This was my first thought as well.EHD would be my guess. Here is an article that mentions it.
![]()
EHD in Deer: Here’s What You Need to Know
Hemorrhagic disease in deer, also known to many deer hunters as EHD or bluetongue, is a serious viral disease of deer that is spread by biting flies.deerassociation.com
Reports or not, it happens all over every year. Sometimes the outbreaks are just worse than others.Has the area had any EHD reports?