Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) in SW ND

Allen

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2015
Posts
10,477
Likes
1,485
Points
553
Location
Lincoln, kinda...
I read an article a while back that land owners who have water dug outs that want to save wildlife should invest in digging the dugouts deeper because deeper cooler water is not the ideal breeding ground for midges


Do you have a link for that article? I'd be interested in reading it.


By and large, IMHO most of the dugouts in western ND are a piss-poor water source during anything but a wetter than normal year. Water quality becomes a real issue due to evaporative concentration. I'm guessing that most of those dugouts are cost prohibitive in being redesigned or relocated to a site where they would be able to substantially lower water temp by increased depth.
 
Last edited:


guywhofishes

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2015
Posts
28,637
Likes
3,850
Points
948
Location
Faaargo, ND
if dugouts are a proven and significant hazard they should be remediated or removed- replaced w safe alternatives
 

5575

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2015
Posts
3,725
Likes
587
Points
423
Our neighbors said they found 62 dead deer Saturday and Sunday, not good at all.
 

JayKay

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2015
Posts
6,726
Likes
436
Points
348
Location
Southeast Bismarck
Ya i know a guy was on here telling us how the midgets killed the deer.......he ment midges ..... it was an lol

WIN_20230216_08_44_53_Pro.jpg

Dung-midgets are the worst.
 

Enslow

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
May 27, 2015
Posts
5,088
Likes
72
Points
298
ND outdoors had a write up a while back on what events take place to have a blue tongue outbreak. I don’t think it can be stopped.
 


Kurtr

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2015
Posts
18,240
Likes
1,973
Points
648
Location
Mobridge,Sd
Havent deer over time in the south evolved to be less susceptible to ehd over time? Thought i read could be totally wrong though
 

Allen

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2015
Posts
10,477
Likes
1,485
Points
553
Location
Lincoln, kinda...
Mule deer don't appear very susceptible to EHD, but WT certainly are hit hard by it.

And it's in the same spots, just about every time. Pretty much the SW part of the state, not sure I've heard of it as a big problem east of highway 83, or north of highway 2.
 

Enslow

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
May 27, 2015
Posts
5,088
Likes
72
Points
298
EHD will kill elk, muleys, and antelope. Whitetails get it the worst because they bed on the cricks and drink there where the outbreaks occur.
 

guywhofishes

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2015
Posts
28,637
Likes
3,850
Points
948
Location
Faaargo, ND
seems like dugouts/ponds suck in general

https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/drought/livestock-production/water-vital-for-livestock-during-droughts

“Good-quality water can have a major impact on your cattle’s intake and weight gain,” Meehan says. “Canadian studies have shown the quality of water accessible to livestock is directly tied to the amount of forage they consume. Studies report improved gains by as much as 0.24 pound per day in yearlings and 0.33 pound per day in calves.”
In addition, providing good-quality water can improve herd health. Livestock whose primary water sources are ponds and dugouts have a greater risk of contracting illnesses such as giardia, leptospirosis and cyanobacterial poisoning, compared with livestock drinking from a trough.
Dugouts should be fenced to restrict livestock’s direct access to the water. The water then can be piped to a trough. This will increase the water’s palatability and reduce nutrients in the water. Increased nutrients have a direct impact on the growth of certain species of blue-green algae and elevated levels of sulfates, which have the potential to be toxic.
In many instances, the water in dugouts and dams has been reduced greatly because of the drought, increasing the risk for animal health issues related to water quality. Meehan recommends producers using dugouts and dams as their primary water source look into hauling water or installing an alternative water source.
Hauling water is a short-term fix, but it can help get producers through this year’s drought. Water developments are one of the investments that give producers the most bang for the buck, the specialists say.
Common developments include troughs, pumps, wells and pipelines. Many cost-share opportunities are available to producers installing water developments through the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, soil conservation districts or conservation groups. In addition, the North Dakota State Water Commission has opened the Drought Disaster Livestock Water Supply Program, which will cover up to $3,500 of the eligible costs for water development projects.
“When thinking about water developments, also consider the importance of maintaining an ample supply of good-quality water for cattle during the heat of the summer,” Dahlen advises. “Heat stress can have major impacts on cattle productivity and also can be life-threatening. Evaluate your water supply lines and ensure you have sufficient water pressure and flow capacity to keep troughs full during times of peak water consumption.”
 


guywhofishes

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2015
Posts
28,637
Likes
3,850
Points
948
Location
Faaargo, ND
skanky creek bottoms are probably 10000 times more widespread than dams/ponds though

- - - Updated - - -

Mule deer don't appear very susceptible to EHD, but WT certainly are hit hard by it.

