Blue Tongue disease in Illinois

king.460 · October 5, 2007, 05:34 AM

This dreaded game disease is hammering the Illinois whitetail population. I had heard about the problem in southern Illinois but a buddy returned from Pike Co. yesterday and reported a major hit there as well. Said there was a stench wherever he scouted or hunted in the woods and found seven carcasses on Sunday before opening day on Monday. This is terrible and won't get better until several hard freezes.

FrontSight · October 5, 2007, 11:08 AM

dumb question but what is that? first i've heard of it, unless it's the same disease that's hitting new jersey?

hpg · October 5, 2007, 07:14 PM

It's all over us here in Kentucky as well. It's bad, real bad here.......hpg

H&R088 · October 5, 2007, 09:36 PM

I've never heard of it either.

tarheelshooter · October 5, 2007, 10:25 PM

This is a common problem in the southeast.We have had three outbreaks in the past seven years and it always happens right before the season starts.I believe blue tongue is another name for hemmhoragic disease and is caused by biting flies.The flies spread this through the deer herd but the deer don't pass it between themselves.That is why the problem goes away after cooler weather.Some deer survive it after being infected but not many.Don,t worry it won't wipe out a whole herd,but it can put a major dent in your population for a few years.If you aren,t seeing as many deer as you are accustomed to and suspect that you may have an outbreak,look around water supplies for carcasses and for extremely lethargic deer.My favorite hunting spot got hit again this year but is not as bad as several years ago.Hope for cooler weather.

hpg · October 6, 2007, 01:33 PM

here's a link on it.......hpg

http://fw.ky.gov/newsrelease.asp?nid...05C122C581C646

BIGR · October 6, 2007, 09:37 PM

Yea its hitting the deer in my area hard this year. We don't have many to spare either.

Art Eatman · October 6, 2007, 10:41 PM

Not to argue with the label "blue tongue", but that has always been associated with sheep, in the Southwest, and led to the demise of the desert bighorn in Texas. Some sort of long-lived bug that lives on/in the ground for many, many years. It apparently has died out after some sixty years, and the bighorn restoration projects are finally becoming successful.

Art

October 5, 2007, 05:34 AM	#1
king.460 Senior Member Join Date: August 26, 2007 Location: Hale County, AL Posts: 103	Blue Tongue disease in Illinois This dreaded game disease is hammering the Illinois whitetail population. I had heard about the problem in southern Illinois but a buddy returned from Pike Co. yesterday and reported a major hit there as well. Said there was a stench wherever he scouted or hunted in the woods and found seven carcasses on Sunday before opening day on Monday. This is terrible and won't get better until several hard freezes.

October 5, 2007, 11:08 AM	#2
FrontSight Senior Member Join Date: September 9, 2005 Posts: 1,712	dumb question but what is that? first i've heard of it, unless it's the same disease that's hitting new jersey? __________________ To kill something as great as a duck just to smell the gunpowder is a crime against nature. - Alan Liere Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve. - George Bernard Shaw

October 5, 2007, 07:14 PM	#3
hpg Senior Member Join Date: September 14, 2002 Location: in the Bluegrass State Posts: 1,610	It's all over us here in Kentucky as well. It's bad, real bad here.......hpg __________________ NRA member Semper Paratus

October 6, 2007, 01:33 PM	#6
hpg Senior Member Join Date: September 14, 2002 Location: in the Bluegrass State Posts: 1,610	here's a link on it.......hpg http://fw.ky.gov/newsrelease.asp?nid...05C122C581C646 __________________ NRA member Semper Paratus

October 5, 2007, 09:36 PM	#4
H&R088 Senior Member Join Date: August 31, 2007 Posts: 103	I've never heard of it either.

October 5, 2007, 10:25 PM	#5
tarheelshooter Member Join Date: December 19, 2006 Location: NC Posts: 28	This is a common problem in the southeast.We have had three outbreaks in the past seven years and it always happens right before the season starts.I believe blue tongue is another name for hemmhoragic disease and is caused by biting flies.The flies spread this through the deer herd but the deer don't pass it between themselves.That is why the problem goes away after cooler weather.Some deer survive it after being infected but not many.Don,t worry it won't wipe out a whole herd,but it can put a major dent in your population for a few years.If you aren,t seeing as many deer as you are accustomed to and suspect that you may have an outbreak,look around water supplies for carcasses and for extremely lethargic deer.My favorite hunting spot got hit again this year but is not as bad as several years ago.Hope for cooler weather.

October 6, 2007, 09:37 PM	#7
BIGR Senior Member Join Date: June 13, 2000 Location: Mountains Posts: 1,385	Yea its hitting the deer in my area hard this year. We don't have many to spare either.

October 6, 2007, 10:41 PM	#8
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	Not to argue with the label "blue tongue", but that has always been associated with sheep, in the Southwest, and led to the demise of the desert bighorn in Texas. Some sort of long-lived bug that lives on/in the ground for many, many years. It apparently has died out after some sixty years, and the bighorn restoration projects are finally becoming successful. Art