# black tongue



## highcountry (Sep 16, 2004)

I was curious if anyone has heard of deer up here in the N. GA mtns dieing from black tongue. What is this. I have heard some about it but kinda ignorant to it. Is this something to worry about???? Does it spread. Can a deer start getting it and then the meat be no good if you kill it. Looking for some help on this if anyone has any info on it. Thanks


RANGERS LEAD THE WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## sr.corndog (Sep 16, 2004)

*Black Tongue*

High County try this web site I use it and any one hunting should read and learn about diseases that affect our game.
http://www.uga.edu/scwds/index2.htm
Good luck any thing to help a ranger!  
corndog


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## coon dawg (Sep 16, 2004)

*..............*

it's blue tongue........or EHD.......Epizootic Hemhoragic Disease............and yes, this is the time of year it hits, as the Vector is a small gnat............3 different kinds...semi acute, acute, and the one that kills them in 48 hours, I think.........can lose ALOT of deer..........it is not age or sex specific............hope this helps.


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## LKennamer (Sep 16, 2004)

*If it looks sick*

I wouldn't eat it.  A fairly large percentage (above 30% sometimes) have been exposed to one of the strains and recovered or not gotten sick, so simple exposure doesn't ruin the meat.  Humans don't get the disease, but anytime an animal gets very sick, the potential exists they may have other problems, such as bacterial infections, that can be harmful to people.  If you see any deer that are emaciated (or kill one), give your regional DNR game management office a call.  They may want to take a look at it.


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## leadoff (Sep 16, 2004)

A deer with a black tongue probably just has some Chow Chow in it!


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## hpurvis (Sep 16, 2004)

Keep us posted as to any potential problems.


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## HT2 (Sep 16, 2004)

*Blue Tongue......*

If I take a deer and it's got "ANY" kind of deformaties or it's got somethin' that don't look normal.....

It don't get ate......

Know what I mean????


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## coon dawg (Sep 16, 2004)

*Ht2...........*

alot of the ones that have the minor phase recover, and are fine to eat, bud..................ya can sometimes tell the deer that have recovered, as they will be thin, and their hooves will be sloughing off to some degree.


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## HT2 (Sep 16, 2004)

*Coon.....*

Good Info....

Thanks bud.......

I'll look at them even closer now......


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## Wetzel (Sep 16, 2004)

There have been several deer found dead around the Suches area that have expired from what is believed to have been blue tongue.  All of these deer were found in or very near water.


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## WildBuck (Sep 17, 2004)

They had an episode of this at Johns Mountain about 10 or so years ago. The DNR said it spread very quickly in an overpopulated area. I think they found 40 or so dead deer around Lake Marvin there in the pocket. If you ask me the deer heard has not fully recovered from that yet. The kill ratio has been way down since then.


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## Ga-Spur (Sep 21, 2004)

Sharing a bucket of corn doesn't help to contain it ; does it HT2?  In fact up in W. Va. they lose their hair. I wonder how those mounts look?


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## willbuck (Sep 22, 2004)

From what Iwas told by the DNR - Franklin, Stephens and Hart county were all hit hard by Blue Tongue in 2002.  THus the reason for our doe days being reduced compared to our neighbors to the south (Madison, Oglethorpe, Elbert).  As Coon Dawg mentioned, you can tell if a deer has had a mild case if his hooves are shedding off and or cracked real bad.  Most deer infected real bad will be found dead near water.  The tongue swells so bad that they cannot get enough water and basically die from dehydration and the fever associated with the illness.   
Last year we had one of the most intense ruts we had ever seen.  I believe it was because our doe population had been reduced by BT and it caused the bucks to be much more aggressive.  

sf


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## JoeKnowsBows (Sep 22, 2004)

I have saw alot of deer killed by EHD , mostly bucks because the gnat that bites them & gives it to them can bite their velvet horn when the blood is still flowing & infect them much easier than a doe. In most all EHD cases the deer will die in or near water due to a high fever.

The population of deer has nothing to do with how devistating it is in any given area. In areas of the country where it hasen't been around that long it is alot more deadly than other areas that have built up some imunity to it over time, like here in the south. 

Then it comes down to the health of the deer in that area. A deer that is under alot of stress or malnutritioned has alot less of a chance surviving a EHD infection than one that is in good health.

I have come to one conclusion with EHD , their is nothing you can do to stop it. It will always be around & theirs no sense in worrying about how many deer it will kill.


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