whitetailcrazy

Eastern Central Illinois deer herd decimated by EHD... It was a worry of mine earlier in the year when just our group of hunters had found 11 deer dead from EHD. We had stumbled upon the deer going out to our stands, we did not walk creek beds, and check local ponds..
We were initially worried earlier in the year and now after the Firearm Season, our worries were confirmed.. After putting substantial hours on stand and hearing very few shots, we checked the local deer contests and talked with other hunters and spoke with renowned Deer taxidermist Pete Switzer of Hunters Choice Taxidermy. Deer contests which usually had 100+ deer checked in each year, barely broke a dozen. Pete Switzer of Hunters Choice Taxidermy who usually gets 100+ deer a year, is right around 40 for the year, and his best deer being 147". Every deer brought in over 160" was tagged by a warden and died from EHD, even 1 from a local game farm which was inoculated for the disease, yet died from it.. Truly disheartening..
I have hunted in Clark County for 16 years and if you were to tell me that I would see 10 deer(from stand) in 7 days of firearm hunting. I would've laughed at you.. I spoke with a couple out of state hunters from Pennsylvania and New Jersey, who stated that they won't be back for some time after seeing so few deer, which will hurt the local business'...
EHD is definately no joke,, everyone was worried about CWD and this disease came in and wiped out our deer herd.. Now all we can hope for, is this drought to lift and for the deer herd to slowly come back. I believe it will take at least 4-5 years to rebound from this.