Let her walk and you will likely see a few more

I'd shoot it. Genetic mutation.

Probably let it walk.

Let her walk. I had an old doe years ago that had a 5" or so white patch on her hip on my place. She must have died of natural causes.

stikman
They may be the case. The North American Whitetail may know alot about deer. But there not experts on albinoism. I'm not an expert on neither, or anything for that matter. But I read alot as well. Most of my reading on this subject has to do with dogs. Most all mammals are affected the same way by albinoism. Something else I disagree with the article you cited other than the health problems, is the part that it takes 2 albino's breeding to produce an albino offspring. 2 regular mammals can produce an albino, although it is rare. But thats because the white gene is the most recessive, next would be red. Same thing. 2 bulldogs can throw a red pit at anytime, although this does not make the dog an old family rednose. You would not know the difference without looking at the parents. The article was right about the parents must be a carrier of the gene. My conclusion is, if piebald and albino are pretty much the same genetic mutation, why would one cause health problems and the other not.

1.They don't have to be albino to carry the recessive trait!
2.Piebald and Albinism are not the same!
3. No mater what animal it is the only way a true albinos can be produced is If BOTH parents carry the same recessive trait.
4. Just because both parents carry the trait doesn't mean that the offspring will have Albinism. Actually in the case of fraternal twins it is common that 1 will and 1 will NOT have Albinism.
So the probability of haveing a child with normal pigemention if both parents are heterozygous is 3/4.

Probablility of both twins having normal pigmentation would be 9/16 (3/4 * 3/4 = 9/16). Need to multiple the probability of both events together.

Seems like I read awhile back that piebald deer are often stunted in growth, including antler growth. They also have a higher than normal chance of carrying other genetic abnormalities including bone issues, etc.

From a management standpoint, if these things are true, it would make sense to shoot her so she would not pass these on.

Not sure I would shoot her or not. Probably so. We have several on our lease (in fact, I ran across a new one on my last cam check). We had a nice one shot last year--he was an 8pt. In that same area last year we had a spike show up. He was a 6 this year. He will be on my search list late this summer.

I notice you are from pensacola so I am curious of where you hunt. This one was killed on my land not far from the Florida Alabama line in Baldwin county a few years ago. [img:center]http:// [/img]

We hunt just southwest of Andalusia. That's a nice buck!

you ain't going to alter yer deer herd genetics by shooting one piebald deer. And you have no idea how many other deer carry, but do not display, the "unwanted" gene. Best bet would be to kill every dang deer on the place, and every place within five miles. No more "genetic freaks" then.

I let the first one, that I had ever seen in 30 years of hunting, walk.... I will NOT do that again. And I will at least have the cap conditioned.

I would pass in hopes of her dropping a buck fawn that could be a cool piebald mount 4 or 5 years from now....