EHD and a mule deer… Mortality rates?

So I have been looking for numbers and data on mortality rates in mule deer. I had someone tell me that it does not kill mule deer. That quote “they have seen hundreds of white tails, white tail pictures but never a mule deadly blue tongue.” A land owner in SE said he lost 6 mule deer bucks (4 with in 200 yards of each other). Also had a person south of devils tower that lost 3-4 doe near Sundance. All suspected EHD.

So does anyone know mortality rates? I know the white tails are are far more likely to die from it, but also know the mule deer, antelope and even can have have issues. In my searched the last day+ I get information that it can affect mule deer and cause em to die, but no solid numbers or data…

I Don't Know Either!

If Changes Ain't Made Soon it May Not Matter!

elkassassin said:

I Don't Know Either!

If Changes Ain't Made Soon it May Not Matter!

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What changes?

EHD is the muleys best friend. If it does kill them, it’s a tiny percentage that is easily offset by the population boom that comes from killing off the whitetails.

Changes To Help Our Already Suffering Deer Herd Do To Issues Not Related to EHD!

I Don't Know That There Will Be Any?

yotebuster17 said:

What changes?

EHD is the muleys best friend. If it does kill them, it’s a tiny percentage that is easily offset by the population boom that comes from killing off the whitetails.

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I think this is a really good question. We had a bad outbreak of EHD this year in the Nebraska Sandhills with the whitetails I'd estimate up to 50% loss. We had a bad outbreak in 2012 it killed 90% of whitetails in some units didn't effect the mulies. This year we lost a chunk of mulies to go with the whitetails we lost. I called the game commission and didn't get a response on if that was what effected mule deer losses. It could have been brain worm they told me. Well what the heck was it that caused the kill over a large region?

Mule deer aren’t immune. But the transmission is more dependent on the habitat they reside. Transmitted by a biting midge that would be more plentiful in a creek bottom where the whitetail stay than the ridge tops that the mule deer inhabit.

It’s not likely that a mule deer that spends the late summer at 10,000 ft is going to catch EHD. But I can see where mule deer and white tails inhabiting the same range at lower elevations the mule deer could get it.

WVHUNTER said:

Mule deer aren’t immune. But the transmission is more dependent on the habitat they reside. Transmitted by a biting midge that would be more plentiful in a creek bottom where the whitetail stay than the ridge tops that the mule deer inhabit.

It’s not likely that a mule deer that spends the late summer at 10,000 ft is going to catch EHD. But I can see where mule deer and white tails inhabiting the same range at lower elevations the mule deer could get it.

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I was thinking that with the super dry year the mule deer would be pushed into the creek bottoms more for water as the seeps they typically find in the hills were dry. Maybe?

Over the years I have found a few dozen mule deer that died of EHD on the river bottoms, In the same time I have found hundreds of whitetails. In a bad outbreak it is not uncommon to find four or five dead in a few hundred yards of river bank.
EHD may be the only thing that keeps whitetails from pushing mule deer out of SE Montana.

The midge, black fly, gnat, no seeum or whatever you want to call them usually need water or at least a wet spot to reproduce. Antlerradar’s observations are pretty typical I think. The mule deer will spend less time near the water and be infected less.

I don’t know if you are going to find mortality numbers. Most wildlife managers aren’t too concerned about EHD even for white tails. It goes away at the first frost, usually doesn’t cover large areas and may not reappear for years.

States can control EHD by controlling the black flies. It’s just a matter of cost.

They spray 150 miles of river in my state every year, cost $300,000. They don’t do it to control EHD, they do it so the gnats don’t bite the tourists.

Pennsylvania sprays 1,500 miles.

That makes a lot of sense. We had a bad drought this year and we did have a lot more mule deer on the rivers than I've seen in past years.

I've been through several cycles of EHD in my life. 2012 was the worst in SE Wyoming. We lost maybe 90% of the whiteys. We have lost antelope in greater numbers than mule deer, but whitetails get hit the worst by a wide margin.

It's interesting that the whitetails seem to most often die along a creek or near/in a wet area. The antelope and mule deer often die in a center pivot and is seems all of them go to a water source to alleviate the effects of the fever.

We had a mild run of EHD again this year. Saw a few dead whitetails. I did not see any dead mule deer or antelope in 2021.

The change I observe in mule deer is that there are many bucks that become stags. I saw 6 velvet-horned bucks on one ranch in October this year. All at least 3 year olds. After 2012, there was a high percentage of velvet bucks until they were killed or died out. I believe this is a result of EHD in mule deer. It does make the bucks sterile. Their testicles shrink to the size of lima beans or less.

What I wonder is of the mule deer does are also affected and become sterile. That'd be bad. We need every mule deer doe we have and I hope for as many fawns as possible.

Good question and I have been unable to find reliable research data on the impacts/numbers. I'm sure mortality varies depending upon habitat, population and other factors.

We did shoot one of the stags this year. Here's a pic of him. I had seen him in both 2019 and 2020 as a hard-horned deer. So something changed to cause him to become a stag in 2021. He's unique with the extra main beam.

ICMDEER said:

I've been through several cycles of EHD in my life. 2012 was the worst in SE Wyoming. We lost maybe 90% of the whiteys. We have lost antelope in greater numbers than mule deer, but whitetails get hit the worst by a wide margin.

It's interesting that the whitetails seem to most often die along a creek or near/in a wet area. The antelope and mule deer often die in a center pivot and is seems all of them go to a water source to alleviate the effects of the fever.

We had a mild run of EHD again this year. Saw a few dead whitetails. I did not see any dead mule deer or antelope in 2021.

The change I observe in mule deer is that there are many bucks that become stags. I saw 6 velvet-horned bucks on one ranch in October this year. All at least 3 year olds. After 2012, there was a high percentage of velvet bucks until they were killed or died out. I believe this is a result of EHD in mule deer. It does make the bucks sterile. Their testicles shrink to the size of lima beans or less.

What I wonder is of the mule deer does are also affected and become sterile. That'd be bad. We need every mule deer doe we have and I hope for as many fawns as possible.

Good question and I have been unable to find reliable research data on the impacts/numbers. I'm sure mortality varies depending upon habitat, population and other factors.

We did shoot one of the stags this year. Here's a pic of him. I had seen him in both 2019 and 2020 as a hard-horned deer. So something changed to cause him to become a stag in 2021. He's unique with the extra main beam.

View attachment 63669

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You know I have seen a lot of stag pics this year. I know some guy in MT and NE WY that saw several
Stags as well. I wonder if there is a correlation? I also wonder what other long term effects there might be on mule deer. You have got to wonder if you are correct. Or what other effects there might be?