Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Drought + EHD = suck

Southern Michigan is getting hit hard with it as well.

If I thought a distribution of water troughs or
plastic "kiddie pools" would help- I almost try it. But
deer are generally too wary to take up hospitality like
that.


Those midges are aquatic in the larval stage, but it's my understanding
that the biting adults insects (the disease vector) is active in the surrounding mudflats that
ring these cattle ponds and slops.

the deer approach the water, nose down, cross the mud,
stir up the biting midges and then the midges bite near the wet nostril entrances and nasal passages, transmitting the virus.


no mud- no midges,
no bites


shaky hypothesis, but I've built several hours of research into it

http://www.missouriwhitetails.com/forums/viewthread.php?tid=152649


Your hyphothesis is pretty close to what MDC is posting over on the above website, and there are now several reports of dead deer in that thread. In any event, I've posted that thread link so anyone who isn't aware of the symptoms can investigate further (though all of the stuff posted here is spot on).

MDC has been pretty busy with deer issues the last couple of years, with EHD this year, and last year's CWD outbreak due to a "game ranch" importing infected deer, near where I hunt out there. d:^( It's not a happy time right now.

Last fall we found a number of dead deer and not many live ones in both western North and South Dakota. They were not hit as hard as the Milk River country of Montana, but the losses were substantial considering they came on the tail of several really tough winters. I am sure hoping there isn't a repeat on the EHD this fall there...

If you're finding dead deer, or sickly or strangely behaving deer- I'm almost
certain your state game mgt officials would like to know this.


They will take these reports and if savvy enough will plot them into a GIS to determkne severity, frequency and even viral serotype of the affected animal.

If it is EHDV, they can/will/should plot and track this into late fall, first frost or whatever they deem a suitable data pinch off point in the data to help them determine a "rough" mortality approximation

they can also track further observations by sloughed hoofs at hunter check-in tagging stations. The data is very useful for epidemilogical purposes and even future bag limit adjustments.

Rory,
You are correct and we were hunting it at that time. It was not much fun....

Also, the road I travel back and forth to work everyday usually has a roadkill or two a week all year long. Have not seen one for weeks.....

JB, drought obviously wasn't a contributor last year with EHD. I actually thought the extremely wet Spring and early Summer was part of the cause.
There were more [bleep] gnats, mosquitos and biting flies than I have ever seen down on the riverbottom.

We lost about 75% of the whitetail here on the Missouri, like Pat mentioned the Milk bottom was devastated.

I haven't noticed hardly a single gnat or mosquito lately this Summer. Thousands of dragonflies and field spiders, way more than year's past.

75% or 95% loss? OUCH! I thought 50% was horrible...

I don't know about yall , but I have no drought of ehd ( exry hard dik) anytime my gal walks aroun the house naked. But hell it has allready been talked about that most of yall have to get a medicin indused boner.

I'm fearful this being the 2nd year in a row for this. I haven't been out much just because of the heat and friggin ticks. I'm going out this weekend. Our river hasn't flowed in a couple of months at least and I know those pools are getting really stagnant.

A few of of us have planned a whitetail hunt in the Atkinson area of Nebraska. What do you Nebraska folks think we will face in that area come November? I am getting a little worried.

That area is a few hours from here and have not heard about that area, but have been hearing about dead deer around here. As someone said earlier, when the bowhunters get out, we will hear more.

Maybe contact the property ownwers you will be hunting on.

Map from Aug 19, Omaha World Herald....Hope this helps.
Atkinson is western Holt County...

"It is important to realize that EHD is not density dependent. That is, it may occur even when and where there are few deer. People see more affected and dead deer when the disease hits hard where there are a lot of deer�they are simply more visible when there are more of them."

So, it also stands to know that higher mortality rates/population may occur in areas where
there are less people there to actually know its aggressiveness.

In suburban areas with a so-so deer population a lot
people can flood the wildlife agency with calls. Hopefully field reports are followed up on, carcasses are tagged,destroyed,buried or hauled away. So that
numbers are not skewed.

Be careful that you don't build your confidence up in "low reporting" or light
colored counties on the GIS maps that are being piped out by the agencies.

Your typical deer biologist that looks at deer teeth and weeds all year or is not necessarily a genius with maps, dissemination of data, GIS or the presentation of statistical analysis.

I happen to agree with most of that, especially the agency part, but I posted this in response to one the posters who will be hunting here in Nebraska. I hunt in Saunders County and it shows the highest number. I was just on our farm this Saturday and found no deer on ours, but I am sure that there will be an effect in our area, due to other guys like me who already seen them in our area.

This is the only info I/we have at this time to answer his question.....

Want to add that it is like getting a new key cut...."Try before you rely" on said info.

+1 I've been hearing about approx. 1,000 dead across an eight county area of Southern MI.

Went to a Whitetails Unlimited banquet Friday night. They had a biologist out to answer questions about EHD, so news must be out and it's not looking good. And 2 of the 4 guys at my table have found a dead doe in a creek on their land near Lincoln. The other 2 of us haven't been out looking yet.

Hmm..

Went for a stroll on Monday.

Talked to some farmers from Bassett and Newport in North central NE. The Bassett farmer said they were hit hard and the Newport farmer said not so much. On our place near Long Pine, the trails are not as well used as in the past and only saw 6 deer on Fri, Sat and Sun AM, combined. NO bucks.

And for those who are hunting west of Meadville in the "fire" zone, well, not sure what you will get. It ain't pretty.

WOW!!!!