Post EHD Hunts

[paleoman]

#3148

Our local area got murdered by this deer disease last year. So the toll on this years’ sightings seems obvious. Probably another couple years before recovery if it doesn’t recur. Anyone else had to endure this and how long was your recovery period?

[Ptaylor]

#17107

I did not know anything about epizzotic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) until your post. I had to google it. How large of an area and how many deer did it affect?

[paleoman]

#17121

The southern 1/3 of lower Mi. got hit the worst. Local pockets got devastated. Our DNR at the low end is at 15k. Other educated estimates I’ve seen go to 75k. On sightings around the house, down 2/3 easy this year. I need a therapist:cry:

[jpcarlson]

#18345

The lower 1/3 of MI?!? That was rumored as the land of GIANTS down there, too bad. I bet you could find some great sheds in the woods.

We got hit around much of the state of SD last year. Hot, dry, long summer. I still haven’t heard if it was EHD or Blue Tongue, but it took its toll. I have seen a mere handful of deer in my usual haunts when there used to be dozens. Some areas were not affected and they are overflowing with deer this fall. I fear the populations in those areas will crash if more aren’t harvested. I have no idea how long it will take to rebuild the populations in the areas affected, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it takes a decade. Good luck finding meat for the freezer up there.

Jans

[Troy Warner]

#20385

JP,

I talked to three wardens about what hit us in Eastern, SD and they said that all the animals they knew of being tested all test as EHD. Our population in Clark County is way down in the three days I’ve been able to get out I’ve only seen 1 deer and usually I see at least at a distance 3 to 4 a day during the rut. Last time I remember our population being down this far, about 12 years ago, it was 5 to 6 years recovering.

Good luck

Troy

[jpcarlson]

#22802

Troy, Yes we have been spoiled with large populations of deer out here until this year! What is really strange to see is how big of a difference there is in which areas where affected. The places I hunt around West Central SD have a much lower population this year out on the prairies, yet you can go up into the Black Hills and the populations seem stable. North of here there seems to be an overabundance of deer. I just have to drive a bit further for more critters.

Jans

[Troy Warner]

#23348

Jan’s, your comment makes me wonder if the slight altitude and minor temperature differences from your area to the black hills could have a bearing on the lethality of EHD?

From what I’ve read and been told it is spread by insect bites, mostly deer fly’s, maybe the flys and other insects weren’t as bad in the hills versus the prairie.

Hmmm something to ponder in the blind this afternoon.

I’m glad your able to move to a better area, Good luck out there

Troy

[Doc Nock]

#24623

It went thru an area of MD where I invested a good bit of time and gas to drive down and scout some years back. Something about dry times, when deer concentrate around available water, they all get “bit”.

I thought (?) it was some tiny biting bug like a small black fly, not a deer fly… ??? but that is fuzzy in the old hand-crank coconut computer memory file…

If the Prairie was dry, deer congregated around water and all got infected by bites. Up in the higher elevations, perhaps there was a bit more water keeping them spread out?

shame…but too much of anything, especially in nature, leads to her leveling the playing field sooner or later.

Man thinks he can “stockpile” what he likes, but we can’t.

The pics I saw of those decimated by EHD looked like they’d had their innards vacuumed out of their insides! It was gross!

[Troy Warner]

#24745

Doc,

It may very well have been a small black fly? I’m going of off information from conversations and articles from just over a year ago. My memory isn’t the steel trap it was when I was in my teens and twenty’s.

Troy

[Doc Nock]

#24752

Googled it. small black gnat!

Found in dry periods around muddy areas or water…where deer congregate…not transferred from deer to deer or deer to people, but the gnats bite the bejabbers outa all deer who come in the area to drink…

Ugly disease!

[Troy Warner]

#24890

Bejabbers, my new favorite word, thanks Doc!!:D

Yes a very ugly disease, I found several carcasses last year while scouting, seeing the pain that those animals had to have suffered to be so dilapidated prior to succumbing to the disease still brings a tear to my eyes.

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