Hemorrhagic disease is caused by the caused by the EHD virus (EHDV) and bluetongue

A buck with hemorrhagic disease, which is caused by a virus and affects a deer’s ability to eat and breathe. (Photo: Bob Funke/Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism)

virus (BTV). The virus can affect deer, sheep and cows, and is believed caused by a biting midge found around water sources. Because these animals need more water in summer, obviously, they’re going to be found around these sources. During times of drought or lower than normal rainfall, water sources may become smaller, concentrating the animals and increasing the chance of one or both viruses to be spread.

Northern and midwestern states are seeing more regular outbreaks of hemorrhagic diseases. Severe outbreaks the last five years have affected populations of white-tailed deer and other species, especially in the upper midwest.

“It looks like [HD] has been expanding its geographic range over the last several years, in the northward direction,” John Fischer, unit director of the University of Georgia’s Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCWDS), said in this Wildlife Society News report about the northern expansion. SCWDS was founded in 1957 and helps state and federal wildlife agencies with diseases, research and data.

EHD confirmations between 1980 and 2003.

Hemorrhagic disease was first identified in 1955 but, like other viral diseases, may have been or probably was around much earlier. The disease has been found in almost every state in the U.S. but is primarily associated with the Southeast and upper Midwest. Why? Who knows?

From the report:

Not all deer populations across the United States are impacted equally. Researchers have found that, in the northeastern U.S. and the Midwest, the frequency of infection and the number of HD outbreaks tends to decrease farther north. Outbreaks that do occur in those areas, however, are typically more severe and result in a higher number of mortalities (Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study). This regional pattern of disease might be the result of acquired immunity from a previous infection, maternal protective immunity, or an innate resistance that some southern deer populations may have developed to HD.

Hunters and landowners often find dead deer — unfortunately, they can smell them first — near creeks and watering sites during summer outbreaks. A few years ago when one of the hardest HD outbreaks hit in Tennessee, it was common to get a big whiff of rotting deer when approaching bridges over creeks. The creeks were dry or trickling and infected deer were searching for water. Many died along those creeks.

Creating watering holes that are not conducive to the infected midges is one way you can do something to counteract HD.

But while those findings are alarming, and distressing when different age classes of does and bucks are discovered, they’re not always indicative of a massive die-off of the population. From the report:

Rates of mortality during an HD outbreak rarely exceed 25 percent, and at this level, deer populations can usually recover relatively quickly. Although HD outbreaks haven’t yet impacted deer populations on a state or national scale, they can affect local populations. Though local populations will likely rebound over time, says Mark Ruder, research veterinary medical officer with the USDA-Agricultural Research Service, HD is still a cause for concern: “It’s a little bit dangerous of us to just completely dismiss the disease as not significant,” Ruder says. “We’re in a changing environment and we don’t know if … there could be other disease threats that move in and tip the scale.”

For the full Wildlife Society News report, click here.

At its June 13 meeting in Lakeland, Commissioners said they wanted more time to hear from staff and stakeholders about options designed to reduce the chances of chronic wasting disease being introduced into the state.

CWD is not known to affect people but is a contagious neurological disease affecting deer, elk and moose. It is similar to mad cow disease, always fatal, and there is no known cure or vaccine. So far, the disease has been discovered in 22 states, two Canadian provinces and in South Korea.

Since the beginning of May, the FWC has received much public comment and answered many questions and concerns through its website from deer enthusiasts and those who have deer farms and hunting preserves. The Commission used this public input when considering this proposal, which was deferred until fall.

For more information on CWD, go to www.CWD-info.org. For more information on this draft rule that was deferred, go to MyFWC.com/Deer.

