White roebuck

wadashot

Well-Known Member
I was reading about the white roebuck in the daily Mail on Monday which has been spotted just outside Kirkconnel in Dumfrieshire and was interested in the fact that the lease holder of the ground had said he wasn`t going to shoot the beast as it was so rare. Apparently Kevin Stuart, the stalker on the ground has been offered £5400 from a German client to shoot it. But he has said he doesn`t want to and would rather "protect it", fair enough, i think.
This got me thinking, if the white yearling roebuck was on your ground, would you sell it for £5,400?
Here`s a couple of things i would be thinking about if it were on any ground i had. Firstly, as with all these white animals that appear every now and again, once they have been put out into the media, this is a death sentence as they all seem to get shot, usually by poachers. Remember the pair of white fox cubs a few years ago?
I think that i may be tempted and here is why, first of all it`s a yearling which won`t be holding a territory and so will soon be ousted by a more mature buck. So, there is every possibility that it will get pushed from Mr Stuarts ground and onto someone elses whom might not be so caring, and as it will stand out like a sore p**** evey poacher in Scotland will be on the lookout, so to me it`s just a matter of time before it`s killed anyway, which is a shame.
So, what would you do, would you be tempted, if so, why and if not, why not?.
Just my thoughts.

wadas
 
White Roe Doe , Lake District .

Just another rare facet of Mother Nature , why would any normal person want to kill it ?

HWH .
WhiteRoeDoeTargets003-2.jpg
 
"The white coated roebuck deer has a genetic defect which could damage the gene pool of the domestic species."

That's the issue in a nutshell really. :lol:
 
Random Genetic variability - natures way of trying out something new at random to see if it works. If we were heading for an ice age instead of global warming then it would work. The one in te lakes is atrue albino, rather than just a white coat, albinos do have other health defects often associated with them.

Moral - shoot something just because its different? Up to the shooter. I wouldn't. Also need to consider public reaction. A picture of a white deer dripping in blood after a gralloch would not go down well.

Practical - nature weeds out albino deer in other ways, it doesnt need us to do it. It's a trait which does not survive unless the animals are domesticated e.g. ferrets, mice. Roe deer rarely make it past 4 or 5 years anyway.

Herd heath - would other deer want to mate with it?? is there any evidence for that?

Commercial - £5400? Business sense says yes.

If you left it, the whole herd would not turn white as its a recessive trait.
 
Anybody thats been to ronnie roses place at fingland will have seen a head mount of a white buck, cant remember the full story, but he was well known. I worked on a property not so far from there where it was common to see a white doe(honey in summer)and several deeer where shot with large white patches on them( not on thier arses :lol: )
Could they have been related to the fingland buck??????
Who knows??/

NELL
 
I would leave it alone and see what happens i read the article in the sporting rifle, i have seen a video of a white mature buck from above fortwilliam this was left until the lease changed hands and big money offered and taken!!!!!!!! that said odd roe still turn up with white patches on there sides and heads.

amberdog

p.s is the white doe still around in the lakes
 
Reported here in the Daily Telegraph:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/ea...te-deer-to-be-subject-of-hunting-auction.html

Is it me or a trick of the light, or does the animal in the picture seem to be wearing a collar?

From the article:

Charlie Jacoby, editor of Sporting Rifle magazine, said: "A white roebuck is extraordinary, a once-in-a-decade deer. Anyone who loves deer stalking will think about trying to shoot it."

I don't think he is doing stalkers any favours with a statement like this.
 
No way would I take £5,400 for that white roebuck if it was on my ground Wadas - it's got to be worth at least £8,000.
 
Its a white Roe and not a normal Roe. Thats all :rolleyes: However the fact that people are towting a price around for its head which is a ridiculous price does not go down well with what stalking and deer management stands for and is all about.

And as for some of the comments from PC and others in the press, well least said the better :rolleyes: :evil: :evil:

IMHO
 
Seems this is doing the rounds of a lot of forums lately. Found this example reference white patches in ST (24-04-2008).

STwhitefaceroe24-04-09.jpg


As a Stalking newbie, I have to ask the question and have done so on a general forum, but as this is the Stalking directory, might get a more experienced and informed response.

I was under the impression, food on the table aside, that the stalkers remit was to cull to maintain adequate numbers of each relevant species in their area, to cull to protect crops, grazing land, plantations, to cull sick, injured animals and to maintain the best genepool animals for future breeding? Now whilst the first three options are not relevant in this case, surely the fourth means that the animal, in season of course, should be culled?

Personally,if on my permission, I wouldn't just for the shear beauty, but as others have said, it won't hold territory and somebody out there will.

Also I posted on another forum, even to my inexperienced eyes this deer doesn't look like a Roe, more like CWD (Face & Ears too rounded) but what do I know.

SS
 
Suffolk Shooter said:
even to my inexperienced eyes this deer doesn't look like a Roe, more like CWD (Face & Ears too rounded) but what do I know.

Definitely a roe doe SS - the white caudal (rump) patch is typical of roe, and only the roe doe has an anal tush (that downward-pointing tuft of hair). CWD are a much more unifom colour, and don't have a distinctive pale rump in any case.

Plus there aren't any CWD at Faccombe (there used to be some on a private Hampshire estate about 10 miles away, but they seem to have given up at least 10 - 15 years ago)
 
There seems to be a worry that the odd abnormal coloured Deer may contaminate the gene pool and take over .
This is not the case and genetic colour variations can only be propagated in quantity under controlled breeding conditions .

I breed Budgerigars and have a fair knowledge of the genetic scene .
Wild Budgies were originally all green and the first mutation to appear was a yellow .
Now scores of beautiful colour varieties are available , currently I am trying to produce a yellow-faced , violet and white piebald specimen .

HWH.
 
The Mole said:
Suffolk Shooter said:
even to my inexperienced eyes this deer doesn't look like a Roe, more like CWD (Face & Ears too rounded) but what do I know.

Definitely a roe doe SS - the white caudal (rump) patch is typical of roe, and only the roe doe has an anal tush (that downward-pointing tuft of hair). CWD are a much more unifom colour, and don't have a distinctive pale rump in any case.
Mole

Sorry, I think I may have misled you with the attached picture. That is as you say definately a Roe. THE CWD I was referring to was in response to the picture shown on the Dail telegraph website that went with the first post.

Sorry for the confusion I may have caused.

SS
 
Hi `amberdog`.
The Lake District white Roe Doe is still with us and was seen on Saturday accompanied by a normal coloured youngster .
It was her first breeding season so what the future holds remains to be seen .
More good news also is the fact that she has moved to a more secure , secluded area .

HWH .
 
Thats good to know I saw the pictures in the bds deer mag ages a go and wondered what had happened she should be left alone could you post more pics if possible
amberdog
 
stag1933 said:
Hi `amberdog`.
The Lake District white Roe Doe is still with us and was seen on Saturday accompanied by a normal coloured youngster .
It was her first breeding season so what the future holds remains to be seen .
More good news also is the fact that she has moved to a more secure , secluded area .

HWH .

Hey Stag, There's a guy in Kirkconnel who may be interested in you doe! :confused:
 
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