jci63 Posted March 16, 2005 Report Share Posted March 16, 2005 Posted on Fri, Mar. 11, 2005 WEST VIRGINIA Youth wants state to ban hunting of albino deer By Lawrence Messina The Associated Press CHARLESTON - Jared Stiltner likes to hunt. The 11-year-old bagged a doe during last fall's youth antlerless deer hunt. But a discovery in the woods near his rural Wyoming County home in the spring has him asking West Virginia lawmakers to draw a line on killing albino deer. "It just seems wrong to kill something so rare," Stiltner told lawmakers in a letter distributed Thursday in the House of Delegates. Game experts estimate that between one in 10,000 and one in 100,000 deer are albino. Stiltner's cause prompted Thursday's introduction of House Bill 2959. Bill co-sponsors include his cousin, House Majority Leader Rick Staton; House Speaker Bob Kiss, D-Raleigh; and House Judiciary Chairman Jon Amores, D-Kanawha. "I think it's a really good bill," said Staton, D-Wyoming. "The letter that he wrote was very heartfelt. He was very affected by seeing this." In his letter, Stiltner explained that the lack of melanin, which gives skin its color, leaves albino deer with weak eyes and ears. Without natural camouflage, the animals are more vulnerable to hunters and other predators, Stiltner learned. "I just decided, why not try to make a law?" said Stiltner, who was on hand for the bill's introduction as a House page. West Virginia hunting laws do not address albino deer. Thirteen other states have passed laws protecting them. The bill would make it a crime to hunt, trap, shoot, possess or attempt to kill an albino deer. The state Division of Natural Resources has not taken a stand on the issue, but Curtis Taylor, chief of the agency's wildlife resources section, said: "There's no biological reason to prohibit the killing of an albino deer, and no reason within deer management." He said albino deer could be confused with piebald, or partially white, deer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AaronS Posted March 16, 2005 Report Share Posted March 16, 2005 Re: Hunt Albino/White/Piebald Deer A fine example of managing wildlife with emotion instead of science and facts. Show me one 11 year old that has the life-experience or knowledge to make laws. Give me a friggin' break. [ QUOTE ] In his letter, Stiltner explained that the lack of melanin, which gives skin its color, leaves albino deer with weak eyes and ears. Without natural camouflage, the animals are more vulnerable to hunters and other predators, Stiltner learned. [/ QUOTE ] Where I come from, this is called survival of the fittest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadHuntinPastor Posted March 16, 2005 Report Share Posted March 16, 2005 Re: Hunt Albino/White/Piebald Deer Protecting them is only so people could possibly see them. They don't reproduce!! The albino children I know are normal kids but won't necessarily have albino kids themselves. If they could breed more healthy white deer and they were endangered that is different BUT they are just unique. Just like some antlers are unique. It just makes for an interesting trophy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fisherguy Posted March 16, 2005 Report Share Posted March 16, 2005 Re: Hunt Albino/White/Piebald Deer Well that is stupid! They are admitting they are genetically inferior and not well equipped for survival so why protect them? I love to see them, but would not helitate to shoot one. Any deer you shoot could be carrying the albino gene, and that deer is just as likely to have albino offspring as an albino adult. Why pass a law that will promote the breeding and survival of inferior deer? I thought most places want healthier deer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MUDRUNNER Posted March 16, 2005 Report Share Posted March 16, 2005 Re: Hunt Albino/White/Piebald Deer It's illegal here in Illinois to shoot all white deer.It sure doesn't make sense to me.If i understand it correctly albinos and piebalds have inferior genes and and are more succeptible to disease and illness because they have something wrong with them.Why would you want to protect them?Sure it would be neat to see one,but i would also start to worry about the health of the deer herd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted March 17, 2005 Report Share Posted March 17, 2005 Re: Hunt Albino/White/Piebald Deer [ QUOTE ] A fine example of managing wildlife with emotion instead of science and facts. Show me one 11 year old that has the life-experience or knowledge to make laws. Give me a friggin' break. [ QUOTE ] In his letter, Stiltner explained that the lack of melanin, which gives skin its color, leaves albino deer with weak eyes and