Hunters, keep a sharp eye out for diseased deer
With all the rain we've had this summer, area outdoors enthusiasts should be expecting lots of things. Mosquitoes? Check. Ever-present ticks and chiggers? Yup. Thick foliage in the woods? Of course. An outbreak of the biting midges that cause EHD (Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease) and blue tongue deaths in deer in dry years? Unfortunately that last one is also true, although mysteriously so.
The Maryland DNR has announced that it is tracking possible cases of EHD in the state, primarily on the Eastern Shore, and are asking hunters and the public to report any sick, dying or dead deer they find to their local Wildlife and Heritage Service Center.
Even in big outbreak years the disease can be very localized, so you may not see any signs of it where you hunt, but if you start finding dead deer in or near water it is likely that either EHD or its close relative, blue tongue, are at fault.
What makes this so odd is that the diseases are carried by a biting midge that reproduces on exposed mud. That's why it's normally bad on dry years, because as water levels shrink in every pond, impoundment and stump hole it leaves a ring of exposed mud where the midges hatch. Making it even worse, deer are drawn to those spots in dry seasons for the moisture as they look for a drink.
But this year? There's water everywhere. Ponds and holes are filled to the brim. That's what makes it hard to comprehend. The best explanation I've heard is that there is a little bit of mud everywhere this year, as compared to large mud flats at single sites on dry years.
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Regardless, if you have an outbreak in your area you'll know it just by the smell of dead deer as you walk in the woods. This is the peak time of the year for it.
Seeing a deer with a full blown case of EHD is a heart-wrenching experience as it's an obviously terrible death, but also because you know there's nothing anyone can do for an infected animal.
What makes it even harder for hunters is that it seems to disproportionately affect the bigger bucks, the very deer we're after. Deer herds as a whole will be fine, as enough deer always survive to keep them going, but you may notice fewer deer this fall where the EHD has hit.
You may also find deer dying this winter, a delayed problem for individual deer that survived a case of the disease, at least initially, but were weakened so much that they couldn't handle a long, cold winter.
These diseases don't affect humans, so we've got nothing to worry about for our health, but it's disheartening for hunters on many levels. As with any other bug, hope for an early frost and cold weather as those will kill the midges that carry the disease. Keep your eyes peeled when you're afield this fall for deer showing the effects of EHD.
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Outdoor Calendar
Through Sept. 26: Delaware early teal season, six daily.
Sept. 15-Feb. 3: Delaware squirrel season.
Sept. 16-17: 16th annual West Side Outcasters Open fishing tournament, Westside Volunteer Fire Department, info at westsidevfd.com
Sept. 16-30: Virginia eastern zone teal season, six daily
Sept. 16-30: Maryland early teal season, six daily
Sept. 23: National Hunting and Fishing Day
Through Sept. 25: Virginia and Delaware early Canada goose seasons
Through Sept. 30: First segment of Delaware mourning dove season
Oct. 5-7: 38th annual Mid-Atlantic Surf Fishing Tournament, Ocean City, 410-957-4516
Through Oct. 14: First segment of Maryland mourning dove season
Oct. 21-22: 18th annual Rocktoberfest Tournament, Bahia Marina, Ocean City, 410-289-7473
Through Oct. 29: First segment of Virginia mourning dove season
Through Dec. 20: Chesapeake striped bass season, main bay and all tributaries, two fish daily, 20 inches minimum, only one over 28 inches