his presence.

However, if there was a way to protect him, it would be cool. If you do take him, make it clean, and as respectfull as possible, if that makes sense.
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Gotta agree with this...it's what hunting is all about...sure, it's an anomaly of sorts, but he very likely will not produce albino offspring. I would take it...
 
I was stationed in Upstate New Yark while in the army years ago and we had a ton of solid white deer on our base. they were not albino but mutant white deer. I used to see them sprawled in the bed of hunters pickups and across the hoods of their cars. With all the toxic chemicals from the agricultural exerimental station nearby and the nuclear waste leaking from the now closed army base, I don't think I'd eat the thing. It might be a cool mount though.
 
I would take him. An albino is a trophy of another level. Sure, anyone can take a 200" buck, but how many have taken an albino? (I am not actually sure if there aren't many albinos shot, it just sounded good)
 
Depends on you and also the area. Will you hunt him or sit on a stand and "harvest" him? Obviously, if the area is not covered in snow he is at a grave disadvantage. Will you handi-cap yourself, to add to the challenge and sport, in order to give a fair chase?

I doubt you would gather much satisfaction or have much of a story to tell if you just wack him from a tree stand with a 300 Win Mag.

I have a fond memory of a albino buck from my childhood. I was twelve years old and it was Christmas Eve. My older brother and myself tracked this buck for hours after we first spotted him. He'd run off and we'd track him for an hour or so until we found him again. It was lots of fun.

I am a hunter and there are many times I have looked upon my quarry through my sights and took a pass in order to not break the peace of the moment. Sometimes that fits me just as well as bagging the quarry. Depends on you. Just show the animal respect during the hunt if that is the path you take.
 
"I know NJ DEP could care less about 1 deer but this one is special. If you've ever had a special encounter with any type of wildlife you understand where I'm coming from".

Personally I would let him be, there are plenty of other deer to go after. You seemed awful excited to see him again, I think it would be more fulfilling to just continue to hope to see him again or wonder if he is still out there, than taking him. Besides, what a cool story to tell to future generations. Almost mythical.
 
I never said directly that he should be taken, but I did say that a healthy environment would eliminate the defective deer. I understand where those opposed to his demise are coming from, though.

I live on five acres that are mostly woods or field. The deer eat the gardens and chew off newly planted apple trees. A ground hog raises a family under the shed almost every year. The squirrels raid the bird feeder and moles tear up what little grass we have. Nothing gets shot or trapped--just because we like to watch all this stuff going on around us.

:thumbup: :thumbdn: :confused:
 
I find it interesting that people here call him defective etc. What is with that. In snowy terrain he would have quite the advantage:). A very interesting specimen and a waste to just "bag" from a truck.

You get excited when you see him. Perhaps others have the same experience. Do the nonselfish act and let others enjoy him.
 
I wouldn't, I have NO problem taking a deer, I took my first in Oct. '08. But if he's so special, maybe you should let him be.
 
The place Whitey lives near is an old retired guys horse farm, where he stables a half dozen horses. There's adjacent property owned by a person I'm friendly with since moving here a few years back. Together it's about 200 acres of forest and pasture lands. I've never seen Whitey anywhere but here, and that in passing casually and not really 'watching' for him. If the media blitzed the place with strangers my aquiantence would be more than peeved with trespassers, and the old timer would'nt be too delighted either I suspect. I think both guys know of Whitey and just enjoy seeing him too. If that car had'nt come up from behind honking her horn I could've gotten a picture on my cellphone, but we all know what they come out like so maybe no loss there. I'm going to borrow a camera for a month from a friend to see if I can get a digital shot. I've never been a 'wall mount' type hunter, taught by my Dad long ago to 'eat what you kill, and give thanks for it'. I've watched Whitey go from 4/6 pointer, to 10 pointer up to where it's kinda hard to tell now. Nice thing is he's usually with 3-5 does so seeing them I look to the fringes of the pastures to see if Whitey's around. I've only told 2 people about him here who promised me they would not discuss it with anyone. I have food, actually 2 wild turkeys, some antelope, and some bison in my freezer now; so I really do not have room for meat if I did take him. One school says 'mutant' the other says 'special', I'm in the camp that think if he could survive this long then he deserves to keep hiding as long as he can. Where he goes in Summer I have'nt a clue because I mostly see him in late Fall. It's not just another deer, this one is like a living ghost when you see it. To the guy seeing a 'herd of white deer' I think that might be a herd of Fallow deer, as I'd find it highly unlikely to be a bunch of wild whitetails that no hunters have taken, easy in season for those who can't shoot straight IMO. Talk about out standing in your field, white deer amongst tan, it's a goner!
 
