EHD in Ohio?
- Thread starter livetohunt228
- Start date
Yes to yellow jackets for me. I killed off 3 big nests that were part of a bigger colony that had taken up residence in the old mole tunnels in the back yard. Never seen anything like it.
Keep singing! I can't find the note to make that number 1 hit.
Deer thrived 10-20 years ago before minerals and food plots...
I can vouch for Mike on this one. Taylor probably cosign it for me. One of my buddies kept in close contact with info. He found over 50 deer himself and several were OBB or bigger.
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You fellas seem to have the impression that EHD outbreaks are on the increase. Every time I have heard a biologist speak about it, they claim it has likely always existed. I tend to believe that. What has changed are the number of people chasing deer on opening day of archery season, and the preceding scouting. I can tell you with near 100 percent certainty, the vast majority of hunters were NOT in the woods snooping around in August 20 years ago. The ones that did were very dedicated and very rare. Opening day was The first Saturday of October, and the majority of bow hunters did not even get serious until closer to Halloween. I contend we have likely had this issue intermittently forever, it just went unnoticed because no one was looking. There certainly were not folks wondering what happened to the big velvet bucks they had been getting trail cam pics of at a "miracle grow" mineral site. 
Very interesting view. I could see this being a contributing factor add in social media and we know more about what people are seeing everywhere instead of just in our back yard.You fellas seem to have the impression that EHD outbreaks are on the increase. Every time I have heard a biologist speak about it, they claim it has likely always existed. I tend to believe that. What has changed are the number of people chasing deer on opening day of archery season, and the preceding scouting. I can tell you with near 100 percent certainty, the vast majority of hunters were NOT in the woods snooping around in August 20 years ago. The ones that did were very dedicated and very rare. Opening day was The first Saturday of October, and the majority of bow hunters did not even get serious until closer to Halloween. I contend we have likely had this issue intermittently forever, it just went unnoticed because no one was looking. There certainly were not folks wondering what happened to the big velvet bucks they had been getting trail cam pics of at a "miracle grow" mineral site.
Sounds about rightYou fellas seem to have the impression that EHD outbreaks are on the increase. Every time I have heard a biologist speak about it, they claim it has likely always existed. I tend to believe that. What has changed are the number of people chasing deer on opening day of archery season, and the preceding scouting. I can tell you with near 100 percent certainty, the vast majority of hunters were NOT in the woods snooping around in August 20 years ago. The ones that did were very dedicated and very rare. Opening day was The first Saturday of October, and the majority of bow hunters did not even get serious until closer to Halloween. I contend we have likely had this issue intermittently forever, it just went unnoticed because no one was looking. There certainly were not folks wondering what happened to the big velvet bucks they had been getting trail cam pics of at a "miracle grow" mineral site.
Spencie
Senior Member
You fellas seem to have the impression that EHD outbreaks are on the increase. Every time I have heard a biologist speak about it, they claim it has likely always existed. I tend to believe that. What has changed are the number of people chasing deer on opening day of archery season, and the preceding scouting. I can tell you with near 100 percent certainty, the vast majority of hunters were NOT in the woods snooping around in August 20 years ago. The ones that did were very dedicated and very rare. Opening day was The first Saturday of October, and the majority of bow hunters did not even get serious until closer to Halloween. I contend we have likely had this issue intermittently forever, it just went unnoticed because no one was looking. There certainly were not folks wondering what happened to the big velvet bucks they had been getting trail cam pics of at a "miracle grow" mineral site.
I spent a lot of time in the woods in august 30 years ago. Never once did I see an outbreak of dead deer until 2008. Maybe my areas just weren't affected.
I don't disagree, to an extent. EHD has likely been the culprit to more than a few dead deer each year. But I don't believe that because there were less people in the woods back in the day, that the body count would have went unnoticed. I would contest that more ground was covered in the state of Ohio back in the hay day when gun season was king, than is covered now. News of large quantities of dead deer would not go unnoticed. It may not have spread like the wildfire social media allows, but it would have made it's rounds.
It's hard do say if other variables play a factor in the spread of EHD, but it does make a person wonder.
I'm in the camp that it's always been around but wasn't effecting and killing piles of deer till baiting reared its ugly head. Social media just spreads the news like a wildfire but faster.
Talked to some locals yesterday after I was told someone found 41 on one farm here. I suspected it came from one of the best (and biggest) family farms around. In total, they've found 80 on and around that farm now. I'm going to bite the bullet and head to our farm today. Seriously dreading it like a vasectomy...
PA Bandit
Junior Member
I am not sure nature's intent is to grow "record book" deer and although an unusual sequence of events I would think it would be hard to draw any definitive correlation between the two. EHD has no boundaries it kills does, fawns, little buck, big buck all the same I am not sure how that could have any substantial gain other than if your desire was just a general reduction in herd size.
PA Bandit
Junior Member
Not one typically for conspiracy theories but just like the complete randomness in how large densities of coyote populations started to appear in the early to mid 2000s (i.e. this being at least in the areas that I hunt as in the 90's it was very rare to hear of coyote sightings) I find it strange that this seems to predominantly date back to the same time period based on the larger documented "outbreaks" that I have read about. Although I buy the internet has helped spread the word I feel like EHD and Coyotes just did not seem to be a "thing" until the turn of the century.
Mike, I had a nest of those nasty little yellow FUGGERS take up residence along the foundation behind our garage that I had to take care of right after it turned dark one evening a couple weeks ago. I hate those things!
I use minerals as others primarily for pictures so I'm as guilty as the next and agree with others it congregates the deer herd with little benefit. Other states like it's illegal to bait and hunt over still use minerals for pictures in EHD season. Personally one thing I feel that no one mentioned is almost all minerals are 70% salt which is going to force the deer to water more often.