I tend to disagree, we did not find a single dead deer around the area from Blue Tongue in the southern part of the state. In other parts, yes-.It certainly wasn't the year of the Deer. Blue Tongue disease has wiped out about 40% of them in Illinois. Drought, and also probably the warm winter a year ago (when we didn't have enough deep freeze to kill the insects and bugs that carry the disease) brought it on. This also means Coyotes are more desperate this year, since they don't have deer to snack on.
Make sure your coops are reinforced against predators...
Let me clarrify for those reading, as to the cause of Bluetongue, while you're right that it is carried by insects, you're wrong in that the freeze didn't kill them-- the causual agent was the drought, where the water levels went way down, and that forced the deer to drink water, and injest the mosquitoes-- which are the vector.
During our hunting of the year, we have seen more deer than normal, as have many people I have conversed with. Matter of fact, I believe the state's harvest numbers are ahead of what they were last year.
Now, 3 years ago, we had all sorts of dead deer found from BT... I believe the herd we have in existance right now, has more 'resistance' to it, shall I say?
40% of the state's herd, is way over board- if 40% died off, that would be a good thing.. Heck, I'd settle for 70% killing.
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