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Polaris Ranger EV – Side By Side ATV, Bushnell The Truth Laser Rangefinder, Bushnell 10x 42mm Legend Ultra-HD Binoculars, Bushnell 3-9x 40mm Legend Ultra-HD Riflescope, Bushnell HuntTrack GPS, Bushnell Footwear Stalk Mid Boot, Primos Double Bull Double Wide Blind, Primos Truth Cam Ultra 46 Game Camera, Primos Control Freak – Complete Control Kit, Primos TriggerStick Bi Pod, Primos Dirty B Turkey Decoy, Primos Bombshell Turkey Call, Primos The Original Can Call w/ True Grip, Primos Magnum Roar Game Call, Primos Bloodhunter HD Flashlight, Primos Swamp Donkey – Crushed Attractant, Primos Swamp Donkey – Donkey Roll, Primos Swamp Donkey – Donkey Juice, Primos The Truth 3 – Big Game DV, Primos The Truth 10 – BowHunting DVD, Primos The Truth 16 – Big Bulls DVD, Primos The Truth 21 – Big Bucks DVD and Primos The Truth 24 – Spring Turkey DVD.

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Jesus Mabalot, 38, was drinking at a church picnic near Eklutna Lake Campground and figured a bicycle ride would be a good idea. He also took some barbecued meat with him for his drunken ride.

After spotting a bear, Mabalot flung a hunk of meat at the bear. Tasty goodies! Then, fueled by the liquid courage coursing through his flittering brain cells, Mabalot tossed a chunck to the bear a second time. That’s when things got outta control.

Alaska State Trooper spokeswoman Beth Ipsen told the Anchorage Daily News that Mabalot was attacked by the bear. It obviously figured Mabalot was a bigger bite of barbecue. Sounds like Mabalot was marinated but not completely pickled.

Mabalot sustained scratches to his body in the attack and was treated at a nearby hospital. He also received a citation for illegally feeding wildlife.

If you’re going to drink and fight bears, you better be tough because you never know what might happen.

Check out the full story here from the Anchorage Daily News.

Rick Giguere, left, and Dave Redfield with Giguere’s 48.75-inch bull from the 2010 season.

The annual drawing to select the lucky hunters who will be offered a permit to hunt moose in New Hampshire this autumn will be June 21 at 9 a.m.

The drawing will be held at the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department in Concord. Fish and Game will issue 275 moose hunting permits this year. The public and interested media are invited to be on hand to watch the excitement as the names are drawn. Winners are selected through a computerized random drawing.

Radio personality Peter St. James will broadcast live from Fish and Game headquarters from 6-10 a.m., with the drawing starting at 9 a.m. Tune in to radio station WTPL (107.7 FM), which can be heard from Nashua to the Lakes Region; or in the Upper Valley, the broadcast can be heard on 94.3 FM or 1400 AM. The station will also stream the audio on its website.

Lottery results will also be available online. Official lists of winners and alternates will be posted on the Fish and Game website by 11 a.m. on Friday. Please be patient; the large spike in web traffic on lottery day can cause download delays.

Limited-edition 2013 moose hunt T-shirts will be available for purchase online.

New Hampshire’s 2013 moose hunt runs from Oct. 19-27. For more about moose hunting in New Hampshire, visit this link.

Pennsylvania officials are trying to determine the owner of this unusual deer found with white-tailed deer in a Lancaster County park.

Pennsylvania Game Commission officials still are conducting an investigation into the deer and where it came from. It was discovered in Lancaster County Central Park and watched for signs of chronic wasting disease.

After no determination could be made of the owner, officials ordered it shot. Subsequent testing for CWD proved negative.

Officials and residents are on edge after CWD was discovered in white-tailed deer last year. The mysterious deer, with the tagged ears, likely is from a game farm but that is uncertain since the owner has not been determined. State officials allow time for the owner to report any escaped deer from high fence farms; none did for this one, and it was put down.

Click here for the full report from the Lancaster

Providing encouragement and access to hunting areas are keys to helping hunter education graduates once they leave high school and enter college and adulthood.

Upon the bill’s signing, North Carolina became the 35th state to enact Families Afield legislation.

The law will establish a Hunting Heritage Apprentice Permit that is available to persons of all ages, making it possible for youth or adult newcomers to try hunting if accompanied by a licensed adult hunter or a license-exempt landowner.

While Families Afield was designed to encourage youth to try hunting, an unexpected benefit of the program is that it has created both an interest and a pathway for adults to experience hunting before committing to the comprehensive hunter education course.

Families Afield-style legislation has led to more than 1 million apprentice hunting licenses being purchased nationally since the program’s inception in 2004.

