I was more trying to clarify the mosquito/midge thing. Sorry for the confusion, I'm also unsure of it's becoming.
EHD in Western PA
- Thread starter cspot
- Start date
I was more trying to clarify the mosquito/midge thing. Sorry for the confusion, I'm also unsure of it's becoming.
Interesting. Sounds like a lot of the mineral sites I see posted. Could we be doing more harm then good...?
Many are put in creek bottoms and such. They brought it up in the article. My mineral area is in the creek bottom.
Hortontoter
Senior Member
I agree with Chad. I get water in my mineral site after a hard rain. But, it is on higher ground and never lasts but a day or so.
I have had some mineral sites where the deer have dug down pretty deep where it would hold water so i just dig a trench out so the water can escape.
It’s not even hunting season yet and Pennsylvania deer have been under fire, with mostly bad news.
I talked with wildlife conservation officer Mike Yeck, who patrols the northern half of Beaver County, and he said epizootic hemorrhagic disease, or EHD, is back in Beaver County.
“It seems every five years, this shows up,” said Yeck. “We had it in the county back in 2007 and 2012, and now again this year. The difference this year is the weather. The last two times, it was a hot and dry summer.”
Epizootic hemorrhagic disease affects white-tailed deer and is caused by a virus. First discovered in New Jersey in 1955, it is usually fatal, characterized by extensive hemorrhages. EHD is found throughout the United States. Deer are infected when they are bitten by a host insect, most commonly a biting midge. It is not contagious from deer to deer.
Wildlife officer Matt Kramer works the southern half of the county and has seen the effects of EHD there.
“We estimate 85 deer have died recently due to EHD,” said Kramer. “Areas in my part of the county where the disease is present include Independence, Hopewell, Greene, Shippingport, Raccoon and Potter.”
“While the disease has not been confirmed by testing yet, it fits the pattern. The deer are dying a sudden death, usually within seven to 10 days, and they die near a water source,” said Kramer. “The disease is affecting the whole deer population, from fawns with spots to mature bucks.”
In Yeck’s district, the affected areas include Midland, Ohioville and Industry. There are also reports of Washington County and Ohio deer that are suspected of having EHD.
While several samples from dead deer have been sent for testing, it is hard to find viable samples.
“Anything over 10 hours old is worthless,” said Yeck. We really need fresher samples, but they are hard to come by.”
The officers want anyone who finds a dead deer to report it to the regional office so that it can track the spread and have as accurate an estimate as possible of the death toll, but it is not responding to each call. Most of the deer have been dead too long to collect a sample.
“It will run its course this year and be gone next year,” said Yeck.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission announced some good news this week as the two, ear-tagged deer euthanized on July 26 in Ridgway Township, Elk County, tested negative for chronic wasting disease. The deer were discovered about 20 miles north of Disease Management Area 3, within the Commonwealth’s Elk Management Area. Both deer had identification tags in their ears, indicating they were at one time part of a captive-deer herd. The investigation continues to determine whether the deer escaped from a captive facility or were intentionally released.
This follows the commission announcement in June that chronic wasting disease had spread to free-ranging deer in an area of the state where it previously had been detected only in captive deer.
At that time, a free-ranging whitetail buck in Bell Township, Clearfield County, tested positive for the disease. The CWD-positive buck was shot by a wildlife conservation officer June 7 on State Game Lands 87 because it showed signs of being diseased.
Chronic wasting disease is always fatal to deer and elk. Where the disease exists in Pennsylvania, measures are taken to reduce its potential spread.
http://www.timesonline.com/communit...cle_dc270a32-7ddb-11e7-937a-8b083da98512.html
I talked with wildlife conservation officer Mike Yeck, who patrols the northern half of Beaver County, and he said epizootic hemorrhagic disease, or EHD, is back in Beaver County.
“It seems every five years, this shows up,” said Yeck. “We had it in the county back in 2007 and 2012, and now again this year. The difference this year is the weather. The last two times, it was a hot and dry summer.”
Epizootic hemorrhagic disease affects white-tailed deer and is caused by a virus. First discovered in New Jersey in 1955, it is usually fatal, characterized by extensive hemorrhages. EHD is found throughout the United States. Deer are infected when they are bitten by a host insect, most commonly a biting midge. It is not contagious from deer to deer.
Wildlife officer Matt Kramer works the southern half of the county and has seen the effects of EHD there.
“We estimate 85 deer have died recently due to EHD,” said Kramer. “Areas in my part of the county where the disease is present include Independence, Hopewell, Greene, Shippingport, Raccoon and Potter.”