Page 2 reply, I see both sides, and no, I was'nt going "to take him from a truck". Here in the Lower 48 we call that Jack lighting and it'll get you years in jail in most states. I bow hunt, muzzleload, and rifle hunt; probably would stalk hunt with the muzzleloader for the experience if I was to take him. And I disagree anyone else will take him because the landowners property he frequents do not allow hunting by the general public. I've only squirrel hunted and fowl hunted the land a few weeks each year and shared with the property owner if they wanted anything I took.

My point is I would rather have a Father driving down this road with his son or daughter, and be able to point this special deer out to the child. It would light a fire of interest in the outdoors that could last a lifetime. I would'nt trade all the hours I've spent outdoors for any value, lifetime of experiences are'nt easily obtained. I cherish them even more so now after having been stricken by Lyme Disease this past Summer. I anticipate moving this year, and I think I'd rather enjoy knowing I left Whitey wandering his woods than take him. Thanks, appreciate the insight from both sides.
 
Albinos are on my safe list, Even if someone else would shoot one, I would know I never did, that in its self would make me feel better. I saw three one night coming home in Nova Scotia, I almost didn't believe what I was seeing, and they were very curious in us( and orange car:D)

But I would rather know that I at least let them live another few days longer.
 
Argonne Nat'l Lab works with the Dept of Energy on a whole host of research projects. Among them, nuclear research.

Nuclear Research ===> Genetic Mutation ===> Albino Deer

Just playing really, I support nuclear energy.....as long as I don't get my water from the same aquifer that the labs sit on (which I did for 9 years in Idaho).
 
If legal, bag him and tag him. If not, I think I would get almost as much pelasure from the stalk reqired to get a really good closeup of him with a high end camera. I just bought the wife a Nikon D40 digital SLR. With the right camera/lens and the right application of stalking you could probably get some really great shots of him. Might be easier to get access as well. No meat though.

I've got a friend that lives in the finger lakes region of up state NY. I've seen the white deer up there. As many as I saw, I doubt that they are all true albinos. There is a big difference between albino and white.

When I lived in Texas there was a ranch about 5 miles from my house that ran european fallow deer as livestock. Totally white deer with really cool palmated antlers.
 
My Grandad always said that shooting a white deer was bad luck. If you shoot one, you will never shoot another deer...or you will be dead before the next season.:eek: Anyone else ever hear that superstition?
 
Idaho Jarhead said:
Argonne Nat'l Lab works with the Dept of Energy on a whole host of research projects. Among them, nuclear research.

Nuclear Research ===> Genetic Mutation ===> Albino Deer

Just playing really, I support nuclear energy.....as long as I don't get my water from the same aquifer that the labs sit on (which I did for 9 years in Idaho).
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The white deer around Argone were put there by a very wealthy man in the ?40's, maybe even '30's, and have successfully proliferated because of the security jurisdiction around the National Lab. As teen-agers, we'd cruise the roads around there at late night and see how many we could spot. Smaller deer...maybe fallow...imported from Europe, as I recall.


AND...you kind of answered your own question...

Each time you see him, it is special. Five times in three years. Special. Seems like you treasure his existence.

Your choice, although my personal experience is that deciding to shoot a deer is somewhat different from actually being able to do so. :)



Kis
 
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