Richard...
I should know better than to name him. We met several months ago. Albinos are 'technically' protected... but people are stupid.
That's pretty cool! I haven't seen a fully albino deer down here, but at a remote evening shift posting I had several years ago (a decade and change, actually...) we had an evening visitor to the Water Treatment Plant, a 'piebald' deer. Piebalds are splotched white and brown, they are often deaf or blind. I was reassigned from there in 2010... but that one hung around for a while I heard.
When we first met earlier this year I thought he was a piebald.
I am conflicted. I do not hunt, yet we have many deer that hangout. I like venison. I am working at getting our dogs NOT to bark at deer, telling them that ‘
that might be your next meal’. Now Richard has me feeling empathy for his different appearance.
Weeks ago a fellow white tail entered the pasture where Richard was. There was recognition, then the other deer turned and walked away, I understand what anthropomorphism is and feel guilty of having it. I also feel that anyone who would hunt him is NOT a sportsman. Hitting a blazing white target is too easy - like fish in a barrel.
Last night my wife said he had a friend with him while eating the apples under the trees in the front yard.
