gflight's Link
I know less than zero about crossbows, so no comment on that part.
That being said the bigger issue to me in reading the story is how many people are quick to rush to judgement. Does the author think an 11-year old has any clue as to how rare an albino deer is? Or even the average hunter for example?
The posting on Facebook wasn't well-thought out; posting on a hunting forum would have been much more appropriate. I don't feel any shame or any need to defend being a bowhunter but I think we should try to be sensitive to the feelings of others provided it doesn not infringe on our pursuits.
The reaction of some people towards an 11-year old are simply despicable.
Yes it does...
Don't have a crossbow so...........
As mentioned above albinism is recessive. Best to get it out of gene pool. By the size of it, my guess is that deer did some breeding.
Editor's note: Ruben Navarrette is a CNN contributor, Daily Beast columnist and a nationally syndicated columnist with the Washington Post Writers Group.
The author is neither a biologist nor a hunter, but just another liberal shill with a canned message.
Local outdoors writers have written about this young man and his albino deer in a much more even manner...mostly with a lot of support from not only other hunters, but also the DNR and the fact that by law, this was a totally legal kill.
Genetically, albinism is a recessive genetic trait and removal from the gene pool does no harm to the overall health of the deer herd. Besides the lack of pigmentation, other defects often accompany the presence of albinism. By predator or disease, they rarely survive. In fact, the MI DNR supports shooting of albino and piebald deer (I'd actually would love to shoot one of them over an albino.)for just this fact.
It is sad that so many piled on this young man with a fine legally shot deer. When we see a decreasing population of hunters, success should be acknowledged and more youth encouraged to participate.
Doc's comment further cements just what he is.
But on the other hand most would shoot the rare Blue (glacier) Black Bear, which we have taken one in many years and sighted a few more.
There's about a dozen white deer in the deer herd over in Father Hennepin Park. It's about 10 miles from me ..
Cool thing about these is i understand they are not albino..
Not too uncommon for somebody to bag a white or pie bald deer up here..
Doubtful I'd shoot one myself.I admit to a bit of thinking it'd be bad karma .. maybe. been told that and could be. Why push it? ;)
Don't care if anybody else does though...these days main criteria for me is young and tender. Plus bigger deer are more work handling. ;)
Saw my first live one like that in the wild last week. It was a small nanny. (Maybe it wasn't small since it's the first one i ever saw.. dunno.)
It was placidly grazing about 40 yards away. i was walking back to parking lot at Mt. Rushmore... Didn't know they were in black hills but there it was...
bluedog's Link
Mountain goats were introduced to Black Hills in 1924 and now number more than 200... Huh.
the pic, on the other hand, is very cool
Congrats to the lucky young man and his dad!
Typically Albino would have pink eyes and nose. Check the nose in the OP. Its pink and it looks like the eyes are too.
That deer in your post might not be an albino as you state. The deer has what looks to be black or brown eyes. Cant really tell about the nose. I am up in the air on that one.
Just to confuse things I have also seen pictures of melanistic deer which are black.
Would I kill it as a boy of his age - you betcha. Would I kill as an old phart today - nope. But it has nothing to do with the fact that its an albino deer.
And I wouldn't be hunting with a crossbow.
Isn't there a military base in NY that has a large white deer population?
Two Feathers's Link
