Champlain Islander

I just got back from a deer hunt in South Ohio inPike County. They were saying that they found lots of dead deer all around some river bottom lands that apparently died from EHD or a similar Blue Tongue Disease. Most of the dead deer were large mature bucks unfortunately. What do you mid western guys know about this issue? How big an impact does this have in your areas. Have any of you found dead deer near rivers or water holes this year? Hopefully it is just a cycle and won't be a continuous problem.

Lanse couche couche

Lots of reports of this disease (or something similar) and lots of dead deer in southeastern Illinois. But, my dad and his hunting buddy took two 10 pointers, and 11 pointer, and a doe during this past weekend over there. So, its not too bad.

dayna0306

The ground I hunted in s.w. Pa. got hit hard ,my guess is 50% .I found about 12 dead ones in 2days hunting ,my buddy picked up a 160" 10pt. and a few smaller racks .Something like this could crash the outfitting that is taking over the midwest.Think about it,the outfitter will have to sale the remaining deer to recoup thier money they paid for the leases.Then the following year the lack of sightings will run off the clients and the bottom drops out and the farmer loses more income.It could get ugly for all .

Lanse couche couche

Some folks would see that as a very good thing.

Champlain Islander

Pretty bad event regardless of who is impacted. Our party only found one naturally dead deer which was an 8 point. It looked like it had been dead for a while and might have been an archery kill that wasn't recovered or an EHD deer. We did find 2 bucks that had been shot in the gun season that were left in place and just had the antlers cut off. Both were mature deer and must have had decent racks. I can't imagine how someone could be so much of a slob to do such a thing. Talk about bad sportsmanship and laziness. Irregardless the large scale die off can really hurt an area that loses too many. Some of the locals had videoed a really large Booner class drop tine over the summer that was among the deer that they found near a stream. What a loss.

ero112

I am in Ohio and ehd is bad a little farther south of where I am.In my county and surrounding counties we have no reports of it being here.Its like a 5-8 county area that doesnt have a case of it yet.

2robinhood

I just returned from Morgan county. I hunted there all week. Got a nice eight and saw the most bucks since I have been going there. But the overall deer population is down about 50% from EHD. Mostly the does are missing, but some nice bucks also died. I was afraid that the last two days people would be getting despirate and be shooting any deer and hurt the population even more, but I hardly heard any shots the last two days. I would say they might need to make it a one deer zone next year to help it recupe.

Lanse couche couche

The overall Ohio deer harvest was really low because of bad weather during the gun season. So, i wouldn't worry about people hurting the population.

Hotburn76

I live up in NW Ohio and have not seen or heard of any EHD or slang name of Blue Tongue. I asked the game warned about it during the gun season at a check in station and he said it is from mites that get on the deer skin and when they bite them it causes the disease. He said from the time they get bit it only takes about a week to kill them. He said it also makes them crave water and that is why most are found by it. He told me that it is a disease that comes from the Carolina area and Georgia and usually never makes it into Ohio like it did this year. Said that the drought most of the state had help spread it up here.

bambi_slayer

me and a buddy went out hunting during rifle season on some public land and found a little 6 pointer some one shot and never went to look for it it took about three steps from what we could tell and expired shot it right in the heart