Can These Rare White Deer Be Saved?

Once Safe On Army Depot, White Deer Could Be Pushed Out By Development

(CBS)  White deer may be the closest things to mythical unicorns. They are so rare that Native Americas called them 'ghosts,' believing that they had magical powers.

The Seneca Army Depot is home to most of them. CBS News correspondent Bianca Solorzano reports on their fate.

"Because they are unique, we have a situation here that no one else has in the entire world, almost 300 white animals," says Dennis Money of the Seneca White Deer Group.

White because of a recessive gene, there is an extraordinary herd is tucked away in Seneca County, New York. Most people don't even know the deer exist because they live on a former army depot, surrounded by a 24-mile fence meant to keep intruders out – and the deer in.

"Two white fawns were seen in the 1950s," Money says. "They so captured the heart of the commander that he forbid GI's from shooting any white deer. Those two white fawns raplied multiplied into the world largest herd of white deer."

But the herd is caught in a modern day dilemma. A business group wants to develop 7,500 acres of the former depot while Dennis Money's white deer group wants to turn the land into a nature preserve.

"I think if we can market this as a conservation park, this could be a world treasure, a treasure, a world tourist attraction for upstate New York," Money says.

The depot is New York State's largest block of land available for development, and county officials feel it should stay in experienced hands.

Seneca County is an area that's hurting economically – still trying to recover from massive job losses over the past two decades. That's why local business developers see this army depot as a gold mine for economic development.

"We have sold off the military housing, which is now upscale housing along the water," says Glenn Cooke of the Seneca County Industrial Development Agency. "We have a new state prison – it's maximum security – that's created 650 new jobs."

Money, though, contends his group has its own solid business plan – one that's fueled by his own passion.

Under the depot's decommissioning plan, the army maintains the area until 2012, giving county officials time to decide how much land, if any, the conservation group will get.

"We're looking to preserve the deer, but also pursue other activity that won't compromise their viability here," Glenn Cooke says. "We feel we can do both.'

That would be a unique balance that migt be hard to achieve, but it could save the white deer.

[HHANNUKSELA]

I live in Rhode Island and I see white deer every day! They are all over the place around my house and every one in the neighborhood has also seen them. They are skinny, really small and still haven't shed out even though it's June. And even though the antlers show they are about 3 years old they are only the size of small goats. Just thought you'd like to know.

[lesscan]

I just saw a White Deer at 2:00 AM on April 9 2009, in Chicago Heights, IL. Is therre someone I should contact to report this sighting? Like a conservation society?

[oldarmymp]

Want to see more about the Seneca Army Depot White Deer. Go to the Seneca White Deer, Inc web site at www.senecawhitedeer.org and see the history and the plan to save the Depot for all of us.

[ecuadoriana]

Soylent Green, yeah, that's the ticket.

[rf35]

OK, enough with the name-calling, folks. That makes all people who care about nature look bad. Anyway, so the white deer population was forced by the fence...tear down the fence. Otherwise, leave the area alone. I%u2019m sure there are plenty of places to develop. How is another strip mall and some tract housing going to feed starving Americans? Maybe the money should go to support them, but certainly not to develop this land. On the other hand, if we do destroy enough of our natural world and kill off enough species, then the human overpopulation problem will pretty much take care of itself. Anyone remember the article a week or so back about the oceans being no longer sustainable by 2048? If that happens, we won%u2019t have to worry the deer, the starving families, or anything else, really, will we?

[ecuadoriana]

I'm sorry, oldarmyMP, but it does disgust me to hear animals referred to as "harvested". Animals are not "crops", no more than humans are crops.

"There are a very few white deer taken each year, but mostly brown deer are harvested."

That is like saying "there are very few white people taken each year, but mostly brown people are harvested."

Now we are picking & choosing which colours are more deserving of saving?

[oldarmymp]

The white Deer at Seneca Army Depot are not albino which are what most folks see in the wild. These have brown pigmentation, not pink. There is a hunting program on the Depot to keep the population on the 10,500 acres under control. There has been since 1956 when I was stationed there in the Army. There are a very few white deer taken each year, but mostly brown deer are harvested. There are a lot of other wildlife on the Depot such as Fox, Coyote, Turkey, Osprey and many species of migratory waterfowl. There is also a lot of military history on the Depot. Some writing inside one of the ammunition bunkers dates back to 1941. But the whte deer at Seneca Army Depot are special to us old soldiers. Why must they join the list of extinct creatures as did the passenger Pigeon. Our tax money was used to purchase and maintain the Army Depot for decades. We should have a say in the disposition of the Depot. There is a lot of open land surounding the Depot that could be used for development but the County does not own that property. Why must money always be the controlling factor? Save the White Deer at Seneca Army Depot!

