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Two albino deer were found mutilated in Virginia. Community rallies to find culprit

The sun was hardly up when residents of Patrick County, Virginia, noticed heaps of white littering a nearby field. The heaps turned out to be two rare albino deer, found shot dead with missing body parts apparently taken as trophies.

Now the community is seeking answers.

In the early morning of Monday, Dec. 6, a mother doe and her fawn were found shot and killed in Patrick County, which borders North Carolina, the Martinsville Bulletin reported. Game Warden Dale Owens told the newspaper that the individual didn’t have permission to hunt on the property and were shooting from the roadway sometime between midnight and 5 a.m.

Later in the afternoon, Facebook community group Virginia Whitetails posted a photo of the deer carcasses, asking anyone who had information to help out the community in finding the culprit.

“We have been watching these deer for a while now and for someone to just not even respect them is just sickening,” one Facebook member, Brooke Spencer, commented. “Please share so they can catch whoever did this and if you know something please contact the game warden!”

“This is why hunters get a bad rap,” another member named Michele Nicholson commented. “The hunters I know are very ethical. I hope they catch whoever did this. Very sad.”

Law enforcement have taken notice in the county, too. The Patrick County Sheriff’s office announced that it would offer a $350 award to anyone who can provide information on the incident. The announcement gathered around 250 shares on Facebook as of Dec. 8.

The Patrick County Sheriff’s Office referred McClatchy News to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

It wasn’t the first time residents had seen the deer, the Martinsville Bulletin reported. One resident at a nearby home told the media outlet that he enjoyed the deers’ company.

“We enjoyed having them around, and it was just so rare,” Junius Warren told the newspaper. “I’m a deer hunter, but I wouldn’t kill an albino and certainly not its fawn. Whoever did this needs to accept responsibility.”

White-tailed deer are the most popular game species in Virginia, according to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources records. According to Virginia’s mandatory game checking system, each successful deer hunter is required by law to check harvested deer at a physical check station, by calling a toll free number, or online to receive an official check card or confirmation number.

It isn’t the first time rare deer have been spotted across America. One hunter in Illinois noticed a pale target during one of his expeditions in the woods and realized it was an albino deer.

“I want him to grow old,” Jamie Lambert told McClatchy News, calling it a once in a lifetime sighting.

Anyone with information on the two shot deer in Patrick County are encouraged to contact Game Warden Dale Owens at 276-692-6978.

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