Last year CWD spoiled a lot of deer, anyone have any good news? Last year it was hard for people in the CWD zones to get points on the board.
I think you mean EHD, not CWD. So far we've had a very wet spring/early Summer so to the best of my knowledge EHD is a non-factor right now. Of course a lot of herds will take a few years to bounce back fully but it's a step in the right direction anyways.
Yeah, oh ok so so is that "blue tongue"? I thought BT and chronic wasting disease were similar. Better google that up. Lol
EHD is commonly referred to as blue tongue, but they're not exactly the same thing. Close, but not quite. CWD is something totally separate. Once a deer is infected with it the disease (CWD) is fatal, but can take years to kill them. Once a deer starts showing signs of EHD or blue tongue they're generally dead within a day or two. EHD typically occurs during drought conditions as biting midges which carry the disease thrive in stagnant water. They fly up the deer's nostrils as they are drinking from stagnant ponds and pools of water, which is how they get the disease. It causes them to run a very high fever, which is why they are typically found in or around water. CWD is caused by a prion which infects the animal and over the course of time causes weight loss and eventual disorientation and death. While it is becoming increasingly prevalent in a lot of areas around the US at this time it doesn't appear to be having a major effect on the overall population of deer in these areas. Unlike EHD which can wipe out the vast majority of animals in a specific area if the outbreak is bad enough. With last year's drought EHD was a major problem all across the US, which hurt populations in a lot of areas. Eventually they should bounce back, but it may take them a few years.
Thanks for the lesson Justin! I never knew the midges went up their noses i always thought it was like west nile with humans, gotta get bit to get it.
For those interested, there was a good article in this month’s Missouri Conservationist (a great free mag MO residents can subscribe to or everyone can read online) regarding last years HD and EHD outbreaks. See link below. Breaking Down the Hemorrhagic Disease Outbreak | Missouri Department of Conservation -D
Justin is spot on. I would just add: EHD/Blue Tongue is not always fatal. The positive attribute to this disease is that if it does not affect or kill the deer that these genes can be passed on to the fawns. The stagnant water is present, but the mud from the water declining is what allows mass production of the insects. The prions that contribute to CWD are found in the soil. Once the soil is contaminated it is nearly impossible to get rid of the prions. If I was purchasing hunting property in a CWD zone I would research and keep this in mind. A correlation between CWD and fair market value could be made. If your skeptical, how about Asian Carp and recreational property?
ah, the CWD is over rated. We have it here in lower Wisconsin. It freaked everyone out the first year it was announced, now back to norm. Prices for land do only one thing, go up.
I took a ride around a local "petting zoo" area last night that was hit hard by EHD last year. For the amount of driving I did in years past I would have seen 40+ deer including a couple bruiser bucks. I saw about a dozen total deer last night and the only bucks were a pair of 1 1/2's and a 2 1/2 year old 8 point. The rest were does, most with no fawns. EHD and the drought definitely put a damper on the population in some areas, that's for sure.