“While the disease has not been confirmed by testing yet, it fits the pattern. The deer are dying a sudden death, usually within seven to 10 days, and they die near a water source,” said Kramer. “The disease is affecting the whole deer population, from fawns with spots to mature bucks.”
In Yeck’s district, the affected areas include Midland, Ohioville and Industry. There are also reports of Washington County and Ohio deer that are suspected of having EHD.
While several samples from dead deer have been sent for testing, it is hard to find viable samples.
“Anything over 10 hours old is worthless,” said Yeck. We really need fresher samples, but they are hard to come by.”
The officers want anyone who finds a dead deer to report it to the regional office so that it can track the spread and have as accurate an estimate as possible of the death toll, but it is not responding to each call. Most of the deer have been dead too long to collect a sample.
“It will run its course this year and be gone next year,” said Yeck.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission announced some good news this week as the two, ear-tagged deer euthanized on July 26 in Ridgway Township, Elk County, tested negative for chronic wasting disease. The deer were discovered about 20 miles north of Disease Management Area 3, within the Commonwealth’s Elk Management Area. Both deer had identification tags in their ears, indicating they were at one time part of a captive-deer herd. The investigation continues to determine whether the deer escaped from a captive facility or were intentionally released.
This follows the commission announcement in June that chronic wasting disease had spread to free-ranging deer in an area of the state where it previously had been detected only in captive deer.
At that time, a free-ranging whitetail buck in Bell Township, Clearfield County, tested positive for the disease. The CWD-positive buck was shot by a wildlife conservation officer June 7 on State Game Lands 87 because it showed signs of being diseased.
Chronic wasting disease is always fatal to deer and elk. Where the disease exists in Pennsylvania, measures are taken to reduce its potential spread.
http://www.timesonline.com/communit...cle_dc270a32-7ddb-11e7-937a-8b083da98512.html
Fullbore
Senior Member
I guess this is natures way of keeping the population in check?!?!
I sure hate this method though!
I sure hate this method though!
According to this article more than 150 deer in Washington, Allegheny, and Beaver County in PA.
http://www.post-gazette.com/local/r...sylvania-Game-Commission/stories/201708210038
The outbreak of a white-tailed deer disease in southwestern Pennsylvania has resulted in the death of more than 150 deer, and more deaths are expected.
The state Game Commission was investigating the recent deer deaths in Allegheny, Beaver and Washington counties. The viral disease cannot be contracted by humans but could threaten livestock.
Justin Brown, the game commission’s wildlife veterinarian, said a deer that died in Greene Township, Beaver County, was tested and confirmed to have epizootic hemorrhagic disease.
“While we are waiting for additional test results, we do suspect EHD, based on field signs we are seeing during our investigations.” Dr. Brown said in a statement.
EHD is not related to another more serious problem for Pennsylvania deer, chronic wasting disease. The virus is contracted through the bite of small flies, generically called midges. Infected deer may appear disheveled or sick. They die from extensive hemorrhages in five to 10 days.
While EHD could have a temporary impact on regional deer populations, the midges die with the first frost and deer numbers rebound. If a sickly looking deer is spotted, contact the Game Commission Southwest Region Office at 724-238- 9523.
http://www.post-gazette.com/local/r...sylvania-Game-Commission/stories/201708210038
The outbreak of a white-tailed deer disease in southwestern Pennsylvania has resulted in the death of more than 150 deer, and more deaths are expected.
The state Game Commission was investigating the recent deer deaths in Allegheny, Beaver and Washington counties. The viral disease cannot be contracted by humans but could threaten livestock.
Justin Brown, the game commission’s wildlife veterinarian, said a deer that died in Greene Township, Beaver County, was tested and confirmed to have epizootic hemorrhagic disease.
“While we are waiting for additional test results, we do suspect EHD, based on field signs we are seeing during our investigations.” Dr. Brown said in a statement.
EHD is not related to another more serious problem for Pennsylvania deer, chronic wasting disease. The virus is contracted through the bite of small flies, generically called midges. Infected deer may appear disheveled or sick. They die from extensive hemorrhages in five to 10 days.
While EHD could have a temporary impact on regional deer populations, the midges die with the first frost and deer numbers rebound. If a sickly looking deer is spotted, contact the Game Commission Southwest Region Office at 724-238- 9523.
Anyone know the effects rain will have on this? Everything I've read talks about a frost stopping EHD, will a heavy rainfall spread it?
Jake_C
Junior Member
I was under the impression that rain helped prevent it, that it was mostly to be feared in drought conditions. Obviously that's not exactly the case. This has been the wettest summer I can remember, and yet here we are.
