Whitey

Albino Deer spotted in Southeast Saline, Michigan

SALINE, MICHIGAN   NOVEMBER 16, 2003

Check out this albino deer (pictured right) that wandered into our backyard yesterday.  Several things were unusual about this event.  First, I  don't know how rare an albino deer is but I've never seen one.  At first glance I thought it was my neighbor Julio's goat.  I screamed to my wife, "Honey, there's a god damn UN-I-CORN in our backyard!  Get the gun!"

Second, this is the first deer we've seen in our almost two years here in Saline.  We've often seen tracks, but our proximity to Moon road keeps them away.

Third, and most interesting to me, is that yesterday was the opening of rifle deer season in Michigan, and I've always heard from hunters that deer have a sixth sense about this time of year, and exhibit strange patterns of movement.  Hmm.

Update 11/27/03: We spotted the albino deer once again in our backyard on Thanksgiving day, around the afternoon time.

Update 12/06/03: Ann Arbor News staff report Lisa Klionsky ran a piece in the Local section about this deer roaming throughout downtown Saline.  Funny, the police officer quoted in the paper had the same first impression as I: that this was a goat.  The police "escorted" the deer out of downtown.  Here are some excerpts from the story:

• Albino deer don't tend to live too long because they often have other physical abnormalities and because they lack camouflage, says Jason Dinsmore, a Michigan United Conservation Club wildlife specialist.

• The "deer incident" was "definitely the biggest thing we had all night", said Sandy Wood, Saline police department spokeswoman.  Comment:  It's nice to live in Mayberry-esque Saline where this is the biggest issue on a given day.