Ask The Biologist

Shooting a white deer can get you a ticket in some places.

QUESTION: I’ve been seeing an albino deer in one of the places I hunt and was planning on trying to hunt for it this fall. Then someone told me it is illegal to shoot white deer. I’m wondering if this is true, and why.

ANSWER: Whether it’s legal or not to shoot white deer (which includes true albinos and piebalds) varies from state to state. Some allow it, while a few still prohibit it. As for why, there is no biological, moral or ethical justification for protecting white deer.

Those protections are based purely on superstition. Check the law and make sure before you hunt, and also keep in mind that killing a white deer will bring you 7 years back luck ... if you believe in that sort of thing.

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