Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Field & Stream, Scott Bestul article - Would You Shoot an Albino or Piebald Deer?

There are a few white - not albino, I think - and/or piebald moose around here every once in awhile.

I saw a moose out of Fairbanks many years ago that was white well up his or her regs, including at least one shoulder. Never got a good enough look at it to tell.

Down in a heartbeat if legal, Diversity and superstitions be damned. They all eat the same.

In fact, if given a choice, I will almost always shoot an inferior cull animal in preference to a "better" one and I have the mounts to prove it.

It's the hunt and the meat, not the wrapping.

Then again.....maybe not!

This is a very old piebald buck that lived it's life in a pen. Lots of folks thought it was albino, but it in fact a piebald deer. This picture was taken in 2018 and the deer was probably 18 years old at that time.



I would have no problem shooting a piebald deer. If I knew that it was a true albino, I would be hesitant to shoot. Would probably just watch and take pictures.

I killed a piebald doe this season. Only one I've ever seen in my life. The hide is with the taxidermist to be tanned now. Big white saddle from shoulder blades to hind quarters. White speckles on hams, shoulders and all the way down front and back legs. Wasn't sure what I was seeing at first as I saw her walking along the edge of the woods on the other side of a field in the gloom nearly 30 minutes past sunset..

Just like any other deer-they are no different....If it is a mature albino or piebald, BANG!

I'm not superstitious and killing one does NOTHING to decrease their numbers because it is a mutation of the genes.

A little bit different, but here is a dwarf shot in my home county today.

Now I have seen one of those - it was a spike buck about the size of a cocker spaniel. At first I thought I was seeing things, imagining one of those taxidermist's "jackalopes."

I did not shoot it.

If not for another witness, my brother, seeing it, I'd still doubt myself.

A friend's cousin shot it. Said it was about medium dog size...

Never would I ever.

I'd pass. Not because of some superstition, but just because they're such a rare sight. Where I used to quail hunt, there was one. I saw it often, and looked forward to seeing it. Something you don't soon forget.

That's just me. I'm just sentimental about such things. I wouldn't condemn anyone else for taking any legal deer legally and ethically.

We had a piebald spike cruising around the farm where I hunt last year. I passed him up once and saw him about four more times during hunting season. My son saw him a few times also and said that he'd shoot it if he had the chance. I told him he had enough bad luck as it was and he didn't need anymore.

Haven't seen him this year.

They are just deer.

I rarely get the opportunity to go out hunting and of course you never really know what you are going to do until the situation presents itself but I feel like I would just watch probably try to snap a picture. For me it would primarily just the beauty of seeing something different then I normally would. Gonna be honest though a close second is the superstition, I've always heard it ways bad Jo Jo. Have not idea if that's true but I don't find the need to test.

We kill 1 or 2 every year, nothing special about them. Rio7

Front yard a few years ago.

Cool pic !

I think albinos are freaks and piebalds are pretty cool.

If it is a mature buck, absolutely.
Albino doe probably not.
Piebald doe yes. Really cool piebald doe would be going to the taxidermist.

But I reserve the right to change mind depending on the situation whenever I want.

In a heart beat

I see one wearing a rack like that, I'm shootin.'

Shouldn't be a problem seeing and shooting that one.....if you have the buck$.

Good buck... more than likely.. he will have had a few years to spread his seed.
Doe... probably not... she might drop a buck with the same genetic defect.