Post by Woody Williams on Aug 26, 2007 7:43:35 GMT -5
Insect transmitting disease that's killing deer in Tri-State
By Steve Ford (Contact)
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Long before the first arrows or shots are fired at white-tailed deer this year, the prized animals are dying throughout the Tri-State.
Deer are falling to a disease called Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) that's transmitted by biting insects called flying midges. EHD is not dangerous to humans.
"This seems to get worse when there's a drought like this," said veteran Indiana conservation officer Gordon Wood. "I'm getting a lot of calls on deer right now."
Wood said he'd received 11 calls on deer and that other CO's were getting them, too. He's been to Warrick and Spencer counties.
"I had one huge buck in a pond in Spencer County," said Wood. "I also had a doe walking in circles in a bean field that wouldn't run."
The buck in the pond was more typical of EHD. It causes flu-like symptoms in deer, including high fever. Infected deer tend to move to water to cool off.
Sick deer may lose their appetite, coordination and fear of normal dangers. Animals become dehydrated and progressively weaker with mouth and eye tissue often showing a blue hue.
"I heard about this in Kentucky before it started showing up in Indiana," said Wood, "but the last time they got it bad, we did too. Deer will swim that (Ohio) river."
Danny Watson, a biologist with the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources, said the Bluegrass experiences an outbreak about once every two years.
So far EHD has hit Breckinridge, Christian, Daviess, Hopkins, Logan, Muhlenberg, Ohio, Simpson and Webster counties in Kentucky. It's also been confirmed in Illinois.
Indiana counties with an unusual number of dead wild deer include Daviess, Dubois, Gibson, Jackson, Jefferson, Perry, Pike, Spencer, Warrick and Washington counties.
This comes on the heels of an Indiana outbreak in Greene, Clay, Owen, Parke, Putnam, Sullivan, Vermillion, Fountain and Vigo counties last year.
"It's likely that a good number of deer have been and will be lost this year," said IDNR deer management biologist Jim Mitchell.
Wood remembered the last significant EHD breakout in the area 20 years ago.
"The woods were pretty empty the last time this happened," he said. "There's a few things people can do. If they're feeding deer they need to stop, immediately. That concentrates animals.
"And more people need to take does during the season. Our deer herd was in great shape, maybe too big. If more people don't start taking does, nature finds a way to take care of it, and it's not pretty."
Contact Steve Ford at 464-7511 or fords@courierpress.com.
By Steve Ford (Contact)
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Long before the first arrows or shots are fired at white-tailed deer this year, the prized animals are dying throughout the Tri-State.
Deer are falling to a disease called Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) that's transmitted by biting insects called flying midges. EHD is not dangerous to humans.
"This seems to get worse when there's a drought like this," said veteran Indiana conservation officer Gordon Wood. "I'm getting a lot of calls on deer right now."
Wood said he'd received 11 calls on deer and that other CO's were getting them, too. He's been to Warrick and Spencer counties.
"I had one huge buck in a pond in Spencer County," said Wood. "I also had a doe walking in circles in a bean field that wouldn't run."
The buck in the pond was more typical of EHD. It causes flu-like symptoms in deer, including high fever. Infected deer tend to move to water to cool off.
Sick deer may lose their appetite, coordination and fear of normal dangers. Animals become dehydrated and progressively weaker with mouth and eye tissue often showing a blue hue.
"I heard about this in Kentucky before it started showing up in Indiana," said Wood, "but the last time they got it bad, we did too. Deer will swim that (Ohio) river."
Danny Watson, a biologist with the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources, said the Bluegrass experiences an outbreak about once every two years.
So far EHD has hit Breckinridge, Christian, Daviess, Hopkins, Logan, Muhlenberg, Ohio, Simpson and Webster counties in Kentucky. It's also been confirmed in Illinois.
Indiana counties with an unusual number of dead wild deer include Daviess, Dubois, Gibson, Jackson, Jefferson, Perry, Pike, Spencer, Warrick and Washington counties.
This comes on the heels of an Indiana outbreak in Greene, Clay, Owen, Parke, Putnam, Sullivan, Vermillion, Fountain and Vigo counties last year.
"It's likely that a good number of deer have been and will be lost this year," said IDNR deer management biologist Jim Mitchell.
Wood remembered the last significant EHD breakout in the area 20 years ago.
"The woods were pretty empty the last time this happened," he said. "There's a few things people can do. If they're feeding deer they need to stop, immediately. That concentrates animals.
"And more people need to take does during the season. Our deer herd was in great shape, maybe too big. If more people don't start taking does, nature finds a way to take care of it, and it's not pretty."
Contact Steve Ford at 464-7511 or fords@courierpress.com.
