Why do we want the freak deer strain to live? It just shows how much we need hunters these days because there are no natural predators to kill these horibly visible deer. It isn't a natural thing. It's like saying "over hunting of boar" or "boar extermination". The idea is to kill off all of the unnatural critters. They are invasive, and these deer are not what white-tail should be.
Go ahead, breed a new species of deer, but please don't start calling them "Fido" or letting them sleep in your bed and lick your face.

I understand that there are hunters who have some sort of special feeling for these deer, but personally, I can't see any compelling reason to protect them.

Sounds like the anti-hunters managed to play on emotion to whip up support from unexpected quarters... the hunter/conservationists. Unfortunately, these folks are playing right into the anti-hunters' hands.

The white deer are, when it comes down to it, just deer. Some folks want to attach some kind of special, spiritual value to them, but many others just see them as off-colored venison. Who's right? I couldn't tell you, but I'd shoot one in a heartbeat.

From what I've read, the "enclosure" is huge, and the herd is healthy, but expanding. At some point, somebody's got to kill deer to manage the herd size... or they've gotta knock over the fences and let them expand. You can't have it both ways.

Turn it into a hunting concession, manage the harvest, and leave it at that. If it doesn't suit your style of hunting, don't go.

I stuck up for the moose but in this case where there is a population of them hunt them.

I think they should be hunted, they are deer just like other whitetails what gives them protection? meat is meat

There is nothing "spiritually" special about a white deer. Sadly my home town of Tecumseh, Michigan brought in an "indian" and did a special ritual. Then they decided to make a monument for the other 'white' meat. All in all, white deer are the same as common brown and should be allowed to be hunted

Hey guys, look again. These deer ARE NOT albino! They are truly "white". Were they albino, they would have pink eyes and noses! Look at the picture again!
That said, due to the fact that man has introduced himself as the alpha-predator, it is now up to man to accept his alpha-predator role and control the population. With these deer, it should be much easier to achieve than with the conventional camo model! Either that or reintroduce wolves, cougars, bears and wolverines!
Don't, rather can't, imagine that there would be any major taste differences.

Bubba

I can't see their eyes close enough to check for pigmentation however the pink noses do give away the fact that these are albino deer. Albinism as stated above is a recessive gene. Albino deer lose their protective coloration and would normally be culled where deer are prey. It is my humble opinion that it was bad enough to allow a herd to breed and worse to protect them. If the herd of those deer is approximately 200 animals then there had to have been sufficient inbreeding to question the long term affects for all deer in that area. I say shoot'em and clean up the deer population in that area.
My question is where were all the wildlife biologists when the white deer were increasing?

Here in Illinois we have Gray Squirrels that are solid black, I feed a few of them just so they'll leave the bird feeders alone. And not 15 miles away there are a group of pure white squirrels, not albinos! Just a color phase, as different from the norm as blonds and red head humans.
Hunt em, eat em, stuff em.

If the an Albino, or white, animal is genetically inferior why not hunt them?
Is the believe to protect them based on emotion alone?

Ralph the Rifleman

There is nothing genetically inferior about these deer. All deer have the gene but it remains recessive. In these deer, it stepped forward.
They shouldn't be treated any differently than any other deer, except.... Why shoot them out just because they are "white"? They aren't smaller, slower, weaker, disease ridden, retarded, just "white".
It's just a color phase in a high fenced area that contains both brown and white deer.
Why eradicate something just because it's different?
If people are willing to pay for a "canned" white-whitetail hunt, take their money and spend it to enhance the deer's habitat!!

Bubba

yes, until next hunting season. :^)

If you shoot that deer with one spike on one side and four on the other you may regret it. Chances are, in that situation, the deer had an injury on the opposite side of its body, and next year it could be an 8 or 10 pt.