“Mentored hunting is safe and, as so many have discovered, a great way to experience your first hunt,” said NSSF Director of Recruitment and Retention Melissa Schilling. “By enacting this Families Afield law, North Carolina is doing its part to help protect the tradition of hunting.”

The Families Afield program was established by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and National Wild Turkey Federation to bring a new generation of sportsmen and women to the field. The coalition also receives assistance from the National Rifle Association and Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation.

Families Afield legislation seeks to lower age barriers to hunting and create new opportunities to hunt, thereby making it easier to pass on hunting’s heritage. Program research shows that many apprentice youth and adults go on to take hunter education.

Learn more about Families Afield at www.familiesafield.org.

By Chris Jaworowski

Feral hogs can wreak havoc in summer on food plots for wildlife and agricultural plots. Using game cameras to identify sounders and then trap them can help control populations. (Photo: ADCNR)

Though game cameras most often are used by deer hunters and managers, landowners with feral hogs are increasingly using game cameras to improve hog trapping success rates. Game cameras allow users to tell how many hogs they are dealing with, how big their traps need to be, where to install traps, as well as when it is time to set traps.

Game cameras are available in a variety of configurations and costs. Some models use a standard camera flash, while others use infrared to illuminate wildlife species at night. Older models utilized a 35-mm film camera, but virtually all current models use a digital camera to take and store pictures or short video clips. The use of game cameras allows 24-hour surveillance of wildlife and the ability to monitor wildlife species throughout the year on a property.

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To control a nuisance species like a feral hog, the scale of the problem must first be determined. To accomplish this task, install game cameras at sites baited with whole kernel corn or soured corn. Check the game cameras in two weeks. Checking the game camera pictures will provide photographic evidence of the number, size and frequency of hogs visiting the bait sites.

After identifying the size of the hog problem, use this information to determine how large the hog traps need to be. If small sounders of three or four hogs are being seen, a box-type cage trap should be large enough to eliminate the problem.

Using a game camera on your feral hog trapping sites can help you determine the size of the sounder.

On the other hand, if there are pictures of large sounders with 10 or more hogs, larger corral-type traps constructed using three to five 16-foot horse or goat panels will need to be built in order to increase the chances of catching the entire sounder in one night.

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Using the time- and date-stamped pictures from the game cameras, construct traps in areas where bait sites were visited often by hogs. After constructing the trap, tie the trap door open and then bait heavily. Install a game camera to monitor the trap and return in a week or two. Bait the trap again and check the pictures for hogs utilizing the trap. Identify the size of the sounders visiting the trap based on number, coloration and gender of the pigs.

If there are pictures of all of the hogs in the sounder entering the trap, it is time to set the trap door. If some of the hogs are not entering the trap or just walking around it, install the camera again and be patient. The goal should be to catch all of the hogs in the sounder, so continue to monitor the trap until there are pictures of all of the hogs in the sounder inside the trap. When that happens, it is time to set the trap.

Using game cameras to monitor the hog traps will decrease the number of times the traps must be visited, which saves time and money.

The ability to identify the size and number of hogs visiting a trap, as well as when to set the door on the trap, teaches the trapper the most important aspect of hog trapping – patience. By using a game camera and learning to be patient, hog trappers will increase their trapping success rates.

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For more information on the use of game cameras while hog trapping, contact Wildlife Biologist Chris Jaworowski at chris.jaworowski@dcnr.alabama.gov. Instructions for building a hog trap, as well as additional resources relating to feral hogs, may be found at www.outdooralabama.com/hunting/feral_hogs.cfm.

Chris Jaworowski is a certified Wildlife Biologist Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries.

Hunters from this roster may be identified for three types of hunts: game damage, management season, and dispersal. The roster is used by FWP to efficiently respond to landowners in the prevention or reduction of damage primarily caused by deer, elk and antelope.

Prospective hunters can register online at fwp.mt.gov beginning Saturday, June 15. Click “Hunt Roster“. Registration can be completed on personal computers, at most public libraries, and at any FWP office. To register, hunters will need their ALS number.

A final roster, randomly generated from all online registrations, will be posted by Aug. 1. on the FWP website at fwp.mt.gov.

The hunts, if they occur, would mostly take place anytime from Aug. 15 through Feb. 15, 2014.