Category Archives: deer

Deer Problems in Paradise

Posted on by
Reply

The islands of Hawaii have no native deer, so, you might think, that corner of paradise would be free of the deer over-population problems that plague most of the country, particularly those parts of the country where there are white-tail deer. You would be wrong, of course. Axis deer (native to India) were introduced to Hawaii, and deer over-population problems have ensued. Read more about the situation in the Maui News.

We’re reporting this just in case you thought that taking a job in Hawaii would get you away from deer management issues.

Axis deer are also naturalized in Texas and Florida. Read a species description from the Mammals of Texas.

Deer Contraception in Maryland

Posted on by
Reply

Maryland has approved the use of the contraceptive GonaCon for white-tailed deer. It is the first state to do so. The deer must be sedated so they can be injected with the drug, and EPA regulations require the treated deer to be tagged. (Hunters are warned not to eat the meat of the treated deer.) The estimated cost of treating each deer is $1,000. Because of the expense, the treatment is not expected to be used often, and then only in suburban and urban areas under special circumstances.

The Cumberland (Md.) Times-News reported the story. NBC News in Washington has a news brief based on the story.

The USDA has a fact sheet on GonaCon. It is listed as the producer of the drug in the EPA’s fact sheet. The USDA fact sheet notes: “In 2006, the regulatory authority for contraceptives for wildlife and feral animals was moved from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).” The USDA fact sheet has links to further information on GonaCon.

GonaCon can be used in other mammals, and has been tested in ground squirrels in California.

Photo: Steve Hillebrand, courtesy US Fish and Wildlife

Wildlife Flees Floods

Posted on by
Reply
Today’s NOAA flood warnings

Wildlife is fleeing the major flooding along the Mississippi River. (There is also major flooding today on the James River in South Dakota and Lake Champlain in Vermont.)

–ABC News focuses on the danger of snake bites to residents in the flood zone.

-Articles in the The Desoto Times Tribune (Miss.) and the Natchez Democrat focus on deer fleeing the floodwaters, and quote state wildlife officials saying that all hunting regs still apply.

-One Louisiana parish is asking the state Department of Fisheries and Wildlife to double hunting fines during the flood emergency.

-A Vermont story focuses on flooding’s impacts on plant habitat, the threat to a rare tern, and the bumper crop of mosquitoes to come.

Map: NOAA. Purple means major flooding.

Wildlife Flees Floods

Posted on by
Reply
Today’s NOAA flood warnings

Wildlife is fleeing the major flooding along the Mississippi River. (There is also major flooding today on the James River in South Dakota and Lake Champlain in Vermont.)

–ABC News focuses on the danger of snake bites to residents in the flood zone.

-Articles in the The Desoto Times Tribune (Miss.) and the Natchez Democrat focus on deer fleeing the floodwaters, and quote state wildlife officials saying that all hunting regs still apply.

-One Louisiana parish is asking the state Department of Fisheries and Wildlife to double hunting fines during the flood emergency.

-A Vermont story focuses on flooding’s impacts on plant habitat, the threat to a rare tern, and the bumper crop of mosquitoes to come.

Map: NOAA. Purple means major flooding.

CWD in Maryland

Posted on by
Reply

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been reported in Maryland. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reported last week that a white-tailed deer killed by a hunter last November in Green Ridge State Forest has tested positive for CWD. (Google Maps reveals that this state forest is in the Maryland panhandle, that little strip of Maryland between West Virginia and Pennsylvania.)

The Maryland DNR press release includes a link to the state’s 10-page long CWD response plan. (Actually, it’s two clicks away.)

The Baltimore Sun covered the story. Since the news broke, it also reported stories that the state’s deer harvest dropped below 100,000 for the first time in three years. And that a privately-funded research project is exploring the surgical sterilization of suburban deer.

Lack of photo: Sorry, but there are only so many pictures of CWD-stricken deer I can post in a week. This is Maryland’s state flag.

CWD found in Minnesota

Posted on by
Reply

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) may have been found for the first time in Minnesota’s wild deer herd.

A preliminary screening test strongly indicates that a deer harvested by a hunter last November near Pine Island in southeast Minnesota had Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). An official confirmation is expected by next week.

Read the rest of this story, from WDIO, a Duluth-based TV station.
Photo Credit: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources