Hemoragic (spelling?) fever

[Clovis]

Anyone finding hemoragic fever / blue tongue dead deer in their areas this year? I seem to find a few every year, deer dead near or in water or deer dead for no apparent reason.

Found two bucks this year in our pond, quite a mess.

Just wondering if it is widespread or only very localized.

 

[mdunphyjr]

Haven't seen one in my area, hope I never do! Did you report these deer to the dept of natural resources?

 

[44man]

i have only sen one this year at the edge of one of our ponds. the dnr says they get some kind of bug that comes out in dry or drought years and it gives them a fever and they crave water to cool off and sometimes the fever kills them. they get the blue tongue and there hooves split. i have shot several. i had the dnr look at one at the check in station, back when you checked them in, and they said its ok to eat them as long as they dont have hemorrhages inside or very discolored meat. it must not kill humans or at least eating them didnt kill any of us at the farm.

 

[foxtrapper]

Several dead bucks found near or in water 2 years ago off 83 and 439 in Parkton, and DNR didn't seem to care at all. Also 2 dead does, but those may have been crop damage as they were side by side and not as close to the water. The bucks all had antlers that were at end stage velvet. I think in all, 11 dead bucks were found and 2 were accounted for as being bad hits by hunters ( hard antler, not as decomposed as others).

 

[Clovis]

I haven't called DNR about these or any other deer I've found dead, except two small gutted and dumped does next to a county road in our woods and they came a looked and weren't much concerned after they found the culprits had been smart enough to not leave tags on them.
If I did that, I'd be on the phone weekly some years.

As I understand it the disease is transfered from midges that get into the nostrils while the deer are drinking. It is worse in drought years due to the lack of available water and concentration of midges in the water the deer can find. As the condition worsens the deer have high fevers and their organs begin to hemorage. They supposedly go into water to cool the fever and then either die or pass out and drown.

Again, just wondering if this is widespread or just around here.

Oh, if I have the details above wrong or they need tweeking, chime in and let me know.