White buck hunter says death threats aren't serious

Jerry Kinnaman was counting on some backlash when he killed Cape Girardeau's well-known albino buck.

He wasn't counting on death threats, though.

"I expected some [negative feedback]," he said Wednesday. "But not of this magnitude, no. I didn't realize how important that animal was to some people."

Kinnaman killed the deer with a bow and arrow Tuesday morning and has been dealing with what he considers unwelcome notoriety -- positive and negative -- ever since.

He posted a picture of himself and his prize on his Facebook page with a caption: "Not my biggest buck but at 7 1/2 years old he might be the oldest. Let the bashing begin!"

He was only half-joking. Having killed the animal legally, his conscience was clear and he didn't want to publicize it initially, but knew that if he didn't, word still would get out regardless.

"I figured I might as well be the first one to put it on there," he said. "If I didn't, someone else would have just made it up."

But the news went viral. Kinnaman's buck even made headlines in St. Louis, Kansas City and elsewhere.

"I had done enough research online to see that there's stuff written about [Cape Girardeau's white buck], but I didn't think it would make national news," he said.

He's adamant in his assertion he's not after the spotlight.

"I'm a simple dude over here who likes my peace and quiet. ... I don't need this to make me feel like a bigger person," he said. "[Media outlets] contacted me. Not the other way around. I was hesitant, but there were things that needed to be followed up and said about how this animal was harvested that people need to hear."

First and foremost, although he was hunting the albino buck specifically, he said his motives were never driven by monetary gain. Although that's not to say nobody's interested. Kinnaman says a "large outdoor retailer" seeking to buy the animal contacted him Tuesday, but he declined.

"I knew I wanted to do a full body mount because that's all that would do justice to his unique look. But I've not talked a word about money. I'm not worried about money," he said. "I'm not planning [on selling the buck] in the near future. That is not my intention."

But he also realizes how more people might be able to enjoy the animal if it were in a museum, as opposed to his trophy room.

"If someone wants to give me money to put him in a museum -- not sell him -- I'd be open to that," he said. "That way I could enjoy it and others could enjoy it as well."

Because the deer was beloved by many residents, Kinnaman says he also has thought about putting it up in the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center. He donated the 110 pounds of harvested meat to a family in need.

"They're a local, hardworking family, four kids. They're very thrilled to have the meat," he said.

Kinnaman said residents should realize, too, that his harvesting the deer when he did could have spared it a more arduous death in the winter months to come.

"When we opened him up, my taxidermist said that in his 30 years in the business he'd never seen a deer in this rough of shape. If we're going to have the winter we're supposed to, he wouldn't have made it," he said. "This was the most humane way for him to go."

That does little to assuage the ire of some residents, Kinnaman said. But, he said, the commentary is not all -- or even mostly -- negative. He said he received between 300 and 400 Facebook friend requests from strangers in about 36 hours.

"For what I've seen personally, it's been about 80 percent positive," he said. "An 80 percent approval rating -- that's better than the president we have now."

He said he avoids online comment boards, but with the torrent of public opinion so strong, he was never going to avoid all of it.

"There's been at least a hundred [negative] personal comments directed at me that I've seen," he said.

He said those comments included death threats -- some implied through scorn, others explicit and unprintable.

But as of Wednesday morning, he hadn't contacted police and didn't feel as though anyone would venture onto his property or pose an actual threat.

Cpl. Darin Hickey, spokesman for the Cape Girardeau Police Department, said he and the department had heard Kinnaman had harvested the deer and had noticed the conversation had turned ugly on certain online forums. But since Kinnaman had not yet approached the police with concerns, Hickey said police have not gotten involved.

"If [Kinnaman felt he was being threatened], he'd be the victim of a crime, and so he'd have to come in and file a complaint," Hickey explained. "If he feels threatened, that's something we'd investigate, but we haven't heard that he has come in yet. We encourage anyone who feels like that they've been the victim of a crime to come forward and file a report."

Several women -- strangers to Kinnaman -- tracked down his phone number and left messages denouncing his killing of the deer. One referred to the deer as "like a pet" to the people of Cape. Another questioned his sportsmanship and called him "selfish" and "a coward."

The woman went on to say her husband is a hunter and would never have shot the animal. However, Kinnaman doubts that.

"There's not one person I know that hunts that wouldn't take that deer," he reiterated.

If he knew how much turmoil would transpire as a result of that fatal shot, would Kinnaman still have taken it?

"There would be no hesitation," he said. "I was just as happy to see that deer as I was to take him, but if I get the opportunity of a lifetime, I'm going to take it."

tgraef@semissourian.com

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