And it's in the same spots, just about every time. Pretty much the SW part of the state, not sure I've heard of it as a big problem east of highway 83, or north of highway 2.

hmmm... surface geology (soil characteristics) foster some sort of increased viability in the midges in the "broth" that is stagnant waters in those soils? pH, ions, etc?

Allen - please solve the puzzle and report your findings to NDGF please. Thanks. :)

CI_Map_geoscience_ND_89.jpg
 

Allen

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2015
Posts
10,477
Likes
1,485
Points
553
Location
Lincoln, kinda...

Enslow

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
May 27, 2015
Posts
5,088
Likes
72
Points
298
I thought the same. But after that frost my dogs were still getting ticks and I saw lots of mosquitoes.
 

ndlongshot

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2015
Posts
1,777
Likes
112
Points
258
Havent deer over time in the south evolved to be less susceptible to ehd over time? Thought i read could be totally wrong though
EHD, in my opinion, is one of many natural barriers to expansion. It hits hard on the fringes of natural whitetail habitat where muleys take over. I would venture it has functioned this way for hundreds, or thousands, of years.
 

Enslow

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
May 27, 2015
Posts
5,088
Likes
72
Points
298
Haha that’s definitely a long shot. Hahahahahhababa
 


Allen

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2015
Posts
10,477
Likes
1,485
Points
553
Location
Lincoln, kinda...
skanky creek bottoms are probably 10000 times more widespread than dams/ponds though

- - - Updated - - -



Allen - please solve the puzzle and report your findings to NDGF please. Thanks. :)

1676575044057.png

Yeah, I don't know if anyone has ever considered soil type as a host for the midge. What is known though is that the Little Missouri River corridor is god awful when it comes to EHD. As well as many of the other small streams paths through the state. The infected deer are often seeking water as they die, hence they are typically found near the streams or wetlands.
hmmm... surface geology (soil characteristics) foster some sort of increased viability in the midges in the "broth" that is stagnant waters in those soils? pH, ions, etc?
 

Shockwave

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2015
Posts
894
Likes
303
Points
248
Location
Bismarck
Not a good deal at all. Someone posted pics on Facebook of a lot of dead deer, some big bucks. I suppose they won't have hundreds of extra tags next year in the SW.
 

guywhofishes

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2015
Posts
28,637
Likes
3,850
Points
948
Location
Faaargo, ND
Where can I find the map and correspondening info to go along with it?

it would be useful for NDGF to work with state GIS and put dead deer observations onto the GIS system

I bet a causational relationship would pop out

- - - Updated - - -

find what map?
 

Taylorman55

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2015
Posts
640
Likes
83
Points
200
Location
Hazen ND
I am in the area of said outbreak and it is as bad as they say. I have nearly 12 acres of food plots. Early on in the season we would see 20-40 deer on any given evening on our place and neighbors. The last 2 months we've had a total of 5-8 deer on the best nights. We've found half a dozen dead ones on our small acreage, and about the same on 200 acres of the adjacent neighbors. I put out a 50 lb bag of corn earlier in the year before outbreak, and 50 lbs was gone in 1-2 days. I put a 50 lb bag out 3 weeks ago, and its still half there..... It is sad beyond belief.
 


Recent Posts

Friends of NDA

Top Posters of the Month

  • This month: 169
  • This month: 137
  • This month: 121
  • This month: 110
  • This month: 105
  • This month: 88
  • This month: 84
  • This month: 79
  • This month: 77
  • This month: 76
Top Bottom