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Killing of albino deer is subject of much debate - even among hunters
By TEAK PHILLIPS, St Louis Post Dispatch
Dec. 25 2003
Rich Webster of Fenton stalked through the woods on the opening morning of
Missouri's deer season, trying to cut off a buck he had seen earlier. But as he
glanced up a creek bed, he saw a big patch of white.
"My first thought was that somebody's goat got loose," Webster said.
He took a closer look and saw what few hunters ever do: an albino deer. White
fur, pink eyes, pink nose.
The choice of whether to kill the doe was one Webster, 37, took seriously. A
life-time hunter, he had decided not to shoot many more deer than he'd killed.
But this one was far different than any other.
"At first, I wasn't going to shoot her because she was so pretty," he
said. "I only took her because she was an albino. She would have died a more
painful death anyway. The coyotes usually get them."
Killing the deer was legal in Missouri. But in Illinois, albino deer are
protected. That difference may in part be because of different methods the
states have in making game laws.
Paul Shelton, the lead deer biologist in Illinois, said the main reason states
protect albino deer is political rather than biological. Public pressure, he
said, is often behind the law.
"That's what happened here in Illinois," Shelton said. The state protected
all-white whitetailed deer, including albinos, in 1983 after a publicized
incident prompted public action.
"There's certainly not a good (biological) basis for protecting them," Shelton
said. "On the other hand, I don't think that there's any evidence that
protection in any state or area has really resulted in an increase in the
number of white animals seen."
Illinois' legislature passes its game laws, opening the opportunity for special
interests to have lobbying power. But Missouri's game regulations are
established by a four-member commission appointed by the governor. They are
unpaid and do not run for election or appointment.
That means the laws are more likely to be based on biology in addition to
public input, according to Eric Kurzejeski, a biologist with the Missouri
Department of Conservation.
"I'm not aware of any efforts where people had asked us to consider" protecting
albino deer, Kurzejeski said. "I do believe that we'd have to look at
biologically, is there an issue here?"
Missouri keeps no statistics on how many albino are killed. "We've never really
considered it because it's just another color that shows up in deer,"
Kurzejeski said.
Albino animals are produced by a recessive, genetic trait that prevents the
development of pigment in skin and hair. Kurzejeski said he also has seen
albino squirrels, raccoons and turkey.
Piebald deer, which also are rare, have white and brown coats. They are not
protected in Missouri or Illinois.
Although lack of camouflage may increase the threat of predators for young
albino deer, Kurzejeski said, those that make it beyond the first year probably
go on to live an average life.
"They're no different in the deer herd in terms of how they seem to interact or
breed," he said. "They can breed just like any others. And because the genes
are recessive, offspring of albinos aren't necessarily going to be albino."
Biological and legal issues aside, some hunters see a strong ethical issue in
killing albino deer. For a year, Todd Sacco watched an albino deer roam the
area around his home in Jefferson County. He and his neighbors often hunted the
area and had spotted it many times.
"We wanted to see it grow up," he said. "We all got together and agreed not to
kill it."
"If you're a true blue hunter it's an issue," Sacco said. "Nobody would shoot
an albino that I would think would be a true sportsman."
He found out recently that the deer was killed this season.
"It's just a shame," he said. "They should be protected. It was absolutely
stunning."
For Webster, his deer's rarity was part of his decision to kill it. He also
owns a taxidermy business and is working on a full-body mount of the doe, which
field-dressed at 65 pounds.
"She was such an oddity it was a shame to kill her," he said. "But I knew I
would never get a chance to see one again in my lifetime. I'm at peace with it
for taking her."
Reporter Teak Phillips
E-Mail: tphillips@post-dispatch.com
By TEAK PHILLIPS, St Louis Post Dispatch
Dec. 25 2003
Rich Webster of Fenton stalked through the woods on the opening morning of
Missouri's deer season, trying to cut off a buck he had seen earlier. But as he
glanced up a creek bed, he saw a big patch of white.
"My first thought was that somebody's goat got loose," Webster said.
He took a closer look and saw what few hunters ever do: an albino deer. White
fur, pink eyes, pink nose.
The choice of whether to kill the doe was one Webster, 37, took seriously. A
life-time hunter, he had decided not to shoot many more deer than he'd killed.
But this one was far different than any other.
"At first, I wasn't going to shoot her because she was so pretty," he
said. "I only took her because she was an albino. She would have died a more
painful death anyway. The coyotes usually get them."
Killing the deer was legal in Missouri. But in Illinois, albino deer are
protected. That difference may in part be because of different methods the
states have in making game laws.
Paul Shelton, the lead deer biologist in Illinois, said the main reason states
protect albino deer is political rather than biological. Public pressure, he
said, is often behind the law.
"That's what happened here in Illinois," Shelton said. The state protected
all-white whitetailed deer, including albinos, in 1983 after a publicized
incident prompted public action.
"There's certainly not a good (biological) basis for protecting them," Shelton
said. "On the other hand, I don't think that there's any evidence that
protection in any state or area has really resulted in an increase in the
number of white animals seen."
Illinois' legislature passes its game laws, opening the opportunity for special
interests to have lobbying power. But Missouri's game regulations are
established by a four-member commission appointed by the governor. They are
unpaid and do not run for election or appointment.
That means the laws are more likely to be based on biology in addition to
public input, according to Eric Kurzejeski, a biologist with the Missouri
Department of Conservation.
"I'm not aware of any efforts where people had asked us to consider" protecting
albino deer, Kurzejeski said. "I do believe that we'd have to look at
biologically, is there an issue here?"
Missouri keeps no statistics on how many albino are killed. "We've never really
considered it because it's just another color that shows up in deer,"
Kurzejeski said.
Albino animals are produced by a recessive, genetic trait that prevents the
development of pigment in skin and hair. Kurzejeski said he also has seen
albino squirrels, raccoons and turkey.
Piebald deer, which also are rare, have white and brown coats. They are not
protected in Missouri or Illinois.
Although lack of camouflage may increase the threat of predators for young
albino deer, Kurzejeski said, those that make it beyond the first year probably
go on to live an average life.
"They're no different in the deer herd in terms of how they seem to interact or
breed," he said. "They can breed just like any others. And because the genes
are recessive, offspring of albinos aren't necessarily going to be albino."
Biological and legal issues aside, some hunters see a strong ethical issue in
killing albino deer. For a year, Todd Sacco watched an albino deer roam the
area around his home in Jefferson County. He and his neighbors often hunted the
area and had spotted it many times.
"We wanted to see it grow up," he said. "We all got together and agreed not to
kill it."
"If you're a true blue hunter it's an issue," Sacco said. "Nobody would shoot
an albino that I would think would be a true sportsman."
He found out recently that the deer was killed this season.
"It's just a shame," he said. "They should be protected. It was absolutely
stunning."
For Webster, his deer's rarity was part of his decision to kill it. He also
owns a taxidermy business and is working on a full-body mount of the doe, which
field-dressed at 65 pounds.
"She was such an oddity it was a shame to kill her," he said. "But I knew I
would never get a chance to see one again in my lifetime. I'm at peace with it
for taking her."
Reporter Teak Phillips
E-Mail: tphillips@post-dispatch.com
