# Deer Disease Outbreak in Lorain & Jefferson Counties



## Osmerus (Dec 5, 2012)

Not so good of news as of late. An outbreak of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD), also known as Blue Tongue Disease has occurred in Lorain, Columbiana and Jefferson Counties. Its a virus spread by a biting midge that causes the deer to hemorrhage internally. In Northern Lorain County we have dead deer all over the place. The disease also affects livestock: horses,cows, sheep etc. Deer numbers will be way down in the areas affected this fall.

The DNR is asking for report of dead deer in the areas affected.

Attached is a PDF from the Ohio Dept of Agriculture for more info


----------



## OutdoorMediaCo (Sep 6, 2016)

Ross and highland counties as well.


----------



## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

Talk about being over-dramatic. The clickbait title is a nice touch too.


----------



## snag (Dec 27, 2005)

We had that hit in N portage county about five years ago at my spot, it did hurt the population quite a bit for a few years it's looking better now, they say it takes about five years for the deer to rebound.


----------



## Osmerus (Dec 5, 2012)

M.Magis said:


> Talk about being over-dramatic. The clickbait title is a nice touch too.


Whatever. Not trying to be over dramatic. Its just a little shocking when you find dead deer all over place. I have found 13 over 300 acres. Thats alot of dead deer. Also know of another 30 some dead in the surrounding area. Prolly 75 percent of the deer in our area have died. Thats not something to just shrug your shoulders at. Yes they will rebound but it will take awhile. Just want to get the info out to people.


----------



## OutdoorMediaCo (Sep 6, 2016)

I posted the news release in the lodge and under bucks and does and it was deleted for being a double post. Nothing click baitish about it? People need to know. Go in and shoot a limit on a property with major losses from EHD and see what happens.


----------



## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

Big difference between the "first confirmed case" and saying "deer numbers will be way down". Nothing in that article indicates its even close to as widespread as what you've seen. Thats important info to mention, because that article makes seem like any other normal year.


----------



## fishforfun (Apr 9, 2005)

snag said:


> We had that hit in N portage county about five years ago at my spot, it did hurt the population quite a bit for a few years it's looking better now, they say it takes about five years for the deer to rebound.


 I agree with you also as I hunt portage it wiped a lot of deer out. Most of the trophy bucks were infected. I use to get nice pics on cams. I finally have a few nice shooters again . It wiped out a lot of does also . So I agree at least 5 yrs for some kind of a come back.


----------



## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

M.Magis said:


> Big difference between the "first confirmed case" and saying "deer numbers will be way down". Nothing in that article indicates its even close to as widespread as what you've seen. Thats important info to mention, because that article makes seem like any other normal year.


I would ask a couple of questions here. Who wrote the article, and who provided the information to the writer of the article? If it was the ODNR, seeking to keep tag sales up, that introduces some doubt. If it's a PETA member disguised as a wildlife biologist (and yes, they do these things), there's also doubt.



fishforfun said:


> I agree with you also as I hunt portage it wiped a lot of deer out. Most of the trophy bucks were infected. I use to get nice pics on cams. I finally have a few nice shooters again . It wiped out a lot of does also . So I agree at least 5 yrs for some kind of a come back.


My BIL has permission to hunt a large farm in Washington Co., not far from Marietta. He owns a small cottage next door. The farm is a creek bottom with timbered ridges on either side. Obviously, the crop fields and livestock pastures are in the creek bottom. The ridges are for selective logging.

One year, some years back, the area was hit with a hard drought. The creek dried up to a few pitiful mudholes! My BIL was down there on a cottage maintenance and scouting trip. He wasn't seeing many deer, or getting much on his game cams. He decided to walk the length of the creek from one property line to the other.

He found so many dead and rotting deer carcasses that it made him sick! And it took a good five years for things to get back to anywhere near normal!

He had invited me down to hunt several times before, and I'd always seen, and sometimes shot, deer! But in those years he'd call me and tell me, "There's no use going down there. There's more deer where you hunt around here. I'm not going to go down!" EHD can do a number!


----------



## Phish_4_Bass (Sep 18, 2008)

I live in Jefferson county and can attest to the numbers of deer being found. The neighbors down the road found 6 bucks in a 1 mile stretch of creek. I have found 3 bucks, one was a giant 10, and we have a doe floating in our middle pond. Stinks to high heavens, but the perch and gills are getting fat off the maggots falling off of it. I've heard different estimates of the numbers expected to be lost, some were pretty high. All I do know is the numbers of deer I'm seeing is way down.


----------



## partlyable (Mar 2, 2005)

We are going to go down and walk the creek bottom. In Jefferson county tom. How close to the creek should be expect to find them, will we smell them first or will we need to look through the brush real well. Thanks for any information. 

Phish- I know your close to yellow creek in bergholz so I am betting there are some deer on our property that have been hit.


----------



## caseyroo (Jun 26, 2006)

I can tell you Jefferson has been hit hard! We have close to 100 acres, and the surrounding properties equal to about another 400. In this roughly 500 acres of land nearly 30 deer have been found dead, with several of them being large mature bucks. To answer your question, you will smell death all around. Just driving the back roads you can smell it. The majority of the deer that have been found have in the creek bottoms, or very close to lakes and ponds. 
In addition the impact has shown on trail cameras. Very few deer have been captured, and most are one doe with her 2 fawns over and over. We have already decided to not hunt the property this year. It's sad to see the waste of life, and all of the time, money, and effort lost in creating a quality deer property. We reall need a cold spell and frost to kill, or make the midges dormant for the year.


