Rumors of plague( a little off topic)

637 Views 6 Replies 4 Participants Last post by razdog, Nov 17, 2007

jeager106

Discussion Starter · Nov 16, 2007

For the past 4 or 5 weeks I've been hearing of Ohio deer dying by the herds due to some kind of sickness.
Rumor has it the unusually warm warm fall has not killed off some kind of gnat that spreads some kind of bug that kills deer in less than a week after they get sick.
This is not chronic wasting desease according to the rumor mill.
The rumor mill includes people that own guns shop.
One would think that gun store people would not spread false rumors like this as they would be shooting themselves in the foot by loosing sales of guns/ammo/license/ and accessories.
According to Mr. Rumor, Wva. has considered CLOSING the deer gun season due to the disease, that hunters should NOT eat the meat nor become contaminated with deer blood.
Mr. Rumor says that on one large Ohio farm over 500 deer were found dead this fall.
Now that sounds pretty wild don't it?
500 deer on one farm is a LOT of deer, dead or alive.
A few minutes ago I fired off an e-mail to the Ohio DNR explaing the persistant rumors and asking for information.
Wonder if I will get a reply?
I go out of a night with a million candle power spotlight and check the corn and soy fields behind the house for deer. It's not unusual see 2 to 20 deer at one time.
This fall I have seen only three about a month ago and last night just one.
That of course proves nothing but there are NO rubs where there are normally many and only ONE scrap where I usually find 5 or 6.

Anyone got info on this rumor?

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jjas

· #2 · Nov 16, 2007

Sounds like EHD. It's infected deer in a bunch of states this year.

Here's a link that will explain it:

http://wdfw.wa.gov/factshts/ehd.htm

It's supposed to be in the county in Indiana I hunt as well, but I've not noticed a decrease in the deer population. Usually a couple of hard frosts kill the bug that spreads this.

Jim

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vabowhntr

· #3 · Nov 16, 2007

EHD- It is there every year, just seems to be worse this year as it is hot and dry.

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jeager106

Discussion Starter · #4 · Nov 16, 2007

You guys are great!

Yes it's Epizootic Hemoragic Disease. Don't know of I spelled it right tho.
Here's the link the Ohio DNR sent me.
Spread by a little bug that carries the disease, worse in drought years, does NOT spread to humans, little bugs die in the 1st freeze ending the disease for that year, can kill in 1 to 3 days.
The link cautions NOT to ever eat a sick deer tho.
No kidding. But how would you really know?
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/wild_re ... fault.aspx
This link tells a bit more with links to other sources.

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razdog

· #5 · Nov 17, 2007

I was going to mention Ohio Outdoors had an article about that a while back, but low and behold there is another front page article now.

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jeager106

Discussion Starter · #6 · Nov 17, 2007

raz. What does the article have to say?
I went out with the spotlight last night and where I normally see 2 to 20 deer at a time I saw exactly ZERO!

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razdog

· #7 · Nov 17, 2007

Just that there was an outbreak in the southern part of the state, but it is mostly wrapped up now. They seem to be just as thick as ever in Licking, Muskingum and Coshocton counties.

I already bagged a good doe three weeks ago.

We have been dispatching 3-4 a night due to vehicle crashes for the last two weeks.

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