EHD this year?

[Robin@AimLow]

Anyone seeing signs of EHD in MO? A neighbor told me about a buck that he found nearly dead a month ago. Described it as thin, couldn't stand up, frothing at the mouth. Sounds like EHD, but the frothing mouth is a CWD symptom. I have been reading about lots of dead deer from EHD in some surrounding states.

[Roscoe Dog]

Havent seen anything around my place. Last couple times I was down there I walked the creek banks and looked but no dead deer found. Its in southern Crawford county.

[PoisonSnake]

I know of about 20 around here. It is really bad in specific areas in the southern half of the state.

[2BHNTN]

That's a shame to hear. Is CWD or EHD confirmed in missouri ?

[Robin@AimLow]

An email from Mr. Hansen this morning said that EHD is hitting hard in the southern sections of the state, with some reports coming in from Northern MO. He did express some concern over my neighbor's report of "frothing at the mouth", but the chance to get that deer tested for CWD is long gone.

[Limbshot]

I have not seen it personally, but I have heard it is hitting Pulaski County. I do not have any confirmed reports, but I was told they have found about 30 deer dead on Ft. Leonard Wood. Again, not confirmed, so take it for what it is worth. We have not found any on my parent's place down there, and hopefully we do not. The neighbors to the south of us found a young buck and a huge 7 pointer dead in one of their ponds. The 7 pointer went about 145 inches and had a drop tine. Sure hate to hear of it going through down there. Our deer numbers were just recovering from the EHD that went through there in the late 80's!

[JimDog]

It's funny you bring this up. While I have seen no signs of any diseased or dead deer here in Boone County, I have noticed a very marked decrease in the number of deer that I am seeing. I was thinking it just may be the fact that this fall has been extremely warm. Then I thought that maybe the unlimited deer tags have made a dent. Disease was another suspect.

I have no idea what is going on, but I can tell you one thing - I have been seeing a lot less deer around here then in years past. There is a county road about a mile from my house that does a big loop - probably about 10 miles to go around it. It wanters thru some timbered area, goes down into the Missouri River Bottom, then comes back up. In ten miles you hit all different types of terrain - woods, farmland, bottomland. I often drive the loop in the evening with my binocs. A couple of years ago, t was not uncommon to see 100 deer. Now, on a good evening I will see a dozen. Something is happening - just not sure what it is...

[2BHNTN]

Hopefully it was the warm weather and moon phase. Jimdog, maybe you just need to adjust your glass's. Also I notice your left ear is a bit out of whack. You been makin lovin to a one armed gal ? If so, she might want to flip you around just to even things out a bit.

[JimDog]

2BHNTN said:
I notice your left ear is a bit out of whack. You been makin lovin to a one armed gal ? If so, she might want to flip you around just to even things out a bit.

Thanks for pointing that out, 2b. I'll try my other hand for a while...

[PoisonSnake]

JimDog: It is a combination of all of the above. Where the he11 have you been while I have been beotching about this chit? He11, we talked about it over lunch many times.

[JimDog]

I definitely remember you talking about that guy out by you wackin the chit out of the does, and I know that guy over by the gillespie property has been doing the same. It just seems that this year I have noticed a huge difference. I noticed a small decline last year - maybe 10 to 20% less deer then the year before. But this year, it is more like a 90% reduction. I guess I am still having a hard time believing that humans can have that much of an impact via hunting.

But I guess with the emphasis on shooting does - you are effectively killing 3 deer for every one you shoot, when you consider that the average doe gives births to twins. I spose it adds up. But there is something else going on out there...

[2BHNTN]

Forkin deer stealin aliens.....weeooo..weeooo...weeooo.

[Duck Me Runnin]

There was an article about this in last week's St. Louis Post. They tended to think the brunt of the sickness was in S.E. Mo.,but mentioned outbreaks as far away as Boone and Lincoln counties.

I was brushing a duck blind in Lincoln co. last Thursday evening. The blind sits on a slough, in thick bottom woods, about 1/4 mi. from the Miss. river.

The smell of rotting flesh was almost unbearable.

The guy that care-takes the 750 acres to the N. has found 22 dead deer in the last 2 weeks. All were within 50 ys. of a water source.

That's not the only account that I 've heard in the last few weeks.

[Rafe Hollister]

Dad had a fawn die by his pond last week. It acted all goofy and let him touch it. It stood in the water for most of 2 or 3 days until he finally found it dead on the back of the dam.

[PoisonSnake]

Hey JimDog: It is the same guy. The guy that farms the Gillespie bottoms is the same fellow that farms out near me. Luckily for me this year we were planted in corn. You guys had beans. Oh, and if hunters continually take as many deer as they can year after year coupled with EHD and nuisance tags, you bet you will see a difference. Surprisingly enough, I believe the first 4 cases of EHD in Boone Cty. were city deer. Probably SW Columbia.