Mystery no more: Sugar Loaf is home to many piebald deer

To the editor: Regarding the photo of the “partial albino deer” in the Nov. 10 Advertiser, the pictured buck is what is known as a “piebald” phase whitetail deer. Both piebald phase and albino whitetail deer can be locally common. As both a naturalist and a hunter, I can attest to the high percentage of “piebalds” here in the historic Sugar Loaf Valley. In fact, piebalds have always been common off the western, Warwick-facing shoulder of Sugar Loaf Mountain, southeast through Dutch Hollow to Macginnisburg. Here in the historic Sugar Loaf Valley, legends surrounding the albino and piebald deer populations go back many generations, along with the legend of our hoopsnake, the wolf moon, and many others. To learn more about Sugar Loaf’s legendary Piebald Deer, and to see color photos of a local buck, please visit our historical society’s Web site at www.sugarloafhistoricalsociety.com. As president of the Sugar Loaf Historical Society, I am proud to cite the warm welcome which our historical society recently received from the Town of Warwick Historical Society. Warm thanks to you, Warwick Historical Society. Jay Westervelt, president Sugar Loaf Historical Society