Montana - More than 100 dead deer found in West Missoula Valley area

KRTV.com

Posted: Sep 19, 2013 1:09 PM by MTN News - Misoula
Updated: Sep 19, 2013 1:09 PM

• ">
• ">

MISSOULA - Montana wildlife officials report that more than 100 dead white-tailed deer have been reported in the west Missoula Valley.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials say they are waiting for lab results to come back so they can try to determine what's caused the deaths.
The public is also being asked to report observations of dead deer to help determine how big of an area is being affected area.
Spokeswoman Vivaca Crowser says FWP first responded to reports from fishing guides and landowners who reported numerous dead deer in and along the Clark Fork River and fields near and downstream from Harper's Bridge.
She adds in a news release that dead deer have also been found in the Mill Creek area northeast of Frenchtown.
FWP biologists and wardens had accounted for 103 dead deer by Tuesday, with deer still dying and more dead deer undetected.
Read More Here
**************************************************************************

RESIDENTS SHOCKED AS 100 DEER FOUND DEAD IN MISSOULA, MONTANA TUESDAY (SEPT 18, 2013)

ADRENALINEJUNKY -JASON HENDRICKS




**************************************************************************
Billings Gazette

Biologists 'floored by mortality' of whitetail deer along Clark Fork River

FRENCHTOWN – Something is killing whitetail deer by the dozens along the Clark Fork River.“This feels strange,” Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologist Jay Kolbe said as he walked through high grass on an island across from the former Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. pulp mill. “We ought to be bumping into whitetail all along here.”Instead, the only deer visible were bloated carcasses sticking out of the water, or lying half-eaten on the shore. In the trees, three immature bald eagles, a golden eagle and several hawks shuffled about, waiting for another chance to feed on the carrion.
In a 30-minute walk, Kolbe came across 15 dead deer in various states of decay. He waded into a pool to pull one relatively fresh one to shore for closer examination. The fur on its lower jaw was still slightly bloodstained, and its mouth showed the signs of internal hemorrhaging.
“They come down to water because they’re just burning up inside,” Kolbe said. “I’m hoping to find a still-live one to dispatch so we can get a definite confirmation. These are too far gone to get good blood or tissue.”
More than 100 whitetails have died in this area since the second week of September.
A virus that causes epizootic hemorrhagic disease is the most likely culprit. It’s spread by biting gnats or midges, and primarily affects only whitetail deer. A similar disease commonly known as “blue tongue” hits antelope and has damaged populations throughout eastern Montana.
Mule deer, elk, antelope and bighorn sheep can also get EHD, but incidents are rare. Domestic cattle are generally not affected by either disease, although domestic sheep can be susceptible to blue tongue.
“I worked the Southside Road yesterday, and I was just floored by the level of mortality,” FWP biologist Vickie Edwards said. “They’re on gravel bars or floating in the river. In some places, you can really smell them. The ravens, golden eagles and bald eagles are having a heyday.”

Read More Here

**************************************************************************

Wildlife Managers Track Mysterious Deer Die-off in Montana

Wildlife managers in Montana are trying to pinpoint whether a disease, environmental toxin or chemical agent has caused a die-off of more than 100 whitetail deer in wetlands along a river corridor in the western part of the state.

0
iBy Laura Zuckerman

(Reuters) - Wildlife managers in Montana are trying to pinpoint whether a disease, environmental toxin or chemical agent has caused a die-off of more than 100 whitetail deer in wetlands along a river corridor in the western part of the state.
The Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks office in Missoula began to receive reports from landowners and boaters 10 days ago of dead deer along the Clark Fork River, and state wildlife biologists had tallied 103 deer carcasses by Tuesday.
"The deer appear to drop dead in their tracks," said agency educator Vivaca Crowser, adding that the deer showed no outward signs of injury or sickness.
Wildlife experts said a viral disease transmitted by tiny biting flies that hatch near bodies of water may be the culprit, but they were awaiting results from testing by a state lab of organ and blood samples.


Read More Here


**************************************************************************

Related articles

• More than 100 deer found dead west of Missoula
• More than 100 deer found dead west of Missoula
• More than 100 deer found dead west of Missoula, Wildlife Officials Baffled
• More than 100 deer found dead west of Missoula
• More than 100 deer found dead west of Missoula, Montana