Illinois...

[kfacres]

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...

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-.

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.

 

[Gargoyle]

kf, thanks for the details, I was largely going on reports I received from a local trapper; perhaps the 40% was for our county or region.

Here's an article about it, but it's six months old.
http://www.heartlandoutdoors.com/tims/story/ehd_is_just_getting_started/

The same blog reported more recently that hunters are taking more deer this year than last.
http://heartlandoutdoors.com/heartland/story/late_winter_season_totals_up/

 

[Life is Good!]

The IL DNR just put out an email today regarding the deer hunt (it's up) and details for spring Turkey hunts.

Here's the link to the email (it's the monthly newsletter):
http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/news/Pages/IDNRNewsbitsforJanuary2013.aspx

I know our coyote population is booming up north here - they're in the forest preserves of DuPage county...could hear them at night earlier in the season. Dogs still smell 'em when we're out on our daily walk. I don't dare go out too early for fear of walking into one w/o some protection.

 

[tbitt]

Anyone know of anyone looking for a Blue Silkie Roo (He came from a blue splash pen, but he is mostly all blue with very minimal "splash)


He is about 7 months old, born May 25th 2012
I have TOO many.

 

[Gargoyle]

I know our coyote population is booming up north here - they're in the forest preserves of DuPage county...could hear them at night earlier in the season. Dogs still smell 'em when we're out on our daily walk. I don't dare go out too early for fear of walking into one w/o some protection.

Yup, I'm hoping they don't come prowling around our pen. It's pretty secure, I doubt they'd get in, but still they would really scare our chickens.
I haven't seen one on our property for a couple years, but I know they're around; we have a good bit of forest preserve and open land around us.

 

[Cedarknob]

Blue tongue is a virus spread to ruminants primarily by the bite of midges, which do resemble mosquitoes but are smaller. Many folks around here call midges 'no-see-ums' due to their small size. Plague hatches of midges are more likely to occur under drought conditions, whereas mosquitoes thrive in wet environments. Ticks and possibly mosquitoes are thought to possibly also spread the disease by feeding on first an infected host and then another.

 

[Life is Good!]

Blue tongue is a virus spread to ruminants primarily by the bite of midges, which do resemble mosquitoes but are smaller. Many folks around here call midges 'no-see-ums' due to their small size. Plague hatches of midges are more likely to occur under drought conditions, whereas mosquitoes thrive in wet environments. Ticks and possibly mosquitoes are thought to possibly also spread the disease by feeding on first an infected host and then another.

Eep! I'm not going outside without DEET on my clothes!!! Even if it is only 30 degrees.....

Got the creepy-crawlies from reading this......ewwwww......but good to know, thanks, I think....

(edited to add - this is a teasing reply...I do have the creepies, but it's January, and I know better! ~~~Shiver~~~)

 

[User105877]

What part of Southern IL. you from kfacres?

 

[Cedarknob]

I always get a kick out of hatching chicks, though not so fond of raising chicks in our winters here. However, I'm developing a project line of meaty bodied, blue egg layers and want them to be decent winter layers, so am hatching chicks from a breeding pen of birds that are a cross of Ameraucana and CX and use no artificial lights or heat. These will be two and three weeks old this coming weekend.

 

[OSUman]

I see one of the bigger ones is a bearded white, hopefully they grow faster and bigger then the one I saw, they are pretty cool.

I always get a kick out of hatching chicks, though not so fond of raising chicks in our winters here. However, I'm developing a project line of meaty bodied, blue egg layers and want them to be decent winter layers, so am hatching chicks from a breeding pen of birds that are a cross of Ameraucana and CX and use no artificial lights or heat. These will be two and three weeks old this coming weekend.