Would You Shoot an Albino or Piebald Deer?

Albino deer are rare in most areas; I certainly haven’t seen one in person. But they do exist, as the photo above shows. There is often disagreement among hunters as to whether or not albino deer should be taken if the opportunity arises.

First of all, check the regulations of the area in which you hunt to find out whether it’s legal to take albino (all white hair) or piebald (partially white hair, often with a spotted appearance) deer.

Some say that such animals shouldn’t be killed because they are unusual and therefore beautiful. Others claim that those animals are genetically inferior and should be killed to strengthen the herd and to prevent the animal from dying a miserable death due to disease, to which albino animals are more susceptible than “normal” deer.

Personally, I don’t see anything wrong with taking an albino or piebald deer, which would make a very unique “trophy” to remind the hunter of the day when that unique animal was taken (which is what a trophy is for).

I don’t buy the premise that “It’s beautiful/unique, so it shouldn’t be killed.” If we lived by that rule, no hunter would ever take a deer. All deer are beautiful and unique.

If I got the chance to take an albino or piebald deer, I’m not 100% sure what I would do. But all other things being equal, I would probably take it.

Russ Chastain

Editor & Contributing Writer Russ Chastain is a lifelong hunter and shooter who has spent his life learning about hunting, shooting, guns, ammunition, gunsmithing, reloading, and bullet casting. He started toting his own gun in the woods at age nine and he's pursued deer with rifles since 1982, so his hunting knowledge has been growing for more than three and a half decades. His desire and ability to share this knowledge with others has also grown, and Russ has been professionally writing and editing original hunting & shooting content since 1998. Russ Chastain has a passion for sharing accurate, honest, interesting hunting & shooting knowledge and stories with people of all skill levels.