How rare?

[Jaxon Holler]

Just about to pull in the driveway and saw my second and third fawns of the year. Shortly after noticed this little one laying just off the road. Cool to see but at this point we're noticing more and more of these white deer. Almost to the point where they are a nuisance. They are off limits to harvest and seem to be a big part of our local herd. Last spring I saw about 20 deer in a field and 6 were white. Still neat seeing a fawn though I suppose.

 

[Turkey Creek]

View attachment 53166
Just about to pull in the driveway and saw my second and third fawns of the year. Shortly after noticed this little one laying just off the road. Cool to see but at this point we're noticing more and more of these white deer. Almost to the point where they are a nuisance. They are off limits to harvest and seem to be a big part of our local herd. Last spring I saw about 20 deer in a field and 6 were white. Still neat seeing a fawn though I suppose. View attachment 53165

If they are that common why do they still restrict you from harvesting them? One would make a heck of a mount!

 

[buckdeer1]

Strange those aren't true albinos,from what I have read the true albinos not only struggle to survive being white but usually have health issues

 

[Native Hunter]

It would be very rare where I live.

 

[356]

It‘s hard to like your post due to content, but I do like the pictures. Here in Missouri, and adult white deer can be harvested, and as TC noted, one would make a neat mount. I would encourage you to work with your conservation office to make a change, as only a handful of states restrict the harvest of Albino or white deer, and if the numbers are increasing, that restriction is unnecessary.

 

[Jaxon Holler]

It‘s hard to like your post due to content, but I do like the pictures. Here in Missouri, and adult white deer can be harvested, and as TC noted, one would make a neat mount. I would encourage you to work with your conservation office to make a change, as only a handful of states restrict the harvest of Albino or white deer, and if the numbers are increasing, that restriction is unnecessary.

Seems the DNR is reluctant to allow the harvest of white deer in our state due to pressure from certain groups that want to protect them. Pretty regular that I see vehicles stopped on the roads taking pictures of the white deer. They are definitely becoming more and more abundant. Interesting seeing white does with brown fawns and vice versa. We have a 4-5 year old buck that is likely one of the dominant bucks around our place. This was him last year. Hard knowing he's off limits!

 

[Troubles Trees]

Very cool bud! Not sure I have ever witnessed a pair of white fawns that I recall anyway.

Fun fact: At a 10,000 acre fenced in the Seneca Army base here in Upstate NY they had an explosion of white deer (not true albinos) grow within the compound since the 40's. I don't recall the reason but for whatever reason the base closed and they wanted to protect the herd because it is alleged to be the largest known herd of naturally wild white deer on Earth. I don't recall where it all ended up, I think a private group bought it for bus type tours but I am going off memory so I will look it up and share here when I get time.

 

[PatinPA]

There is a piebald gene in the gene pool around my parents house. Every few years there is one around. Around where I am though, everyone hunts for them unfortunately, and they usually don't last too long. There was a fawn last year. My dad hasn't seen it in a while. Not sure if it made it through or not.

 

[Troubles Trees]

This is the place I mentioned earlier.

https://deerhavenpark.org/

 

[Bill Loser]

If your from central Wisconsin possibly the Winchester area I'd bet those are descendants of the escaped deer from the farm where the Kwik trip is now. Drive through there alot, tons of white deer
On that note why can't you shoot them? I believe the restriction in Wisconsin is for true albino deer, any brown or brown eyes not true albino?

 

[Jaxon Holler]

Yes Central Wisconsin, Wood County. Albino and white deer are off limits. Piebald deer are legal but if there's no brown fur patches they're off limits.

 

[Bill Loser]

I still have a bb in my hand from a bb gun war we had when I was about 10. We had a 4 pump limit rule to prevent serious injury(lol) Chris cheated!

 

[Bill Loser]

I still have a bb in my hand from a bb gun war we had when I was about 10. We had a 4 pump limit rule to prevent serious injury(lol) Chris cheated!

Oops... wrong thread!!!

 

[jsasker007]

Seems the DNR is reluctant to allow the harvest of white deer in our state due to pressure from certain groups that want to protect them. Pretty regular that I see vehicles stopped on the roads taking pictures of the white deer. They are definitely becoming more and more abundant. Interesting seeing white does with brown fawns and vice versa. We have a 4-5 year old buck that is likely one of the dominant bucks around our place. This was him last year. Hard knowing he's off limits!

The tribes here have plenty of money to get laws passed or changed to benefit themselves and Gov. Walz is a complete fool who caters to the casinos. jmho

 

[jsasker007]

We have a few white deer around here. Over on the edge of a nearby town there are about a half dozen that always come out in the evenings to feed in a farmers field.

 

[PatinPA]

Unless it was a shooter buck, I don't think I could bring myself to shoot one just to shoot it. I'd enjoy having one around to see occasionally too much.

 

[Bill Loser]

The way the rule states is if there is any brown they are fair game. I'd bring a bucket of mud along hunting...
I don't know why they're protected, the way I understand it is that it's a recessive gene. They should want them taken out of the herd.

 

[JonJ]

Unless it was a shooter buck, I don't think I could bring myself to shoot one just to shoot it. I'd enjoy having one around to see occasionally too much.

I was easing out of woods at a trail corner. A mostly white piebald buck and I tried to turn the corner into each other. Both froze, his brown eyes, an eye patch, and maybe 2 1/2 year old rack. He turned slowly and tiptoed back and turned into thicket. Had a few brown patches on sides an appaloosa speckled hind quarters.
Set rifle down and grabbed cell phone, dang camera focused on near leaves and got nothing. Most beautiful deer I've ever seen. Been 4 years and not a pic or siting. Haven't heard talk of him.
Yes, he was too gorgeous to shoot. Sure wish I had gotten pictures to share.

 

[West_Fork]

We have melanistic mule deer popping up (mostly black), which are even more rare than albinos. My neighbor harvested one a few years ago. He checked with cabelas if they would like it for a mount and they refused saying they don't display these freaks of nature.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1048332248716435456

 

[Turkey Creek]

That is a cool deer! Cabelas doesnt want it because the can't reproduce it, as in make a fake. They wont pay what it is worth if it was legally harvested. They used to buy mounts back before artificial antlers came on the scene. Now there is no need they can make anything they want.