ears. Without natural camouflage, the animals are more vulnerable to hunters and other predators, Stiltner learned. [/ QUOTE ] Where I come from, this is called survival of the fittest. [/ QUOTE ] Wow, took the words right out of my mouth Indiana. Totally agree. "Pretty white deer" should be just as legal as the next deer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chicks_hunt_to Posted March 17, 2005 Report Share Posted March 17, 2005 Re: Hunt Albino/White/Piebald Deer i agree with tominator its a deer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slugshooter Posted March 18, 2005 Report Share Posted March 18, 2005 Re: Hunt Albino/White/Piebald Deer I can see where this kid is coming from, but if piebald/albino deer are left in the wild with inferior genetics, eventually, the numbers of them are going to get greater and greater and will affect greater numbers of otherwise healthy deer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IowaDeerHunter Posted March 19, 2005 Report Share Posted March 19, 2005 Re: Hunt Albino/White/Piebald Deer I just wish they were legal in Iowa! Because if they are that way then doesn't it mean BAD genetics??? I have never been lucky enough to see one though! That is a good thing I guess, still would be sweet to see one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted March 19, 2005 Report Share Posted March 19, 2005 Re: Hunt Albino/White/Piebald Deer Not legal here, and have never seen one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedicast Posted March 20, 2005 Report Share Posted March 20, 2005 Re: Hunt Albino/White/Piebald Deer [ QUOTE ] Well, here you go. This is a picture of about a dozen white ones woven into the herd on my property this year (in Maryland, quite close to the DC beltway). I don't know much about them, though. And here's an 18p white buck walking with his white doe (sorry for the cell-phone quality pic): Anyone know more about what these are? [/ QUOTE ] Those are very cool pics FC, and by the way...Welcome to the forum. My opinion on this is that it should be legal to harvest these deer. Yes they are different, BUT... a Non-Typical buck is different too...should we ban shooting a buck with a palmated tine, or drop tines? No...we shouldn't. If for some reason you don't want to harvest an Albino, or piebald, thats fine. (I'm honestly not sure I would either, but I have no idea why) But , it definately should not be illegal to harvest one of these deer. Just my 2 cents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedicast Posted March 20, 2005 Report Share Posted March 20, 2005 Re: Hunt Albino/White/Piebald Deer [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] Those are very cool pics FC, and by the way...Welcome to the forum. My opinion on this is that it should be legal to harvest hese deer. Yes they are different, BUT... a Non-Typical buck is different too...should we ban shooting a buck with a palmated tine, or drop tines? No...we shouldn't. If for some reason you don't want to harvest an Albino, or piebald, thats fine. (I'm honestly not sure I would either, but I have no idea why) But , it definately should not be illegal to harvest one of these deer. Just my 2 cents. [/ QUOTE ] Thanks for the welcome! Don't really have a strong opinion on the matter, but I wouldn't hunt them. Was curious what they are, though. Although they're woven into the whitetail herd, web research indicates they might be white fallow. Maybe they're escapees from a nearby farm. Dunno. [/ QUOTE ] In your second pic, the deer on the right, that you can only see the rear half of, definately looks like a fallow deer, with the spots. Does anyone know if fallow, and whitetail can cross breed???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedicast Posted March 20, 2005 Report Share Posted March 20, 2005 Re: Hunt Albino/White/Piebald Deer With the spot this time of year, I'm definately guessing that they are Fallow Deer. We had a farm here that had Fallow Deer for years, and they are about the right size, and spotted. There were no albino's at the farm though. Also explains why the weren't scared off by your wife. Not saying your wife is scary!!!! ...LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshM Posted March 21, 2005 Report Share Posted March 21, 2005 Re: Hunt Albino/White/Piebald Deer awesome pics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fisherguy Posted March 21, 2005 Report Share Posted March 21, 2005 Re: Hunt Albino/White/Piebald Deer Those are fallow deer as you can definately tell that one is a fallow buck. From what i know white fallow deer aren't all that rare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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