EHD (Blue Tongue) has struck.....
 

It has devastated the deer in my area. I've seen 14 pointers, 11 pointers, 9 pointers all dead(wasted). I guess we are lucky considering it is not CWD but man this really takes the wind out of a guys sails 3 days before bow season opens up!!

RE: EHD (Blue Tongue) has struck.....
 

I've personally found six carcasses in SW PA - all victims of EHD. One (I'd presume) big buck with the head cut out - no real way to confirm whether he was a victim of disease of poaching. So, we'll say 5 EHD casualties, with one unknown.

Definitely not a good scene man.

There are a lot of 3rd, 4th, and 5th-hand reports flowing in of completedevastation (100% mortality)to the herd in isolated pockets.I put on a lot of miles, andfrankly, I think it's hogwash. Like I said, I found six.I don't believe it unless I see it with my own eyes, or see credible photographic evidence.

My advice: Don't overreact, and trust what you see. Not what you hear.

RE: EHD (Blue Tongue) has struck.....
 

It's pretty scary isn't it.

With the way things are now, I've just about lost the desireto hunt. It's actually sickening.

If you kill adeer, how do you feel about eating the animal? Here in Jersey they advise you not eat infected meat. So how the hell do you know if one is infected?(if it's not walking funny or curled up in a ball near a lake or stream)

RE: EHD (Blue Tongue) has struck.....
 

In Virginia the department of game and inland fisheries is asking (volunteers) to bring in the heads of deer that are killed. Each head will be tested for CWD and EHD. I'm not sure how long that takes, but worth it if you have it in your area. It would suck to have to go back home and through out a bunch of venison that has already made it to the freezer, but still worth knowing.
Good luck,
KP

RE: EHD (Blue Tongue) has struck.....
 

Yes it is devestating, i was anticipating my best season ever, we have been pasing on younger deer for about 5 years and only taking the big ones. We were getting some monsters and then came bluetounge. I have found a handful, my buddies have found alot, the DNR has reported BIG numbers found dead. I have yet to even find a rub, there usually all over the place by now [:o]Im now predicting my worst season ever.[&o]

RE: EHD (Blue Tongue) has struck.....
 

Yes this is very sad. Between me and 3 friends of mine we have found over 40 deer since August. I am worried about the reports of over 1000 deer confirmed dead so far in this small corner of sw pa plus all the deer that will be takin in hunting season..what will it be like next year with all these deer killed this year?

RE: EHD (Blue Tongue) has struck.....
 

I just found 2 deer dead a few days ago with no apparent signinjuries. One had been there a while, the other was failrly new.

RE: EHD (Blue Tongue) has struck.....
 

We contacted our local conservation office here in Southern Illinois and they told us "dont worry about it the deer are over populated anyway".

RE: EHD (Blue Tongue) has struck.....
 

What are the signs that the deer has it?

RE: EHD (Blue Tongue) has struck.....
 

Ok .... I know I'm gonna sound like a total idiot here but what exactly is EHD ( Blue Tonuge ) , I never heard of it before until now.
I know and heard about CWD , TB and know how to look for signs of these but how do deer get EHD ( Blue Tonuge ) and what are the symptoms ?

RE: EHD (Blue Tongue) has struck.....
 

Everything ya need to know!

Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) Updates

[align=left]Brochure[/align][align=left]Related News Releases[/align][align=left][/align][align=left]Background[/align][ul][*][align=left]Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) is the most common infectious disease of white-tailed deer in the Eastern United States. It is not transferable to humans.[/align][*][align=left]EHD is caused by a virus. Only rarely does it cause illness in other animals. The virus is spread from animal to animal by biting midges that live in or near water and wet, muddy areas. These midges transmit the virus as they feed.[/align][*][align=left]Outbreaks of EHD typically strike in late summer or early fall. An EHD outbreak is more likely if the weather has been unusually warm and dry leading to concentrations of deer at whatever water is available, which is where the virus-carrying midges live. Fortunately, drought alone does not mean a possible EHD outbreak in Pennsylvania. Similarly, practices like supplemental feeding and placement of mineral blocks can concentrate deer leading to increased exposure to infected midges.[/align][*][align=left]Deer in the early stages of EHD may appear lethargic, disoriented, lame, or unresponsive to humans and other stimulus. As the disease progresses the deer may drool, have bloody discharge from the nose, sores on the mouth, and swollen, blue tongues. They may become thin because they stop eating. Sometimes they stop drinking, although many die close to or in water likely because they are attracted to it as a result having a high fever.[/align][*][align=left]Even though EHD is not transmissible to humans, secondary infections may take advantage of the weakened condition of the animal making it unfit for human consumption. The Game Commission always recommends hunters avoid shooting or consuming deer that appear ill.[/align][*][align=left]The outbreak is usually cut short by the first hard frost, which will kill the disease-carrying midges. Since the incubation period for the disease is five to seven days, affected deer may be observed for a couple of weeks after frost. Wetter weather may also help to reduce the effect of the outbreak by spreading the deer out and away from midge-infested areas.[/align][*][align=left]In recent times, outbreaks among white-tailed deer have occurred in Pennsylvania in 1996 (not actually confirmed), 2002, and now in 2007. The more frequently a deer is exposed to the virus the more likely it is to develop immunity allowing it to recover. For this reason, EHD outbreaks in southern states, which occur more frequently than in more northern states like Pennsylvania, typically have lower mortality rates than are seen when the disease comes to the Commonwealth.[/align][*][align=left]Rapid decomposition, lush summer vegetation, and other factors make actual counts of affected deer impractical. However, even after the most severe outbreaks deer numbers rebound quickly.[/align][*][align=left]Other hoofed wildlife, such as elk, could be infected with the disease, but are usually not stricken in large numbers like white-tailed deer. However, farmed deer are every bit as susceptible as wild cervids; deer imported from areas where the virus is present can potentially serve as viral reservoirs, thus putting nearby wild deer at risk.[/align][*][align=left]EHD has a very close relative known as the Bluetongue virus. Bluetongue is not thought to cause illness in wild deer, but does affect traditional domestic animals, like cattle, sheep and goats. While it is quite rare for EHD to cause illness in livestock, it has been reported in areas where there are outbreaks of EHD in wild deer.[/align][/ul][align=left][/align]




Related News Releases



#128-07


Sept. 28, 2007


GAME COMMISSION ANNOUNCES EHD CONFIRMED IN ALLEGHENY AND WESTMORELAND COUNTIES



#123-07


Sept. 19, 2007


GAME COMMISSION SETS INFORMATIONAL MEETING ON EHD OUTBREAK



#119-07


Sept. 11, 2007


EHD OUTBREAK UPDATE: TEST RESULTS CONFIRM EHD IN BEAVER COUNTY



#117-07


Aug. 29, 2007


TEST RESULTS EXPAND EHD INFECTED AREAS IN SOUTHWEST



#107-07


Aug. 27, 2007


TEST RESULTS CONFIRM EHD IN GREENE/WASHINGTON COUNTIES

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RE: EHD (Blue Tongue) has struck.....
 

Thanks GR8atta2d

Now I don't feel like a TOTAL idiot ... :D

RE: EHD (Blue Tongue) has struck.....
 

Just got off the phone with the Pa game commission they told me no report of it in Clearfield county but told me to pass on any animal that looks sick so I asked if it could be in my area? they said MIGHT or MIGHT NOT? :eek:

RE: EHD (Blue Tongue) has struck.....
 

Just FYI, If you look at MD's DNR web page, it can be fond under HD, they don't call it EHD. Even though it is one and the same.

RE: EHD (Blue Tongue) has struck.....
 

"Just got off the phone with the Pa game commission they told me no report of it in Clearfield county but told me to pass on any animal that looks sick so I asked if it could be in my area? they said MIGHT or MIGHT NOT? :eek: "

Well, if they don't have a REPORT of it, they certainly can't say it IS in the area, nor can they say it is NOT in the area with 100% certainty. What do you expect them to say?

RE: EHD (Blue Tongue) has struck.....
 

I know in White County there have been over 100 dead Deer I know about[:@]

Dan