| Viral disease EHD kills deer in southern Indiana |
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| Recent discovery of dead deer in southern Indiana is a bad news/good news situation for the state’s deer hunters. The good news is the disease which killed the deer is not Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD).
The bad news is the deer deaths are most likely caused by a seasonal reoccurrence of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD). According to a testing center in Georgia, the dead deer found in 14 southern Indiana counties likely had this viral disease.
The counties from which Indiana’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) received reports of diseased dead deer included Clay, Daviess, Dubois, Gibson, Green, Jackson, Jefferson, Perry, Pike, Scott, Spencer, Vanderburgh, Warrick and Washington. Areas in Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio and Pennsylvania have also reported EHD-infected deer this month.
The disease is transmitted by biting insects called midges. EHD is not transmitted to humans and is not normally found in domestic animals, which generally contract a related disease, commonly called Blue Tongue, instead.
EHD poses no danger to humans from handling, processing or eating the meat of an exposed animal. Hunters should take normal precautions in handling all deer. As always, deer meat should be thoroughly cooked to kill any bacteria present.
The disease should not be confused with the unrelated brain disease in deer, CWD, which has never been found in Indiana.
Using samples from some of the deer submitted by Indiana DNR wildlife biologists, the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCWDS) in Athens, Ga., confirmed EHD killed at least some of the deer found recently in Indiana. Additional samples are being analyzed at SCWDS.
This is the second consecutive year in which the state has had a significant EHD outbreak. This year’s is earlier than other times EHD has been detected and earlier than last fall’s outbreak, which killed some west-central Indiana deer. The current dry weather provides excellent reproductive conditions for the midge, which could result in significant deer mortality this fall in southern Indiana.
DNR does not expect significant deer mortality in the counties where EHD hit hard last fall (Clay, Hendricks, Montgomery, Park, Putnam and Sullivan), because of the residual immunity developed by the surviving animals.
EHD causes severe flu-like symptoms, plus a high fever in deer, apparently causing those infected to seek open water to cool off. Sick deer may lose their appetite, coordination and their fear of normal dangers.
The animals become dehydrated and progressively weaker as the disease progresses, with mouth and eye tissue often showing a rosy or bluish color. A sick deer will be obvious to spot, to someone familiar with what a healthy deer looks like.
“EHD will likely continue to run its course until a few hard freezes kill the biting midges,” said Jim Mitchell, DNR deer management biologist. “It’s likely that a good number of deer have been, and will be, lost.”
People in affected areas are asked not to be alarmed by sick deer but to report them to their local district wildlife biologist or conservation officer.
The district wildlife biologist phone numbers are as follows: District 12 (Daviess, Pike, DuBois, Martin and Knox counties), 812-644-7382; District 15 (Gibson, Warrick, Spencer, Perry, Vanderburgh and Posey), 812-789-2724; District 13 (Washington, Lawrence, Orange, Crawford and Harrison), 812-849-4586; District 10 (Jackson, Monroe, Brown, Johnson and Morgan), 812-526-4891; and District 14 (Jefferson, Jennings, Scott, Floyd and Clark), 812-346-6888.
The district conservation officer phone numbers are: District 7 (Knox, Daviess, Martin, Gibson, Pike, DuBois, Posey, Vanderburgh, Warrick and Spencer), 812-789-9538; District 8 (Lawrence, Jackson, Orange, Washington, Scott, Perry, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd and Clark), 812-685-2498; and District 9 (Rush, Fayette, Union, Decatur, Franklin, Jennings, Ripley, Dearborn, Jefferson, Switzerland and Ohio), 765-647-5835.
Additional information about EHD is available online at www.in.gov/dnr/ deerhealth/EHD_Fact_Sheet.pdf
Good breath for the obsessive deer hunter
It always seems there is a new product available for obsessive deer hunters each year. Whether it be camouflage toilet paper or green wind-direction detecting talcum powder, there is always something new for the consummate hunter.
This year’s rage is a new and improved specialized kit formulated to insure fresh breath for the deer hunter. (No, I am not making this up.) Admittedly, I have run across a few deer hunters at camp with breath bad enough to curl wallpaper, but it never seemed to affect their success from the deer stand.
(The other source of really bad smells from deer camp inhabitants is one best not discussed in mixed company.)
The kit is being marketed and claims “Fresh breath kit stops game-spooking bad breath. Serious hunters know that to consistently get close to trophy game animals they need to be scent-free.”
The manufacturer advertises that the three products found in the kit all contain Microdent. Can you imagine what a snappy commercial it would be to have Paris Hilton or Britney Spears, in camo, singing, You’ll wonder where the deer all went/If you don’t brush your teeth with Microdent?
The products are also sugar- and alcohol-free, which really wouldn’t be much of a plus with most of the deer hunters I know.
As for the other predominant odor coming from deer hunters, I’ve considered marketing a charcoal-lined set of boxer shorts. But, I’m too late – charcoal-lined undergarments are already available!
The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments can contact Jack Spaulding by e-mail at jackspaulding@hughes.net or by writing to him in care of this publication. |
| 9/5/2007 |
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