What would you do if THIS walk by your stand? Scott Kinninger sent us this video from Buffalo County, Wisconsin last fall, and after sharing to our Facebook Page, we received THOUSANDS of responses from our fans. Some said they would let the deer walk because it’s too rare or beautiful. Others said it was illegal to shoot or just plain bad luck. And some said they couldn’t pass up this one-of-a-kind trophy.

 

 

Here are some of the responses we received.

 

This isn’t the first time uniquely colored wildlife has caused a stir. In 2013, three hunters visiting Nova Scotia, Canada, shot a rare trophy moose and caused an uproar. Not only did the moose have large antlers, it was stark white, or albino. The animal had been living in the region for years, and the local First Nations people never hunted it. Killing the moose sparked outrage on social media, and amongst the indigenous Mi’kmaq people of Nova Scotia, as the rare albino moose was considered sacred. The hunters were unaware of the animal’s spiritual significance when they killed it.

White animals are considered sacred in many parts of North America and are not to be harmed in any way, shape or form. Indigenous communities believe they could be ancestors coming back to remind them that something significant is going to happen. Some jurisdictions have laws to protect the animals, but in most locations they can be lawfully harvested by licensed hunters.

Our friend Brad Fenson killed a piebald buck in 2017, but after seeing so many cases of public concern over uniquely patterned wildlife, he was momentarily torn when he had an opportunity to harvest one legally. 

Whatever your beliefs, witnessing one of nature’s unique creations is another reason to celebrate being in the great outdoors.