----------



## Misdirection (Jul 16, 2012)

Across the state line here in PA in Beaver county, we are getting hit pretty hard. In a 5 mile canoe trip on Raccoon Creek which passes behind my property, 20 dead deer were found in the creek or along the banks. That's in addition to one found further up a draw on my place where one went for water. I'm planning on hunting at my camp in the mountains this year.


----------



## waterfox (Dec 27, 2014)

Misdirection said:


> Across the state line here in PA in Beaver county, we are getting hit pretty hard. In a 5 mile canoe trip on Raccoon Creek which passes behind my property, 20 dead deer were found in the creek or along the banks. That's in addition to one found further up a draw on my place where one went for water. I'm planning on hunting at my camp in the mountains this year.


Good choice I heard someone saw a deer in camron co on land where you can still hunt


----------



## partlyable (Mar 2, 2005)

Sounds like I will be hunting Richland county instead this year. I will report back with what we find tomorrow.


----------



## snag (Dec 27, 2005)

It will be at least five years before the population will recover, you will see a few through the season but nothing like it was , in N portage county it hit about five years back at my hunting spot and it's just coming back now ,seeing more every year .


----------



## Misdirection (Jul 16, 2012)

waterfox said:


> Good choice I heard someone saw a deer in camron co on land where you can still hunt


That's where my camp is. We have permission to hunt private land of a couple thousand acres plus all of the public land around us.


----------



## Phish_4_Bass (Sep 18, 2008)

partlyable said:


> How close to the creek should be expect to find them, will we smell them first or will we need to look through the brush real well.


The ones I've found as well as the neighbors were in the water.
I smelled the one in the pond before I saw it.
Good luck, hopefully you don't find many


----------



## caseyroo (Jun 26, 2006)

Just out of curiosity, what part of Jefferson County are you guys in? I'm wondering how widespread through the county it is. The property we are own is located near Mt. pleasant and Adena, and it has been hit extremely hard.


----------



## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

This was sent to me. Buddy said the sheriff had to shoot the deer. This was Hamilton county. The buck was walking in circles in the road.


----------



## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

Double post


----------



## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

bobk said:


> This was sent to me. Buddy said the sheriff had to shoot the deer. This was Hamilton county. The buck was walking in circles in the road.
> View attachment 245453


Wow...what an incredible buck!


----------



## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

snag said:


> It will be at least five years before the population will recover, you will see a few through the season but nothing like it was , in N portage county it hit about five years back at my hunting spot and it's just coming back now ,seeing more every year .


Yep! That was my BIL's experience. Took about 5 years for the population to rebound. 

Yes, it was wet early on, but overall it's been a dry year. Early on I couldn't get into my garden to weed because I'd sink in up to my ankles! Not too much later I was out there every other day watering to keep the thing alive!


----------



## partlyable (Mar 2, 2005)

caseyroo said:


> Just out of curiosity, what part of Jefferson County are you guys in? I'm wondering how widespread through the county it is. The property we are own is located near Mt. pleasant and Adena, and it has been hit extremely hard.


I just spent the day in north west Jefferson near bergholz. I did not find any dead deer yet as of 9/15. Hoping for frost before it gets hit hard.


----------



## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

I was just sent conformation for Beaver Creek Park area,,,, a good friend lives up above the Horseman's camp (down wind from the River) & he said that he could smell the stench as soon as he opens the door!
That's where we usually bow hunt,,,,, He said "no need to come down!"


----------



## hopintocash2 (Aug 14, 2011)

snag said:


> We had that hit in N portage county about five years ago at my spot, it did hurt the population quite a bit for a few years it's looking better now, they say it takes about five years for the deer to rebound.


I will agree with snag, I am in central portage and it took a toll. About 5 years or so before any rebound.


----------



## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

Doboy said:


> I was just sent conformation for Beaver Creek Park area,,,, a good friend lives up above the Horseman's camp (down wind from the River) & he said that he could smell the stench as soon as he opens the door!
> That's where we usually bow hunt,,,,, He said "no need to come down!"


Yep! Talked to Bruce this evening on the phone, and he said the ODNR Facebook page has pics of 7 "to die for" bucks dead of EHD in Beaver Creek SP! 

Back home his bait and mineral piles aren't getting hit, and his deer trails are growing in! 

Up in Y'town the deer in Mill Creek seem to be doing fine, but that creek never really dried up. Of course, I can't hunt there!


----------



## PapawSmith (Feb 13, 2007)

M.Magis said:


> Big difference between the "first confirmed case" and saying "deer numbers will be way down". Nothing in that article indicates its even close to as widespread as what you've seen. Thats important info to mention, because that article makes seem like any other normal year.


Have they convinced you yet, between this and the other threads? Turns out that it is not such a "click bait title", right?


----------



## Flatty01 (Aug 9, 2008)

Haven't heard much recently but I heard theRichmond area is basicly wiped out.


----------



## mmtchell (Jul 9, 2014)

I live in parma and they are being found dead all over ,,, ride down pleasant valley and tri c and you will smell the stench ....mostly bucks


----------



## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

A good article and film clip on EHD...

http://www.deeranddeerhunting.com/a...should-know-about-ehd-and-how-it-affects-deer


----------



## ostbucks98 (Apr 14, 2004)

In this age of technology where you cant do anything without taking a picture you would think there would be pics of all these dead deer.


----------



## Shad Rap (Nov 10, 2010)

ostbucks98 said:


> In this age of technology where you cant do anything without taking a picture you would think there would be pics of all these dead deer.


There is some in another thread...


----------

