Benthejockey Posted January 10, 2019 Report Share Posted January 10, 2019 Talking to a farmer the other morning and a local walker had seen a couple of white deer. Ball cocks thought I. I’d seen a fallow pricket in the area early last year but this is a roe strong hold - even though I haven’t seen any for ages especially when I’ve been out shooting. Imagine my surprise when I checked a fresh camera trap that’s only been up a week or so and there’s white deer on it! Apparently a small herd of fallow does have moved in. What’s even more bizarre is there’s all colour types - common, Menil, leucistic and melanistic. I’m not up on fallow genetics, could this be natural variation or are they runaways from a collection? I’m going to feed them and hopefully they’ll stay. I’m absolutely amazed at the variation and that they’ve just appeared here. They look youngish does so could they have split off the main herd and formed their own little herd or is it more likely they’re on the run? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tford Posted January 11, 2019 Report Share Posted January 11, 2019 Where I ahoot I seem to get more menil, leucistic, melanistic than ‘normal’ colourations... couldn’t say much about how yours arrived though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benthejockey Posted January 11, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2019 The white ones are weird looking aren’t they! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tford Posted January 11, 2019 Report Share Posted January 11, 2019 Certainly are... not exactly a evolutionary benefit. Stood out like a sore thumb this time of year. She’d have been laughing in the snow though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rim Fire Posted January 11, 2019 Report Share Posted January 11, 2019 I was out on my perm boxing day and if it wasent for the white one with them i wouldn't have seen them in the wood running through still didn't get a shot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benthejockey Posted January 11, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2019 Sounds like I’ve been lucky in finding all 4 colour variants but they’re not all that uncommon. I do wonder where they’ve come from though. There’s a herd that ranges over a vast territory on our side of the A49 but they’re all common coloured. But then they’d be easy enough to poach off the road whereas these new ones on the other side of the road are harder to find. I only found them more by accident than anything else! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted January 11, 2019 Report Share Posted January 11, 2019 (edited) Easy to see though This one was on full rut when I shot him and looked a brownish ginger colour with all the 'stain' flowing from him and muck he had thrown about. Major job for the taxidermist just to get the cape clean but he do a good job. This one was shot in 1986 and in Texas USA, free ranging and the whole herd was white. Only think I have seen one white one in the UK in the wild over 40yrs on fallow territory. Edited January 11, 2019 by Walker570 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benthejockey Posted January 11, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2019 There you go Neville wild white fallow. They’re not as impressive as your big lad mind you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted January 11, 2019 Report Share Posted January 11, 2019 (edited) Even I could see those I bet they taste the same though. If I remember that far back I believe Bramsill Police College used to have an enclosed herd of white fallow. Mate of mine used to cull the coloured ones which got in occasionally. Edited January 11, 2019 by Walker570 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benthejockey Posted January 11, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2019 There’s a little black ****** in some of these photos and he’s the most camouflage of all of them. And the Menil and white stick out like beacons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShootingEgg Posted January 12, 2019 Report Share Posted January 12, 2019 On 11/01/2019 at 14:43, Benthejockey said: There’s a little black ****** in some of these photos and he’s the most camouflage of all of them. And the Menil and white stick out like beacons. Its great to have one in a herd and leave it, makes it easy to find them... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benthejockey Posted January 12, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2019 11 minutes ago, ShootingEgg said: Its great to have one in a herd and leave it, makes it easy to find them... Ive got 3 so one can come and live in my freezer 😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShootingEgg Posted January 12, 2019 Report Share Posted January 12, 2019 1 hour ago, Benthejockey said: Ive got 3 so one can come and live in my freezer 😂 Too right!!! Good eating... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslad Posted January 14, 2019 Report Share Posted January 14, 2019 On 12/01/2019 at 19:06, ShootingEgg said: Its great to have one in a herd and leave it, makes it easy to find them... While i agree with the above, and have heard them called 'judas' fallow as give herd away. But if a new herd on newish ground any white 1's will attract attention of undesirbles and u might end up the whole lot poached if ur in a bad area. So mibee take the lot?? It's a shame when u have to think like that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benthejockey Posted January 14, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2019 I spoke to the farmer after I’d seen the photos. I said not to tell anyone they’re about for that very reason. The main issue maybe how many people have already seen them. It’s a fairly quiet spot so hopefully they’ll be ok! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslad Posted January 15, 2019 Report Share Posted January 15, 2019 Aye but sadly if there was no white 1's even fewer folk would see them. They do stand out plus the 'novelty' factor Sad when u have to manage deer for those reasons but sometimes better for the rest of them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old man Posted January 16, 2019 Report Share Posted January 16, 2019 On 15/01/2019 at 11:46, scotslad said: Aye but sadly if there was no white 1's even fewer folk would see them. They do stand out plus the 'novelty' factor Sad when u have to manage deer for those reasons but sometimes better for the rest of them Sadly think the same scotslad. Just the same as trying to leave big boys to improve, always someone to ruin the intention? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted January 16, 2019 Report Share Posted January 16, 2019 (edited) Knowing fallow they could all be gone tomorrow so cull sensibly and hope the two legged vermin don't get amongst them. Try and keep them away from roads and public access as in my experience they work in threes, spotter car, shooter car and then carcase van. They don't like to work to far from a four wheeled escape because they know it will be maybe next day before police turn out. They have all the kit as well, thermals the lot. Edited January 16, 2019 by Walker570 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClemFandango Posted January 16, 2019 Report Share Posted January 16, 2019 2 hours ago, Walker570 said: Knowing fallow they could all be gone tomorrow so cull sensibly and hope the two legged vermin don't get amongst them. Try and keep them away from roads and public access as in my experience they work in threes, spotter car, shooter car and then carcase van. They don't like to work to far from a four wheeled escape because they know it will be maybe next day before police turn out. They have all the kit as well, thermals the lot. That's why leaving/shooting white deer doesn't make a ****s worth of difference any more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted January 16, 2019 Report Share Posted January 16, 2019 22 minutes ago, ClemFandango said: That's why leaving/shooting white deer doesn't make a ****s worth of difference any more. 100% Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benthejockey Posted January 17, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2019 I might get chance to go and have a look this afternoon weather dependant, also the munchkin has been awake since 2 this morning and me and her have been up since 4 watching the discovery channel! Just managed to get her to go to sleep in her swingy chair whilst her mum had a couple of hours sleep! Hopefully she’ll give Mrs BTJ an easy morning whilst I’m at work! Otherwise getting out shooting might be a bit tricky 😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
activeviii Posted January 17, 2019 Report Share Posted January 17, 2019 Im told by all my land owners that i must shoot all the light and white before anything else. poachers deer. you can see them for miles and find one, you can bet there's a few commons that you wouldn't have seen. the land owners are starting to lighten up now that thermal is easy to get hold of as their all white in the thermal. i still shoot the bucks out but i like the does. Goats i call them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benthejockey Posted January 18, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2019 I thought they were goats when I first saw the picture thumbnails on my phone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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