Michael Utt of Sugar Creek snapped a picture of an all-white deer while hunting near Lake of the Ozarks November 13. He brought his camera along because he’d heard reports of an albino deer in the area. “I wasn’t sure I believed them, “ he said. He believes it now.

Conservation officials say Utt’s pictures were taken from a distance but they clearly show an all-white deer, a doe, and possibly a true albino with pink eyes. Utt says he decided not to shoot the white deer because he’d like to see it again, and possibly have some offspring. Albino deer are rare, but at least two other cases were reported during the November firearms season. In both those cases the deer were shot and the kills were confirmed by Conservation agents.