South Dakota GFP Asks Hunters and Landowners to Report Any Deer Found Dead

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PIERRE, S.D. – The state Game, Fish and Parks Department has documented a few white-tailed deer found dead across South Dakota, and early reports point to epizootic hemorrhagic disease or EHD, which commonly affects white-tailed deer in the fall.

“This is the time of year when we receive these reports, and it is  hard to tell the extent of the impact at this time,” said Steve Griffin, a GFP wildlife biologist.  “The virus is carried by a biting midge, which can remain prevalent until a hard freeze kills the midges.”  

Department staff are collecting samples from some of the dead deer, and the samples are being sent to the diagnostics lab at South Dakota State University, Griffin said.

GFP is currently assessing the status of EHD in the South Dakota deer herd, he said.

“We have confirmed the disease in central South Dakota, and the symptoms that our local conservation officers and field staff are describing sound much like EHD,” Griffin said. “Although the extent of the disease is unknown at this time, it appears that the primary counties affected are Sully, Hughes, Stanley, Jones, Lyman, and Tripp. With the hard freezes last week, the disease vector was likely eliminated.  However, we may still see deer dying that were infected prior to the frost.”

The virus that causes EHD gives deer a high fever, and they will appear to be in a daze.  If the disease hits them hard, they can die in 1-3 days.  The dead deer are often found near low-lying areas or in areas where they can cool off in a river or pond. They are usually too weak to leave those wet areas, and die there.

EHD outbreaks can be locally severe, but rarely affect more than 25 percent of a deer population.  In rare cases, up to 50 percent of deer may be stricken.

Those who see deer that appear dazed, or find a number of dead deer, are asked to contact local conservation officers or call the Pierre GFP office at 605-773-3718.

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GFP, South Dakota State Hunting Hat Promotion Enters Second Year

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BROOKINGS, S.D. – A partnership between the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department and South Dakota State University will put funds into a research endowment and hats on the heads of hunters.

GFP works closely with the SDSU Wildlife Studies Program. Much of the research done by GFP involves the use of SDSU graduate students, seasonal help and interns. Two years ago, GFP and SDSU officials decided to work together to raise money on a research endowment fund, and in doing so, have hunters show their school and state pride.

“SDSU is a close working partner in many things we do,” said GFP’s Chief of Administrative Services Scott Simpson. “The purpose of the limited-edition, blaze orange hunting hat with SDSU and GFP logos is to raise money for the Ken Higgins Waterfowl Legacy Research Endowment and SDSU athletics. It is a natural fit and raises awareness and funds for wildlife research projects.”

SDSU and GFP sold 1,500 of the orange hats last year, and are aiming for 2,500 this year.

“We had a great response to our sales last year, and we hope to build on that success to benefit very worthwhile causes,” said Simpson.

The hats are being sold at the SDSU bookstore, at football games and online at: http://www.jackrabbitcentral.com

The hats are $20, with shipping and handling included if ordered through the bookstore.

The Ken Higgins Waterfowl Legacy Research Endowment provides an annual research/scholarship award to help supplement graduate-student research projects with the potential to enhance the future management or welfare of waterfowl or other wetland-dependent avian species and/or their habitat in South Dakota.

North Dakota Deer Hunting News: White-tailed Deer Study Helps Biologists

A study of white-tailed deer in the Wing-Tuttle area has provided North Dakota Game and Fish Department biologists with invaluable information.

Bill Jensen, Department big game biologist, said research focuses on seasonal movements, mortality factors, habitat use, population biology and other management questions.

The study involved radio-collaring 62 adult females. In addition, four adult males, eight female fawns and six male fawns were ear-tagged. “We contacted area landowners in the fall of 2009 to let them know what we would be doing,” Jensen said.

In mid-February 2010, 48 deer were fitted with collars and tagged, and another 14 were collared this past winter. As of April 1, South Dakota State University graduate student Brian Schaffer has made more than 3,700 relocations of these radio-collared deer.

Some of the information biologists have obtained centers on general movement, and Jensen said the average distance deer move from summer to winter habitat is 3.8 miles. “The farthest a deer traveled was 17 miles, and the flip side of that is some didn’t move much as they stayed in the immediate vicinity of where they were collared,” he said.

A total of 16 radio-collared deer have died; one from starvation, four were harvested by hunters, three from vehicles, two from predation and six from undetermined causes. “The two confirmed deaths by coyote predation had been observed on deer with prior physical problems,” Jensen said. “Both of these deer were in very poor physical condition, one with an injured front leg and one with a fractured hind leg. These two were observed in progressively declining physical condition for four to six weeks prior to their death. This shows the value of having someone visually monitor the condition of deer.”

Schaffer was able to monitor the reproductive performance of 36 radio-collared adult females during the summer and fall of 2010; 26 were observed with one fawn and 10 had two fawns. Visual observations were not made on the remaining 12 does and their reproductive performance is unknown.

The study will continue through December, with a final report expected next summer.