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Democrat Photo by Rob Potter

LARRY JENSON OF Hancock displays the 10-point white buck he shot last Saturday, which was opening day of the regular firearm deer season here in the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Southern Zone.

Hancock Hunter Shoots A Really 'White'tailed Deer

By Rob Potter
HANCOCK — November 24, 2006 — Most area hunters and residents are very familiar with whitetailed deer.
But a deer that has a white tail and is also almost completely white save for a small patch of brown on its forehead is quite rare.
Since he shot such a white-colored 10-point buck last Saturday on the opening day of the firearm deer season in New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Southern Zone, Larry Jenson of Hancock has had hundreds of fellow hunters, friends, neighbors and just plain curious passersby stop and talk to him about the unique buck. And a good number of those folks have brought their cameras with them to get a snapshot of Jenson with the unusual white deer.
Jenson said that employees of the local Rite Aid store have asked him about it because they have developed so many pictures of the buck since Saturday.
While the buck is almost completely white, Jenson noted that it is not a true albino deer because its eyes are not pink. This buck’s eyes are brown, like those of most whitetail deer found here in New York State and in neighboring Pennsylvania.
Jenson noted that he began hunting when he was a 12-year-old growing up on what is known as the Pa. side of Hancock, just across the Delaware River in northern Wayne County, Pa. He and his late father, Ray Jenson Sr., hunted together in the Stockport area, which is near Equinunk, Pa.
Incredibly, this is the second white buck which Jenson has shot. The first one was three years ago, but he noted that this year’s buck is bigger.
Jenson said he first spotted this white buck in August when he was at The Cow Lick, the ice cream stand which he and his wife Wanetta own and operate. The ice cream stand is located about a mile away from the Jensons’ home on Route 97 south.
“My wife says that the reason the buck is white is because of all the vanilla ice cream he was eating,” Larry Jenson said while smiling brightly.
On Saturday morning, Larry was sitting in his tree stand behind the home he and Wanetta have lived in for several years. Shortly after sunrise, Jenson observed the white buck with several does. He then felled the buck with a shoulder shot from his Smith & Wesson® model 500 .50-caliber pistol.
“He’s just an awesome buck,” Jenson said. “It was just a great day.”
Jenson noted that the buck, which he estimated to be about 4 or 5 years old, has a 27-inch neck.
He plans to have the deer scored in the Boone and Crockett system. Jenson said he will take the buck to Matt White of White’s Taxidermy in Hancock to have a shoulder mount made.
Jenson said that in years past he has hung his deer from a tree in the front yard. While those were good-sized bucks, they haven’t generated as much interest as this deer.
For example, within just an hour’s time on Tuesday afternoon, about 10 people stopped by to congratulate Jenson and take some photos of the white buck.

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