Game and Fish monitoring EHD-related deer mortality in southwest North Dakota

Sep. 23—BISMARCK — Since late August, wildlife biologists for the Game and Fish Department have been monitoring scattered reports of white-tailed deer found dead in a portion of southwestern North Dakota.

Epizootic hemorrhagic disease was confirmed in a number of these cases.

"EHD is a viral disease transmitted by biting gnats," said Dr. Charlie Bahnson, Game and Fish wildlife veterinarian. "We see a low level of EHD most years. It typically stays fairly localized, but every so often, it can intensify into a significant die-off. The combined outbreak in 2020 and 2021 was probably the worst in memory, with extensive mortality across much of western North Dakota. So far, we're nowhere close to that level, but we have received around 20 reports, primarily focused across northern Stark County. We're hopeful that cold temperatures over the weekend will help slow things down, but it typically takes a series of hard frosts to kill the gnats and completely end an outbreak."

Game and Fish is asking for assistance to better track the extent and severity of this year's outbreak. The public is encouraged to report any sick or dead deer through an online reporting system.

"In some cases, we may need to collect samples off fresh carcasses, so please notify the department as soon as possible," Bahnson said.

Hunters should report any dead deer along with photos, if possible, to the Game and Fish Department through the online wildlife mortality reporting system at gf.nd.gov/mortality-report .

EHD primarily affects white-tailed deer, but other big game species are susceptible. The virus is not a danger to humans, but hunters should not shoot or consume a deer that appears sick.

While EHD cases have historically been confined to the western part of the state, an outbreak did affect parts of northeast North Dakota in October 2021, when Game and Fish confirmed the disease for the first time in the

northern Red River Valley.

Several deer also were found dead about that same time just across the Red River in Big Woods Township north of Oslo and Alvarado, Minnesota, but the Department of Natural Resources wasn't able to confirm EHD as the cause of death.