2009.01.21
Darrell Justice with a rare albino whitetail
Jerry Justice of Huddleston sent in this shot of his son, Darrell, with an albino whitetail. Darrell shot the deer the day before Thanksgiving while hunting on his farm in Pelham, N.C., just over the state border south of Danville.
Albinos are not unheard of, but they are rare enough that many of us hunt our whole lives without ever seeing one. Jerry Justice said this is actually the second one his son has killed. The first came 18 years ago in Amherst County.
"How rare is that?" Justice wondered in his note. I'd say pretty rare.
I would agree, very rare indeed. I have seen one true albino deer and that was 20+ years ago.
--I've never seen one. I've seen a couple of piebalds, but never while hunting. mt
Comment by TScottW — January 21, 2009 @ 4:33 pm
Two? Now that is crazy!
Comment by tommy nunley — January 21, 2009 @ 7:19 pm
If I would ever consider mounting a doe, it would have to be one like that. It would be a really cool full body mount
Comment by Jon Branson — January 21, 2009 @ 7:43 pm
I have seen several albino deer in 40 years of hunting; and about as many "piebalds," i.e., deer that were mottled white and brown. Piebalds can be almost entirely white, but they don't have pink eyes, as due true albinos. Albinos lack the ability to make melanin, the pigment that colors the fur and other parts of the animal such as the eyes and nose. The one in the photo is a true albino, as the eyes show. They aren't common.
Interestingly, there is a very strong local superstition regarding white deer: when I mention one to fellow hunters I'm invariably told "Never kill a white deer! If you do, you'll never get another deer!" or some other misfortune will occur. This same belief is present in European countries, especially England, and was likely brought here in Colonial times. Native Americans hold white bison to be sacred animals and harbingers of great events. Incidentally, one of the most ocmmon names for pubs in the UK is "The White Hart," which invariably have a sign with a white deer displayed!
Comment by Tom Caceci — January 22, 2009 @ 2:31 am
Darrell is a very unique individual. He disabled at a very young age and everyday can be a challenge. His dream is to have a hunting farm for people who are handicapped to come and enjoy the ability to be able to hunt. He is a person who works hard to still enjoy life and the people around him. It is the opposite for him with the superstition. He actually feels that he has received 2 amazing gifts. He feels very blessed even with his disability. Even on his worst days he talks about how lucky he is. I am blessed to be married to this wonderful man.
Comment by Melisa Justice — January 24, 2009 @ 1:03 pm
ohh duddy, i aint never seen an albiner before way to go BIG GUY
Comment by Bon Jovi — January 25, 2009 @ 5:38 pm
Melisa,
Darrell is just as lucky as you say that you are.
Comment by Harry Daughtry — January 29, 2009 @ 8:05 pm
You all seem to 'get' that the deer is rare, as it is indeed a white albino...yet no one has admonished the idiot who killed it anyway. It's a no-brainer..you don't shoot white deer. Period. Jeeez..how had is it to shoot a glaring bright all white target anyway? What a jerk.
--OK. You're entitled to your opinion. But what is your reasoning? Because it's an "easy" target? Or because it's supposedly "bad luck." mt
Comment by Mo Telligent — February 27, 2009 @ 9:55 pm
Mo Telligent an albino deer is rare to some but if you check web you will find about 100 stories on this color of animal.
In fact a albino deer is a genetic anomaly a defect to say the least. These deer are usually born blind, deaf, or any number of problems that can cause more damage to a deer population. Maybe you should consider that the next time you see a deer laying on the side of the road.
Just because it's white, brown, pi-bald and even black which is truly rare these deer should be removed from the population to ensure a healthy heard for generations to come.
To call this man a jerk would be thoughtless and unwise. Maybe you should do a little research before you start calling people names.
Mar Twain once said:
"Better to keep your mouth closed and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt"?
Comment by Static lines — February 28, 2009 @ 5:08 pm
Well I don't think Darrell Justice is a nice person, why kill something as beautiful and rare as an albino deer. I am lucky enough to live near a forest where there are quite a few White Deer these are not albino's either and they are never shot by the hunters unless its by poachers.
Disabled or not does not give him the right to kill something rare,
SHAME ON YOU
Comment by Jackie Chapman — April 18, 2009 @ 4:34 am
Jackie I find your comment a farce. If a family of albino deer populates you area of forest then how truly rare are they in the entire deer population?
Then you go with poachers yada, yada, yada smack... The pitiful part is your comment falls on the heels of Jesse the liar pretending to be a distraught kid looking for names for ducks on a widely known hunting and fishing blog Duh.
Just ridiculously incredible to put it mildly. Darrel Justice not only garnered a trophy, and put meat on the table He removed an animal that would inherently past on bad traits to an entire population of deer. So where is the shame in that.
Did you know that albino deer is hyper sensitive to light? Maybe you should turn the Discovery Channel or watch Keith Warren Deer Stories or even watch The Dr. Deer segments on the Outdoor Channel for some enlightening on deer management.
Really you don't have to raise deer to understand them......
Nor do I suspect a deer from the Disney Channel is going to give you a ride to work.
Way to Go Darrell Justice!!
Comment by Static Lines — April 19, 2009 @ 3:01 pm
The guy who killed the albino deer did nothing wrong. I have seen a total of five female white deer in Fayette County PA since I was twelve years old. I can say that four of the five were true albinos because they were as white as snow and had the pink from the ears down to the nose. Three of the give I saw were alive, while two were killed by a family of hunters. I have a photo of one that survived at least seven years near Dawson, PA near my relatives' grandparents home. That doe was ingored by the other deer for at least five years and had no fawns until her sixth year for some reason. During her sixth year, she produced two brown fawns and other deer started to hang around with her. Weird stuff!
I could not determine if the last one I saw near Smithton PA on 11/02/2009 was a true albino because it was in a posted field with two other deer running away from my headlights. It was cool to see another white deer because once the deer got out of my headlights, you could only see the white one still running up the hill. I am now 37 and realize how lucky I have been to see that many white deer, but the genetics are in the area. Any time a white deer is known to exist, everyone seems to give it special treatment and say that you will have so many years of bad luck if you shoot it. That is a bunch of crap ok. God put white and brown deer here. Why should the white ones be considered so special compared to the others? I sense deer racism lol. Any meat-eating person who criticizes someone for shooting a white deer needs to visit a slaughterhouse to watch young cows and pigs get their throats cut and heads blown off. They are cute too, but we kill them and eat them. Some of us kill on our own to have meat while others simply pay others to do it for them. We are all killers to some extent.
Comment by Mike — November 4, 2009 @ 8:36 am