Why inst there a focus on EHD?

[Catscratch]

Can't supplement anything to the deer in IL.

Would it be considered a supplement to deer? I'd think you have a good argument that copper sulfate is a pesticide instead of a supplement. Treating aquatic algae isn't artificially supplementing the deer herd.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

North Missouri hasn't had rain in two weeks and there is almost zero chance for the next 10 days. This is starting to look a lot like last year and we had found quite a few deer that seemingly died from EHD.

 

[Buckhunter10]

EHD + Harvest Pressure = Recovery Trouble

I’ve been running numbers on Ohio deer densities, using 20–25 deer per square mile and a 36-square-mile township as the baseline. Here’s what happens when disease and harvest overlap:

• 30% EHD kill + 27% harvest (statewide average): Herd does not recover. Net recruitment (~15–20% in many areas) cannot keep pace with a 27% annual harvest.
• 40% EHD kill + 27% harvest: Same outcome. Continued decline.
• 50% EHD kill + 27% harvest: Decline is sharper. Even at a strong 25% net recruitment, you are still at –2% per year.

Recovery time: If total harvest is reduced so that net recruitment exceeds harvest, recovery to pre-EHD levels typically takes 5–10 years, depending on the initial die-off and the actual net recruitment achieved. At the current statewide harvest level (~27%), recovery after a 30–50% die-off is not possible.

How much to cut the harvest?
Use this rule of thumb: harvest must be below net recruitment.

• If we assume an average ~15% net recruitment, total harvest needs to be ≤12% to allow growth at a reasonable pace.
• From ~27% down to ~12% is about a 55% reduction in total harvest. That is where the “cut by ~55%” figure comes from.

It is fair to expect a bump in recruitment for one to two years after a die-off, due to improved per-capita resources. But if harvest remains above net recruitment, the herd will still struggle to rebound.

Please poke holes where needed. I have spent way too much time on this and hope it helps someone’s thinking.

 

[bwoods11]

Our area of SW Iowa has been hammered by EHD the past few years. One farm 4 miles from us found 40+ dead deer last summer/fall.

Gratefully, I have not found a single dead deer that looked like it was from EHD (in water, etc). Our farm has 8 ponds, several creeks and a river that run through the property, so no way we can get rid of the mud without blowing out our dams.

The one thing that we do is put out a self-mixed mineral that I pulled from Skip Sligh (IowaWhitetail). It includes a liberal amount of garlic powder that he swears helps keep the midges off the deer. Was that the reason our farm seems to be an island without EHD deaths? I dunno, but I’ll keep using it.

That said, because deer disperse, our population numbers on our farm are still down.


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That’s interesting, I’ve known Skip for many years….one of the best land managers in the US. He is probably on to something with his mix !

 

[356]

First EHD kill from where I hunt during firearms opening week. We had this one on camera regularly. So far this is somewhat isolated, so I don't anticipate a repeat of 2012.

 

[OakSeeds]

Would it be considered a supplement to deer? I'd think you have a good argument that copper sulfate is a pesticide instead of a supplement. Treating aquatic algae isn't artificially supplementing the deer herd.

Anyone dispensing copper sulfate into water from an aluminum boat - for any reason - better be careful not to spill any in the bottom of the boat. It'll eat holes in aluminum in a hurry.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

Around this time last year I dug into some of the published research on EHD and blue tongue. It doesn't seem like there are really any chemical means for reducing the midges. The only two viable options so far are vaccines for cattle and doing everything you can to reduce the environment the midges need.

I would think that the fewer water sources you have, The more likely you would be to proactively reduce EHD incidence. There is a bacillus theringiensis subspecies that could be applied and promoted in an area. I found a few that were commercially available and were marketed as mosquito pellets. They are a bio control so it would be legal to be tried just about anywhere. I would think that because there are something like 4,000 species of midges, you would need to have something with very broad spectrum efficacy. A biological control that reduces insect larvae would not have complete control but may help enough to make an impact.