Bluetongue in Grand Forks

[scalerman]

Anyone who has been to Grand Forks knows how many deer live in town. I spoke to one of the COs on Friday and he told me that about half of the deer that live in town have died from bluetongue. I can personally attest to seeing dead deer lying on the side of the road, and it was not from a collision. I can only speculate how well the herds in the bush have fared. The good news is that we have had a couple of nights with frost here this week and hopefully that has killed of the bugs that spread the disease.

[Ride Red]

https://www.alberta.ca/bluetongue.aspx

A short read.

[Redthies]

Yet another reason to keep cattle out of the woods and off public land!

[bearvalley]

Yet another reason to keep cattle out of the woods and off public land!

You better study up on how blue tongue outbreaks occur.

[Redthies]

You better study up on how blue tongue outbreaks occur.

Did you not read the linked article that states the only way the virus lives over winter is in cattle???

[Ourea]

Bluetongue virus is spread by insects called biting midges (Culicoides spp.). (vector). Other biting insects, such as ticks or sheep keds, may also transfer the virus. Bluetongue is not contagious and is not spread by contact between animals.

[tim3500]

Having seen the effects of bluetongue on the sheep and deer with the dwindling mule deer population in the boundary it quite evedent the numbers are down in the back country also .I have noticed the amount of flys this year are incredible maybe due to the extreme heat this year .I can see a rethink of the WT doe season in 8.14/8.15 .As for blue tongue in town it's only time will tell but it's there had 2 does removed yesterday morning from the field across from me .

[Ourea]

Having seen the effects of bluetongue on the sheep and deer with the dwindling mule deer population in the boundary it quite evedent the numbers are down in the back country also .I have noticed the amount of flys this year are incredible maybe due to the extreme heat this year .I can see a rethink of the WT doe season in 8.14/8.15 .As for blue tongue in town it's only time will tell but it's there had 2 does removed yesterday morning from the field across from me .

Let us know if and when a Wildlife Biologist confirms after inspecting a few of these deer.
I will speak to my game bio friends for a definitive answer on this issue as well.

[Ourea]

Having seen the effects of bluetongue on the sheep and deer with the dwindling mule deer population in the boundary it quite evedent the numbers are down in the back country also .I have noticed the amount of flys this year are incredible maybe due to the extreme heat this year .I can see a rethink of the WT doe season in 8.14/8.15 .As for blue tongue in town it's only time will tell but it's there had 2 does removed yesterday morning from the field across from me .

Confirmed.

"Super localized, knocking out some of the town deer. No evidence of any backcountry effect"

[scalerman]

I find it very hard to believe that while there is "no evidence of backcountry effect" that the deer that live at least in the immediate areas affected would not suffer from the same fate. As was mentioned earlier the flies this year have been unprecedented in their numbers for certain. i have spent my fair share of time out hunting this fall and can attest to the fact that deer numbers are far lower than previous years.