New Mex Elk- bad news

[Lost Arra]

From KRQE:
MORA, N.M. (KRQE) - State biologists are trying to unravel a mystery of what killed a herd of elk in northeastern New Mexico.    

More than 100 elk found were dead on a ranch about 20 miles north of Las Vegas this week.

Sky News 13 flew over the gruesome discovery on the sprawling 75,000-acre Buena Vista Ranch near Mora.

The elk weren't shot, so the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish is investigating just what caused the deaths.

Their top suspicion: something called Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease, or EHD.  The often-fatal disease is caused by insect bites.

"With EHD, an elk could get a fever," said Game and Fish spokesperson Rachel Shockley. "It's usually a pretty fast illness, and up to eight to 36 hours later the animals go into shock, and then they die."

With elk bow hunting season starting on Sunday, some guided expeditions in the area may be called off.

Biologists are sending tissue samples from the elk and water samples from the area for testing.

If it is EHD, Game and Fish says it's not contagious to humans.  The disease is spread from insect bites, not animal to animal.

Game and Fish say no other die-offs of elk have been reported in New Mexico so far this year.

They say hunters should avoid harvesting elk that appear sick and to call and report anything unusual.
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[Matty]

Wow that is bad!  Didn't that happen to whitetails somewhere?  I seem to recall something about the water having a bad Protozoa. ??? I could be mistaken. Tragic either way

[quail]

Missouri experienced a significant die off last year due to EHD. EHD is transmitted by a biting midge. Frequency of observations increase dramatically during dry conditions. Not all cases are fatal, but it is hard on a herd. Animals experience a fever which drives them to water. In their weekend state, they often drown after slipping into water and not having the strength to rescue themselves. We found several trophy trophy animals last year after our drought related episode. This year looks much brighter.

[Keith Zimmerman]

Easten KS got hit pretty hard last year.  My buddy found several nice bucks dead laying all within 100yds of each other.

[Sharpend60]

That is bad.
Im headed out to that very unit this weekend.

[Bladepeek]

Michigan took a huge hit on its whitetails last year from EHD. Until then, the DNR was giving out pretty much unlimited doe permits and 2 buck tags  trying to bring the herd numbers within their management range. They won't be doing that this year.

[rxhntr]

I really hate to hear stuff like this. This is happening right now to the California Desert Big Horn sheep also. The pneumonia is being spread and could possibly wipe out Nevada, CA, and other neighboring states Big Horn Sheep. Ugly, I hope they can figure out something to do in cases like these.

[Black Hills]

The dreaded Blue Tongue...  Also have heard it called Blue Gum.  It hit our ungulate herds pretty hard last summer and fall.  We had pretty severe drought, and that exasperated the problem.  

Those midges that transmit the disease congregate near water and as the sources of water become more scarce, the deer, elk, and cattle are more susceptible to the disease through multiple bites.

[koger]

Ky took a huge hit 4 years ago, deer herd is just now coming back strong.

[FerretWYO]

I have been following this. Sad deal for sure.