EHD in NYS

[Al Dente]

It appears to be more wide spread than originally thought.  There have been reported cases from Oswego and Long Island.  That's NYS from North to South.  If you have information about cases in your area, contact the Cornell Wildlife Health Lab at Cornell University.  They are collecting the data about it.

[shankspony]

Wow! This sounds appalling!

[PrimitivePete]

Damn, when I saw this post I thought maybe I'll stay closer to home this year, but on Long Island too, now that sucks

[Al Dente]

8 more yesterday from 2 farms.  An 8 pointer, a 6 pointer, 4 does, and 2 that were deeper in the water, so they couldn't get them out to dispose of them.  One lone fawn, still with spots, not looking too good either walking through.

[GCook]

Thanks Gary, I'm in Linn.

Quite a ways south east of us.  Nice area of the state though.

[Al Dente]

3 more yesterday afternoon in the back of my cousin's property.  And the DEC continues to sell DMP's.  They refuse to address the issue, even though they knew about this 6 weeks ago.  Their incompetence is staggering.

[PrimitivePete]

I wouldn't exactly say the DEC in NY has great intentions as regards to wildlife or hunters. One DEC managed property I go to, they basically have you drive through a creek to get to the parking area, no bridge to cross but right through the creek that feeds the stream that they stock with trout.

[Al Dente]

It's only about license sales, that's all they care about.

[mspaci1]

what area of dutchess are we talking about here

[Al Dente]

The DEC has not been specific with the locales.  The area that I am talking about is in Columbia County, just north of Dutchess, the DEC WMU is 4Y.

[woodchucker]

My brother in-law hunts 4Y... An orchard behind the radio station.

The owner always has crop damage permits for them to come and fill. He hasn't been over there yet this year?
(as far as I know) He may be in for a suprize??

[Al Dente]

The Radio Tower is at the top of my hill, he must hunt the orchard directly below it, on the other side of me.  He will be in for a surprise and not a good one either.

[mspaci1]

Im in Wingdale Dover area, havent heard of anything yet. I hunted 4y heavy a few years ago, Ellizaville. Lots of deer, but didnt get into any good bucks, shot a few & had fun. We were near the camp ground. A buddy leased up there this year. Mike

[Al Dente]

Spoke with a friend who had a conversation with 2 DEC biologists.  He recovered a doe, that he was watching for a day that appeared "sickly", and called the DEC to report.  The 2 biologists came to look her over and to retrieve organ samples.  During their conversation, he asked how bad it is.  One of them responded that Region 3 is VERY BAD.  Over 5,000 dead deer from EHD in Region 3.

And yet, with this knowledge, that the DEC has suppressed from the public, they continued to issue DMP's.  The outbreak started in June, and they only issued one statement about it, and that was during the first week of October.  I have no idea what their train of thought is, other than to sell as many licenses as possible, and not address the 800 pound gorilla in the room.

[GCook]

EHD is something they seem to have little ability to affect.  Supposedly their is an antiviral you can mix with feed that helps where to get it and the cost is something I haven't ascertained.
5000 dead deer is a known count or estimate based on known counts?

[woodchucker]

Well Al, I don't know what the DEC's motivation is..... 

But, IMHO If the damn coyotes have dead deer to eat, hopefully they'll leave the live ones alone!!

[Bowguy67]

Well Al, I don't know what the DEC's motivation is..... 

But, IMHO If the damn coyotes have dead deer to eat, hopefully they'll leave the live ones alone!!

Now that’s an interesting idea!

[Al Dente]

GCook, that is the number that the biologist is quoted as saying, not an estimate.  He did say that the DEC does have a system to estimate based upon calls received, but that is not the case here.  He gave a HARD number, which can mean many, many more that have not been reported or found.

The coyote problem has not been a factor the last 2 years near me because of diligent trapping and hunting of them.  It took about 6 years, of killing between 2-3 dozen every year to achieve this.  We had 2 dueling packs with dozens in each one.  They basically had eradicated every woodland creature, including fox, wood chuck, rabbit, turkey, chipmunk, pheasant, quail, deer, etc...  We finally had a turn around, with small game and deer making a slight comeback, and now this.

Woodchucker, the problem with that is the fact that the more food available, the more pups will be born.  The coyotes reproductive cycle is dependent upon the amount of food available.  The bitch will only drop 1-2 pups when food is scarce, and up to 10, when food is plentiful.  So the last thing we want, is to offer up a free buffet for them.

[woodchucker]

Al, Totally agree!!! I kill every yote I see!!
I'll pass on a deer, to kill the dog chasing it!! I'll shoot them with my bow, deer rifle, muzzle loader, .22, even blast them with birdshot if I'm bird hunting. After deer season, we hunt them every day. I call them during the week, and we run them with hounds on the weekends, when we can get enough hounds together.

But, If they can't find "dead" food, they'll kill it.... They're gonna eat either way.

Back around 2000-05, They totally decimated the Turkey population in Schoharie Co.
They'd get into a fall flock and wipe it out. You couldn't walk 10 yards without seeing a Turkey feather.
It took years, for the birds to come back.

IMHO, The only good yote, is a DEAD yote....

[Al Dente]

I agree 110%.  They kill not just for food, but for sport as well.  I remember about 10 years ago, a trail cam was set up on a coyote den, and it captured 73 fawns being brought back in a two week period.  They will run down and kill just to do it.