Piebald Deer in Area

[Kev]

In the South Bend area for the last few years, my father has been watching a Piebald doe come and go. She keeps coming back to the area and is just fun to watch.
Recently just this past month, I saw my first Piebald deer on my property.. about 10 miles from my father's. We can tell it is a different one from the patterns on it.

But it got me to thinking, should the Piebald deer be considered just a rare occurrence? Or is it actually a negative trait that could be hereditary?
Anyone have any background on this?
Thanks!

 

[Mike H]

I can't answer your questions but piebalds are cool! I have seen a couple in my 40+ years in the field. Yes IMO I would say they are rare. If I remember correctly North American Whitetail magazine profiled a nice piebald buck a hunter got a while back.
They kind of remind me of an appaloosa horse with the markings. I hope you get to see them again. If I had a trail camera I would be putting that sucker out. Pic's would be real cool because there is no setpattern to the coloration of piebalds. Probably no 2 ever alike. That alone is special.

 

[Kev]

I actually got a picture of it on my trail cam!
I'll try to get it posted on here for everyone soon..

 

[Kev]

Ok, here it is:

 

[trailrider]

Cool pic. I've never seen one before. Thanks for sharing.

 

[MRP2003]

I was told that piebald was more rare than albino. I saw a piebald buck checked in last year at the Outdoorsman Shop during the first day of the special archery season, forget the name of the season but it started around Sept 15 last year

 

[Dargasonus]

ive seen albino, but never one of these. thanks for sharing the pic!

 

[w_ADAM_d88]

I shot one it was a 3 pointer and have the hide tanned hanging on my wall. I've got a pic in my album of a few guns laid on it.

 

[darend505]

A piebald or pied animal is one that has a spotting pattern of large unpigmented, usually white, areas of hair, feathers, or scales and normally pigmented patches, generally black. The colour of the animal's skin underneath its coat is also pigmented under the dark patches and unpigmented under the white patches. This alternating colour pattern is irregular and asymmetrical. Animals with this pattern may include horses, dogs, birds, cats, pigs, and cattle, as well as snakes such as the ball python. Some animals also exhibit colouration of the irises of the eye that match the surrounding skin (blue eyes for pink skin, brown for dark). The underlying genetic cause is related to a condition known as leucism.

 

[billcollector]

I was told albinos and piebald deer are protected and can't be shot. Is this true?

 

[dbd870]

In some states there are restrictions but not here.

 

[sepe]

In some states there are restrictions but not here.

In some cultures you could be shooting grandma or grandpa.

 

[Hookeye]

In some cultures you could be shooting grandma or grandpa.

Proly should have kept 'em in the will then

 

[Mike H]

I was told albinos and piebald deer are protected and can't be shot. Is this true?

Not in this State.
Illiannoys prohibits shooting albino deer. I don't know about other States but its legal in In.

 

[markiemark]

That is awesome and would be cool to have a hide. I hope they become more popular in the state.

 

[w_ADAM_d88]

I was told albinos and piebald deer are protected and can't be shot. Is this true?

I shot mine in VA (See pic in #8). In VA they are not protected and it is recommended by the DGIF (aka DNR) that they be shot. Like albino's it is an inherited genetic trait that is passed along, and usually has other deformities also. In VA a lot of people call them "Calico's" instead of piebalds.

 

[Kev]

I got another (better) pic of it on my camera... I will post soon.. so stay tuned..

 

[boomboom]

That is one wild looking deer I have never seen one in my 40+.

 

[rdg]

My father-in-law shot an Albino doe 25 years (or so) ago and they took it from him when he checked it in saying it was illegal to harvest an albino. They later changed the rule and I felt sorry for him because he wanted to have the hide tanned.

I have seen multiple piebald throughout the state (even in Marion county), but have not seen any albinos, so I would think albinos would be the rare ones!

 

[rcdouble2]

I have hunted 20 plus years, have killed 20 plus deer. Never seen or heard about one till now. Thanks for sharing.