See a White Deer in Maine? Here’s How Rare That Would Actually Be
You've probably seen a deer at least once in Maine, but what about a white deer?
According to News Center Maine, officials stated in 2022 that there are about 310,000 to 320,000 deer in Maine.
Yeah, but what about white deer?
First, you might be forgiven if you interchanged "white deer" with "albino deer" when talking about the subject, but that's not quite correct.
What is a piebald deer?
There is also a white deer that, according to A-Z Animals, has "white spots on a pigmented background" called a piebald deer. These are deer that could certainly be mistaken for albino deer depending on how white they are, but they aren't completely white.
According to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, "the amount of white hair [on a piebald deer] can range considerably from just a small, discrete patch to nearly 100% white hair."
And there have been a few examples of these rare sightings. Like in 2020, News Center Maine reported on a Falmouth man that said he spotted a piebald deer behind his house, and in 2018, one was spotted in Harrington.
And if you really want to see one? You can check out a piebald at the Maine Wildlife Park.
How rare are piebald deer?
But as for how rare it actually is? A-Z Animals states that studies have revealed that the "deer population consists of less than 2 percent of piebald deer." So pretty rare.
That said, seeing an actual albino deer ups the stats when it comes to rarity.
How rare is it to see an albino deer?
Mossy Oak, which characterizes albino deer as "solid white with pink eyes, nose, and hooves" emphasizes your near-impossible odds of seeing one. It states that you've got a one in 30,000 shot to spot one.
So good luck.
This video on YouTube thinks it spotted an albino deer near Bangor, Maine, but what do you think? Maybe? It's more likely another piebald that looks mostly white.
So have you been someone who has spotted a white deer be it piebald or albino? Definitely count yourself lucky if you have, and maybe consider going to buy a lottery ticket. Don't let your luck run out.