Welcome to TheOhioOutdoors
Wanting to join the rest of our members? Login or sign up today!
Login / Join

EHD

Smawgunner2

Active Member
1,230
63
Athens County
We’ll shit. I can’t recall it being in Athens county in the past 10 years so I never paid much attention. So what does that mean for a harvested deer…are there internal signs where there are no external signs?
 

Reagan

Member
75
31
Milford, OH
We’ll shit. I can’t recall it being in Athens county in the past 10 years so I never paid much attention. So what does that mean for a harvested deer…are there internal signs where there are no external signs?
If you kill a deer that had EHD but survived, you might see evidence of it in damaged hooves.

EHD killed a lot of deer around the mines in Vinton/Meigs about 20 years ago. I found dozens of dead deer in my duck spots back then.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Big_Holla

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,720
248
Ohio
We’ll shit. I can’t recall it being in Athens county in the past 10 years so I never paid much attention. So what does that mean for a harvested deer…are there internal signs where there are no external signs?
If they had EHD, they are dead. Article said roughly 36hrs. It also said safe to humans. I would personally not eat a deer that died of EHD. Lol
 
  • Like
Reactions: Stressless

giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
Ok. I stand corrected. The article I read is what I based my information on.
It is a common mistake. Just like them saying CWD is always fatal. Also false because you can only test a dead deer. Otherwise the process of testing would kill the deer. With EHD it is a bit different as some animals have immunity and some survive the sickness.
 

Wildlife

Denny
Supporting Member
5,248
191
Ross County, Ohio

Hate to revive this thread, but I felt it was important if you aren't aware already, of what ONDR wishes us hunters to do when discovering infected and/or dead EHD deer, thanks!​

______________________________________


And, just to shed some light regarding the most mature bucks that were frequent visitors at my place over the past three years.

Unfortunately, they've been missing since the beginning of July. I have not seen any of them since the very end of June or the first week of July, or right after we had a full week of tremendous 90+ degree temperatures and everything baked around here. Our creek waters evaporated down to a tiny trickle of a stream at that time, but has since recovered.

So, I believe approximately a third of the local deer herd, the most mature, are completely missing. That to me is very unusual when comparing a seven year history of deer observations around here.

Now, I have not smelled nor observed any dead deer within the immediate area all summer long, however that doesn't really mean much because I live in the rural country, and there's quite a bit of ground to cover when including all the neighboring properties combined where they can possibly be holding up at. I have been staying out of the deep woods all spring and summer long, so I would not disturb the deer.

Last two weeks, I spent time combing our neighborhood scouting for these known mature bucks from the road and I have not seen them anywhere.

After I spend a fair amount of time in the stands this new hunting season observing what's left of our local deer herd, I'll make the final decision of whether or not I'll harvest any deer out of Ross Co., but at this time, I certainly have no plans on harvesting any deer from the area this year.
____________________________________________

unnamed.jpg

Please Report Deer with EHD​

Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) has been confirmed in Franklin, Hamilton, Perry, Athens, Ross, Warren, Butler, Greene, Preble, Highland, and Union counties. Sandusky and Madison counties are pending further testing.
We are asking Ohioans to report their observations of deer with EHD here.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Stressless

GoetsTalon

Senior Member
Supporting Member
4,293
128
Walbridge oh
Northern Wood county? Fuck. The only water around my hunting spot are ponds along I-280 but are on private land so not able to check. Going to make some calls to see if I can go look around.
 

giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
Also, being that it is caused by an insect bite, these causes are often very pinpoint to a single location. So you could have no problem on your property until you blow the deer off it. Your situation in NW Ohio is very different than some of us. We bump deer a couple hundred yards, you bump deer miles! So I guess my suggestion is to just let nature do nature things.
 

giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
Bucks generally move around this time of year. Relax. From my personal experiences, you know when it hits. You can smell it in the air. Especially this time of year with the heavy air in the mornings and hit evenings. Deer also die naturally so a single deer doesn't mean much.

I didn't update to freak everyone out. Just adding some content so we all know what is going on. It is for sure something to be aware of. But most of the areas highlighted are very low numbers so far. We are still a long way off from a frost, so it isn't likely to get any better. It's still plenty early for this to get out of control.
 

Stressless

Active Member
2,126
85
Keene, OH
Bait right now is pulling bucks around as is the natural shift going hard horned. Giles, thx for posting the info and keeping it on the radar.
 
  • Like
Reactions: giles

LonewolfNopack

Junior Member
1,503
127
The woods
Found my 4th EHD (presumed) deer today. This one had been there awhile. Found along creek in Ross county just down from the big buck I found earlier this month. Makes 3 for Ross and 1 for Warren county for me.
 

Attachments

  • 20220929_122134.jpg
    20220929_122134.jpg
    335.5 KB · Views: 102