Buck I found Dead The Other Day

[Tatonka]

I was pheasant hunting the other day and found this young whitetail buck. I"m sure he died from EHD, which hit some areas here last fall (there was a little velvet left on one antler, so I'm sure he died in early Sept.). You can't see it very well in the photo, but this buck was starting to grow a 3rd antler right in the middle of his forehead... There is about a one inch antler just starting.... I'm guessing this was a 2 1/2 year old buck....would have been interesting to see what he looked like had he made it a couple more years...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v285/stonebroke/WhitetailBuckfounddead-20112.jpg

[huntin]

what is EHD ?

[Rockyhunter]

what is EHD ?

Google is your friend ...


Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) is an acute, infectious, often fatal viral disease of some wild ruminants. This malady, characterized by extensive hemorrhages, has been responsible for significant epizootics in deer in the northern United States and southern Canada.

[Tatonka]

what is EHD ?

It's a virus whitetail deer can get from gnats.... It's very similar to Blue Tongue from what I understand.. In a nutshell, the deer hemorage to death internally. From what I've seen over the years it usually hits when deer numbers are very high after a hard winter (when their immune systems are comprimised)... It's not like the gnats carry it some years and not others.... It seems to hit every 10 to 15 years around here. We lost a few deer in my area, but not many. East of here, the whitetails were nearly wiped out last summer. Here is an article on it:

http://ahunterstales.com/2011/09/13/blue-tongue-or-ehd-leaving-a-dark-cloud-over-future-of-montana-whitetails/

[archer8]

Very cool indeed -- Would have loved to have seen him in a couple years -- Here is a shed from area I hunt -- Found it about 5 feet up in a fir tree -- this years shed