David Bailey is exactly right. Blue tongue has taken it's toll on the deer in our area(Nash county). Our kill numbers are down in excess of 50% for this year. It seems the hardest hit areas according to our game wardens are in and around Franklin,Warren, and Nash counties,however many other counties
throughout the state have been affected.Coyotes have also had and impact. We are seeing and killing more than ever!!!

We don't have the deer either,even places we cant hunt and was always full of deer you don't see them in the fields like you did.When the yotes showed is when we noticed the change in numbers.I would definitely consider easing up on does instead of waiting for the game department to tell you.

i too have noticed quite a difference in our deer population on my end of buckingham too fellas . Way different than years past . I have however seen a big rise in our bear population this year , some say they are hard on the deer too . I don't know if they are or not. I do know that when I get bear on my trail cams the deer disappear.

Several of our guys seen coyotes trailing does during bow and black powder season . One guy killed 2 in one evening .
I myself took a pop shot at one yesterday the dogs were running . Shame I didn't get him .

I do believe the coyotes are a major threat not only to our deer population but also our turkey population as well .

I've heard the rumors about blue tongue and other diseases affecting the deer in our area . I've heard that a farmer in farmville found 14 dead in a small farm pond . But that is here say . Not sure if it's true or not .

I personally think it's a combination of it all . Guys I'm sure yall see the same things I do , look at how many different clubs and private and or public land land hunters that's in our county anymore . With the increased amounts of hunters in the woods , and many of those still believe in if its brown it's down and would kill 50 deer if they could . Threat of a possible disease , bear , coyotes , lack of food last year , it's a wonder we have the deer we do . Meade you're definitely right about the vdgif , all they want is the money from licenses and this good ol insurance companies . I wish all you guys a happy thanksgiving and a even better remainder of hunting season .

i too have noticed quite a difference in our deer population on my end of buckingham too fellas . Way different than years past . I have however seen a big rise in our bear population this year , some say they are hard on the deer too . I don't know if they are or not. I do know that when I get bear on my trail cams the deer disappear.

Several of our guys seen coyotes trailing does during bow and black powder season . One guy killed 2 in one evening .
I myself took a pop shot at one yesterday the dogs were running . Shame I didn't get him .

I do believe the coyotes are a major threat not only to our deer population but also our turkey population as well .

I've heard the rumors about blue tongue and other diseases affecting the deer in our area . I've heard that a farmer in farmville found 14 dead in a small farm pond . But that is here say . Not sure if it's true or not .

I personally think it's a combination of it all . Guys I'm sure yall see the same things I do , look at how many different clubs and private and or public land land hunters that's in our county anymore . With the increased amounts of hunters in the woods , and many of those still believe in if its brown it's down and would kill 50 deer if they could . Threat of a possible disease , bear , coyotes , lack of food last year , it's a wonder we have the deer we do . Meade you're definitely right about the vdgif , all they want is the money from licenses and this good ol insurance companies . I wish all you guys a happy thanksgiving and a even better remainder of hunting season .

Thanks for the responses. So far we have not found any deer remains. We have saw a couple coyotes, but that has been about it.

Meade look at the hooves of the deer that yall are killing. If blue tongue had hit the area, they will have cracked or deformed hooves. The blue tongue hit our area pretty hard. We killed 3 eight pointers this past weekend and both of them had cracked hooves. The good thing is once they had it they will be immune to it if it hits the area again. Our club has cut down on the number of does that we are allowing members to kill. It has definitely cut down our harvest numbers but we are still finding deer to run and kill. I believe that it has helped our hounds as they are having to hunt a little before they jump now.

Tim Cherry

I would be willing to bet the major problem is lead poisoning the doe population as it happened here years ago.

hate yotes as much as anyone...but Im with Bryant. This very liberal doe season for nearly a decade now is the cause IMO.

In my opinion its a combination of disease and yotes and shooting deer in off season.When soybeans hit 14 and 15dollars a few years back the rifle balls went to flying around the house.I have hunted in Hertford Co.N.C. most of my life and we can not kill enough does.The more we kill the more there are.

THIS IS A COPY OF AN ARTICLE THAT WAS IN THE NEWS AND OBSERVER IN OCTOBER I THINK THESE NUMBERS ARE GROSSLY UNDERSTATED

Some Triangle hunters may encounter sick and dying deer this fall.

An outbreak of a virus spread by tiny insects that proliferated over this wet summer has brought epizootic hemorrhagic disease to white-tailed deer.

“This is not a catastrophic event, by any means. This is sort of a ‘normal’ outbreak in terms of size,” Greg Batts, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission wildlife biologist for District 3, said Monday by phone from Zebulon. “It is something hunters are going to notice.”

Hunters may see dead deer near water and skinny deer in hunting areas. The disease causes a loss of appetite and a high fever, sending sick deer to water.

Franklin County has had more than 60 cases, Batts said. About 30 cases have been recorded in Vance County, 25 in Wake and a dozen or more in Johnston. Other areas have not reported outbreaks.

Batts said hunters needn’t shoot deer because they’re skinny; survivors will return to corn piles to fatten up and will have antibodies against the virus. But if it’s a deer the hunter normally would shoot, there’s no reason not to.

“Humans are not affected by these viruses, and the affected venison can be consumed,” the biologist said.

Often mistaken for a similar disease called blue tongue, which is rarely found and wrongly called black tongue – epizootic hemorrhagic disease, or EHD, is spread by tiny biting flies, gnats or midges, Batts said.

The virus, which is not transmitted deer to deer, is seen in late summer and early fall when the insects are most active.

“The flies live only 21-40 days,” Batts said. “When the weather gets cool enough … we won’t see any more activity.”

Bates said biologists would like to know which of several variants of the disease is affecting deer. Hunters who find deer that died within the previous 12 hours can call 919-707-0050 so biologists can arrange to take blood and spleen samples from the deer. Learn about EHD at www.ncwildlife.org/Hunting/AftertheHunt/DeerDiseases.

Comment sought: The Wildlife Resources Commission is revising management of captive cervid through the temporary rule-making process and will hold hearings Oct. 7 and Oct. 14.

Proposed changes would allow issuance of new captivity licenses and permits for keeping captive cervids, such as deer and elk, and allow owners of certified herds to sell or transfer cervids to any licensed facility.

The Oct. 7 hearing is at 7 p.m. at the Iredell County Extension Center in Statesville. The Oct. 14 hearing is 7 p.m. at commission headquarters, 1751 Varsity Drive, Raleigh.

Comments, due Oct. 16, can be emailed to regulations@ncwildlife.org. Learn more at www.ncwildlife.org/ProposedRegulations.

Trout update: Hatchery-supported regulations ended Wednesday and delayed-harvest regulations went into effect for 33 trout waters in 18 western counties. No trout can be harvested until June. Go to www.ncwildlife.org/fishing, or follow @NCWildlife on Twitter.


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Boggess: boggess.teri@gmail.com Twitter: @BoggessT





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Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/10/01/4199805/virus-caused-by-insects-killing.html#storylink=cpy