It’s not at all uncommon to see a deer in Wisconsin, but it is certainly uncommon to see a deer that is pure white from head to toe. White or “albino” deer are rare, as Wildlife biologist Fayln Owens told WRAL.com about an albino deer seen in Holly Springs, North Carolina in 2019.
Owens said the odds of seeing an albino deer are 1 in 30,000.
Mossy Oak describes an albino deer as being “...totally absent of body pigment and is solid white with pink eyes, nose, and hooves.” Their rarity has made them a source of intrigue for centuries, as Native Americans believed their unique coloration made them magical, and therefore felt it was bad luck to hunt them.
To this day, some states have laws in place that make it illegal for hunters to harvest albino deer. One of those states is Wisconsin, where one resident photographed an albino buck in November 2020.
Tracy Weese shared two photos she took of an albino buck on her snow-covered property near Boulder Junction. She captioned the pictures, “His Majesty just strolled through our backyard.”
“His Majesty” is a fitting title to bestow on such a magnificent creature. The photos Weese took show the deer from the front and the side, showing off his beauty from every angle.
See the photos below.
Even though Wisconsin’s gun deer hunting season began November 21 in 2020, this white buck is protected by law from being hunted.
WKOW ran an article about the albino deer, and cited the Wisconsin DNR as saying it is illegal to hunt an “all-white deer which is entirely white other than the hooves, tarsal glands, head and parts of the head.”
The Wisconsin DNR’s hunting regulations document for 2020 confirms this, as it reads on page 13, “Albino and all-white deer may not be harvested.”
Hopefully, this law will keep the albino Boulder Junction buck safe so he can continue to roam in peace.
Back in 2019, visitors at the Kensington Metropark in Milford Township, Michigan were stunned by the sight of an albino deer in the park. Detroit news station WDIV shared some footage of the deer, which you can watch below to get an even better idea of just how marvelous these creatures are.