what to do with an albino pheasant?

H

hoytinak

New member
While out playing around the farm on the 4-wheeler today I flushed out an albino pheasant. Couldn't see his eyes but he was white as can be....pretty good size too. I've seen him around our land a couple times before and all I could think of was how good he'd look on my living room wall. So this coming Nov. during pheasant season if I happen to flush him out again, should I put him on the wall....or....since he is pretty special should I just let him be?
 
Not sure about the laws in your state, but in many states it is illegal to shoot an albino animal. I'd be content to see the bird whenever you can and let it live.
 
He probably won't last long, albinos are different, and anything that is different in the animal kingdom stands out and doesn't last long. I would try my hardest to get him. He either ends up on your wall or as coyote poop, I think its easier to enjoy him on your wall.
 
Albino animals don't usually last long. If you really want him on your wall, try stalking him with a camera so you won't have to wait for hunting season.

pax
 
Could you maybe like,, find him allready perished? And then take him to the game and fish? here in Wyo if you find a dead animal w//impressive horns, etc. A game warden can issue a permit to collect said horns and then you are legal to have them mounted or whatever.
elkman06
 
Here in Iowa it is illegal to take any albino animal,a few years back there was an albino doe that was around for 5 or 6 years some hunters found what was left of her in the woods during hunting season.I don't think she had any albino off spring as none has been seen since. ELMOUSMC
 
Looks like it is legal to hunt albinos in Texas so this week I'm gonna set the cameras up and keep on eye on him. Who knows, by the time Nov. comes I might just wanna keep him as pet. :D
 
I would target him. Recessive genes are bad for the pool. Not to mention it is a trophy in it's rarity...
Brent
 
Have a standard, a black and a white all mounted and shown together. Attention getters. Need a golden. They all taste good.
 
It probably doesn't matter if you shoot it or not, so far as the local genetics goes. Albinism is usually autosomal recessive, so the recessive alleles are still floating around the local quail population (because we know at least the parents were carriers, and almost certainly related to some degree). So shoot it or don't, it won't significantly effect the likelihood of encountering more albinos in the future.
 
Albinos usually have a very low or even none existent resistance to disease. Their immunities are very low which exposes them to a lot of things they wouldn't normally have to deal with. If it were me, I would probably take him down and take some pride in it. I'ts not every day that you come across one and it will probably end up dead soon anyways. Who knows, you might save it from a pretty bad disease...

F-C
 
Do the little guy a favor and take all his worries away. If you kill him, he won't have to worry about getting sick, finding food, and staying away from the coyotes, foxes, and bobcats. Go ahead, be the good guy and take all his worries away.
 
The laws against taking albinos makes no sense. As mentioned here, albino animals are genetically very weak. It is best to prevent them from reproducing.
 
William, that doesn't worry me one bit. I've always said," If there were more folks like me, this World would be a MUCH better place".
 
I have often heard about regs that forbid the taking of albino game, yet when I've looked into it I have not found it to be illegal anywhere. In PA the game commission addresses albinos in their hunting publication, they say to go ahead and shoot them for they usually are piebald and if actually albino have a significant chance of not surviving long on their own..

Most white game animals are not albino but just white. True albinos are usually nearly blind and often shunned by their own kind. Don't know how they could be protected since you will only know if it is an albino, and not piebald or white, when you can clearly see it's pink eyes.

They are a genetic mutation that does nothing to improve the species. Most birds that are white are usually not albino but just have white plumage. For those that want a mount, get your animal bleached and colored white, don't know if they can bleach and color feathers white though.
 
I'm not sure if quail feathers can be fully bleached (blue, in particular, is caused by the crystalline structure of the feather and not a pigment).

I'm of the opinion that any genetic variety is a good thing (maybe not for the individual homozygous for the recessive condition, but for the population as a whole) . Variety ensures survival in changing times.
 
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