EHD Prevention

[Tejas Wildlife]

I've never heard of "Midges" in my life. I'm starting to think someone is making up names now. 😆

Google EHD & it will be an education for you. Probably the most severe health risk to Cervids (Deer Family Species) that is normallu unknown to the average sportsman.

[Tejas Wildlife]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epizootic_hemorrhagic_disease

General description in Wikipedia

[Arrowsmith]

Here is the Iowa DNR 2024 EHD dashboard. The DNR biologists estimate 1 in 10 EHD death gets reported. I found 7 suspected EHD deer on my 63 acres in 2023. I haven't found any from this past season, but I haven't walked all my timber. If you go by those numbers there were 30,000-35,000 EHD deaths statewide last summer into early fall. Once we get a hard freeze the midge larva die and it's over for the season.

[Chase This!]

Ugh. Terrible. Seems it hits hard in Texas in October. If deer make it to mid-November, they should be fine.

[Deer Tracks]

It’s worse in drought years when water is scarce, reduced to warm stagnant pools and animals are concentrated around fewer water sources. August and September are the worst months and usually when I find dead deer around water sources. It seems we are always in a drought these days

[HTDUCK]

We had it pretty bad one year on our lease in west central Mo.
State estimated we lost 30-40% of the deer herd in the county that summer.
Deer that survived it that we killed in the years after all had deformed hooves.
One that was killed had no hoof at all, just a big knot of bone he was limping around on.

[Arrowsmith]

It’s worse in drought years when water is scarce, reduced to warm stagnant pools and animals are concentrated around fewer water sources. August and September are the worst months and usually when I find dead deer around water sources. It seems we are always in a drought these days

Yes. Our out breaks have always been related to late summer droughts.

Midge larvae live in submerged mud at the edge of shallow, standing water, such as puddles, ponds, and wetlands. They prefer warm, sunlit water that is high in organic matter, nutrients, and low in oxygen.

EHD Transmission:

When deer congregate around these shallow water sources during dry periods and wade thru mud to get to water they become vulnerable to bites from adult midges carrying the EHD virus. The virus is transmitted through the bite of these midges.

A lot of deer found up here are mature bucks in velvet. The height of the EHD outbreaks coinside with when bucks are in velvet (August and September). I suspect that many get bit on the velvet antler as this would be easier than biting thru their hide. The 3.5 year old and older age class have been hit hard over the last two years here in SE Iowa. I have a friend with two farms in Lucas county. Last September you could walk his timber and smell death. Last I heard he had found 30 plus dead deer....mostly bucks....on just under 400 acres.