Kentucky Dept. of Fish & Wildlife Resources News
Release
Deer disease
outbreak ends
Frankfort, Ky. – This year’s outbreak of Epizootic Hemorrhagic
Disease (EHD) in deer appears over.
The killing frosts of the past week have eliminated most of the midges
(gnats) which carry the disease. Biologists with the Kentucky Department
of Fish and Wildlife Resources have not received any new reports of deer
deaths associated with the disease in several days, said Tina Brunjes,
the department’s big game coordinator.
Department officials have documented more than 4,000 deer deaths from
the disease. “There’s no way to put an actual number on the deer that
have died as a result of EHD,” Brunjes said. “However, hunters have
taken more than 18,000 deer this season, which is around average at this
point of the season.”
The disease, while fatal to deer, cannot be transferred to humans.
Eating the meat of deer that appear to be healthy poses no risk to
humans even if the deer is infected with hemorrhagic disease.
Hunters, however, should not eat animals that appeared emaciated or weak
prior to harvest, due to the risk of secondary infections. Hemorrhagic
disease can cause large abscesses to form in the body cavity, muscle
tissue or under the skin. These abscesses render the meat inedible.
Modern gun season for deer, which opens statewide Nov. 10, will provide
the best indication of the severity of the outbreak. Most deer are taken
during the modern gun season. If the numbers are down considerably, that
will provide biologists a better idea of the size of the state’s
existing deer herd.
“We will continue to track harvest throughout the modern gun season in
an effort to gauge the total impact of EHD,” said Wildlife Division
Director Karen Alexy. “Right now, there’s no way to estimate the number
of deer that have died from EHD.”
Officials in several surrounding states reported similar outbreaks this
year.
Department officials will evaluate total deer numbers and recommend any
changes to deer zones in 2008, if needed, at the March meeting of the
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission. Prior to the outbreak, Kentucky’s
deer herd numbered nearly a million.
Brunjes noted that deer are prolific breeders. Even if the disease hit a
local area hard this year, she said, the number of deer in the area will
likely rebound within two years because of reproduction and animals
moving in from other areas.
For a listing of all of Kentucky’s deer seasons and hunting regulations,
consult the 2007-2008 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, available
wherever hunting licenses are sold.
Hunters should read the guide to familiarize themselves with new
regulation changes before going afield. A new regulation this year
affects hunters who wish to shoot a bobcat while out deer hunting.
Hunters must wait until Nov. 17 – a week into the modern gun season for
deer – before they may shoot a bobcat.
-30-
The Kentucky
Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources manages, regulates, enforces
and promotes responsible use of all fish and wildlife species, their
habitats, public wildlife areas and waterways for the benefit of those
resources and for public enjoyment. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, an
agency of the Commerce Cabinet, has an economic impact to the state of
$4.8 billion annually. For more information about the department, visit
our web site at fw.ky.gov.
