11-year-old boy kills extremely rare albino deer in Michigan - NY Daily News

 

Opinion is fiercely divided over whether a preteen hunter did something good or bad when he took an albino buck's life by shooting an arrow through both of his lungs. While many spectators are proud of the child's kill, many others are disappointed that 'an adult encouraged a child to remove such a beautiful creature from the world when so many other opportunities to harvest deer exist.'

 

What say you? Kill or let live?

 

 

He did good.

I can only say what I would personally do and that is to let it live. That in no way means I am judging or condemning his choice to take the animal. To each his own but I would have to let it walk and just enjoy the encounter.

I say good for the kid for bagging such a beautiful animal that in all likelihood was going to be killed by someone eventually. The article says that the state previously had a ban on hunting albino deer; I wonder why they lifted it?

Me personally, I'd just photograph it. We had a partial one on our land several years back. My dad and I agreed we'd not shoot it. Not sure if anyone ever did on neighboring land.

There used to be an albino doe that roamed around the woods adjacent to Highland Cemetery in Ft. Mitchell. I saw it three times, and I can still distinctly remember each time.

 

I don't have much of a problem with someone killing an albino deer. A deer's a deer...nothing lives forever, and the only way this buck could breed another albino deer would be if it happened to mate a doe with the recessive albinism gene. At least this way they at least have the option to preserve the hide.

3 words:

 

Full

Body

Mount

3 words:

 

Full

Body

Mount

 

Although it doesn't mention anything in this article, I think I read another that said that's exactly what they planned on doing.

He'll regret the kill when that thing comes back and haunts him at night. That is seriously freaky looking.

Me personally, I'd just photograph it. We had a partial one on our land several years back. My dad and I agreed we'd not shoot it. Not sure if anyone ever did on neighboring land.

This. Again, I don't begrudge the kid, just don't think I would do it. I'd enjoy it while I could and if someone else shot it so be it.

My feeling is that it probably meant more to this young man than it would have meant to an adult to bag this unusual deer. For that reason, I'm glad he was the one who bagged it.

In most situations, I'm fine with people hunting. I don't do it, personally, but I don't frown on it, either. I do, however, like to fish. And, I've gotten into some friendly, but sometimes heated, debates with a friend of mine, who absolutely loves to hunt. And, all of them basically boil down to this...if you're hunting for the meat...knock yourself out, imo. But, there a many situations (African safari, for instance), where it's not about that. Those I look differently on. He asks me why, considering I fish. And I've told him, "Well, I've never seen you be able to catch-and-release after shooting a zebra, with anything other than a camera."

 

So, in this particular instance, I'm torn. But, if I were in the woods with my boy and we happened to come across something like this...I'd probably go for the camera instead. Just because you can shoot it, doesn't mean you have to.

I can only say what I would personally do and that is to let it live. That in no way means I am judging or condemning his choice to take the animal. To each his own but I would have to let it walk and just enjoy the encounter.

 

This.

Me personally, I'd just photograph it. We had a partial one on our land several years back. My dad and I agreed we'd not shoot it. Not sure if anyone ever did on neighboring land.

 

And this.

I don't hunt, at least animals, but if I was the adult I would have done what some others have said, just take some photos. A kid doesn't fully understand that somethings are just special and should be left alone.

 

It says that in some states it's illegal to kill an albino deer?