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Oakfield teen's first deer bow hunting is an albino

By Howard B. Owens

Emily Staniszewski, a 14-year-old Oakfield resident, killed her first deer this week bow hunting, but not just any deer. It's an albino buck.

She made the kill of the three pointer in Chautauqua County.

Kimberly Staniszewski said the deer is quite the trophy for her daughter.

"Needless to say we are planning on having a full mount of this unique animal to admire for many years to come," Kimberly said.

Kyle Couchman

The eyes look awful dark to be albino. I do know there is a breed of white deer in NY. It's common on the lands of the Seneca Army Depot as it was accidentally fenced in when they enclosed the base. I have pictures and video of them so I know they aren'y albino as they do have pigment. This one has black eyes and it looks like a stripe of regular deer color above the yeys like an eyebrow. Either way a once in a lifetime trophy. Congrats Emily

Nov 16, 2013, 8:47pm Permalink
Brian Schollard

The ones at Seneca are Piebalds. This one looks like it has pink around the eyes. Hard to tell from the photo if its a true albino nonetheless I wouldn't kill one,,, way too superstitious and I don't hunt.

Nov 16, 2013, 10:34pm Permalink
Jason Post

According to the Seneca White Deer site: http://senecawhitedeer.org/white-deer-natural-resources/white-deer-sene…

As Kyle says, a true albino deer has pink eyes. A white deer has brown eyes. From what the website says, there is a recessive gene for white coloration in the normal white-tail population. The Seneca Army Depot caught quite a few deer inside their fences. As the Army Depot fence failed to capture any significant predator population, the white deer fawns survived to adulthood where normally they might not. Over the past 70 years controlled hunting efforts have been used to reduce the population of deer to prevent overpopulation. When these hunting efforts were allowed the order was given to not take any white deer, thus increasing the prominence of white deer among the group.

Nov 17, 2013, 7:31am Permalink
Ed Hartgrove

Look at the deer against the green-grass background. Then, try imagining it after a couple heavy snows. Would probably be close to invisible.

Nice hunting, Emily!

Nov 17, 2013, 11:28pm Permalink

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