[bluestardad]

Save the Deer we have enough appartments and walmarts you pimps!

[ecuadoriana]

So, brackattacks, Do you propose that the soldiers of war EAT their victims??? When will you be signing up?

"..just like we have wars..to keep the people from over populating..."

[bobacorn]

Especially cute white ones. :)

[bobacorn]

WOW! That sure is a cute deer. Move the people out. We need less people and more deer.

[justagrandma]

I very much admire the Army Commander and all those who served after him at Seneca Army Depot. For over 50 years, military personnel have cared enough about these particular white deer to keep them protected, safe and pretty much hidden from the rest of us. The personnel at Seneca Army Depot, whether they knew it or not, carried on a long and inspiring tradition of protecting these deer. That protection is now gone.

The first thought most individuals have regarding large parcels of U.S. Government surplused land is to buy it cheep, develop it and make a huge profit. That%u2019s a no brainer! And, unless Seneca County of New York already owns this property and is leasing it to the Army, shouldn%u2019t the U.S. Government decide who buys it? Why is the county deciding the future of this government land and in turn the future of these white deer?

[sirsean]

I think the main point here is a herd of white deer descended from 2 white fawns. That means a recessive trait artificially preserved by enforced inbreeding. Enforced by a manmade fence & a manmade ban on hunting white deer. Native American's may revere the occasional white deer created by nature, but, these were not created by nature.

Here in N/W PA we have a similar situation. German Carp that aren't even supposed to be here are being protected by the local tourist business's to the point where the state is now spending millions of dollars on the "Spillway" carp viewing & feeding area. It's sick.

Maybe the Army Depot land should be a nature preserve. But, not for a manmade herd of white deer.

[brackattack]

do you now why people hunt and why there is hunting in the united states...becasue its a way to keep the animals from over populating..just like we have wars..to keep the people from over populating its the natural order of things.

[ecuadoriana]

rllargen, that was a beautiful post! Thank you! I am going to quote you when I get into future debates with those whining about americans not feeding their poor, all the while the government allows the developers to take over land & houses already being lived in to make room for McMalls & McMansions!

"Who is going to feed America? Eat your condo."

Perfect!

[gbalpha33]

So what if they are not rare. And are we talking about deer Indian history. Developers are always taking over our farm and nature areas, in the name of progress. Where I live, on 8 acres, there are no more quail, no more doves, no more foxes, a O'possum and racoon now and then, and a road kill skunk. Makes me sick to see the houses instead of the food in these fields. Who is going to feed America? Eat your condo.

[ecuadoriana]

brackattacks, you say "im not inbred im not redneck..", but I say you are an example of what has gone seriously wrong with the world's supposedly most intellegent animal.

You wrote, "but we worry so much over stupid animals...we should think about PEOPLE first instead of animals." Well, when you & your inbred redneck buddies have managed to wipe out every living creature on the planet to satisfy your insatiable appetite for stuffing your beer gut with food (murdered animals) what then? Will you then turn to eating each other? And when the animals are wiped out & the earth dies- because animals are part of the natural balance of nature (guns are not a natural element in hunting- try killing a deer with your bare hands, that would be natural) the destruction of them will be the destruction of ourselves. And since I have a stake in this experience called life, I refuse to allow inbred beer swilling gun toting lunatics like yourself to dictate to me how you think the world should be- all about your need for the extinction of the planet.

When humans can learn to control their own population, then we can call ourselves authorities on controlling the population of other living creatures. "Wildlife Management" indeed- we can't manage our own sorry selves!

It may be rare to have so many in one place, they are far from rare, I have personally seen three of them, and they have been sited several time up and down the east from Maine to Florida and as far west as Michigan and Wisconsin, here in North Carolina several have been seen around the Clayton-Garner area

[j_flood]

At first I thought this open comment service was a great idea. Now I'm not too sure. Some people have the sensitivity of a brick, while others use it for name calling. I'm getting so now I just read the article and skip the comments. Bye now.

[brackattack]

im not inbred im not redneck..but we worry so much over stupid animals about saving them and spending money to save a support these rare animals..when that money could to feed starving american familys. we should think about PEOPLE first instead of animals.