Missouri hunter bags rare albino deer on last day of hunting season: 'All glory goes to God in this'

FOX NEWS - A Missouri hunter bagged a rare albino buck on the last day of firearm hunting season — a trophy he attributes to God’s help.

Joshua Swindle was sitting in a blind in Dallas County on Nov. 26 after having no luck all season. However, that luck was about to change when he saw “a white patch moving through a cedar thicket” about 50 yards in front of him, Springfield News-Leader reports.

Swindle raised his .308-caliber Savage rifle and reportedly killed the albino deer with one shot.

"I have no qualms about it," Swindle said to the News-Leader. "It's a beautiful animal that God put on this Earth. I hunt to put food on my table and I was very fortunate. All glory goes to God in this."

Swindle plans to harvest the meat and then half-mount the unusual deer. The rest of its hide will be tanned, according to the news outlet.

Though the albino deer is rare – about one in 30,000, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation – they are not legally considered any different than whitetail deer in the state, and are allowed to be harvested by permitted hunters.

The white deer, however, was not the only rare sighting in Missouri recently.

Lori Decker of Rogersville managed to capture a handful of photos of a dark-colored Sika deer grazing near her home.

The east Asian species, Sika deer, are typically found in Japan, China and Taiwan – and not native to the United States.

According to Todd Houf, Protection Program specialist with the Missouri Department of Conservation, the Sika is not a regulated species by the state.

"Our deer permits are only valid for whitetail and mule deer. If someone harvested a Sika deer we would usually ask that the deer be tested for CWD (chronic wasting disease). Otherwise, it's more of a civil concern for the owner of the deer," Houf said to the News-Leader.

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