IOWA BOWHUNTER SPRING 2024

DNR NEWS SPRING ISSUE (Cont.)

Here are a few important things to keep in mind about EHD: 1. EHD is not contagious to humans. In fact, EHD is not even contagious between deer. Instead, the disease is spread by biting insects known as midges, which are often found near water during the summer months. 2. EHD affects deer herds in cycles. EHD outbreaks occur in Iowa during the warmest months of late summer and early autumn. Hot, dry weather with little rain may increase the likelihood and severity of an EHD outbreak. While EHD is always present on the landscape at low levels, these major outbreaks only tend to occur every five or so years; therefore, it’s unlikely for a property to experience large die-offs every year. Remember that white tailed deer have high reproductive rates for a mammal their size, particularly in Iowa where resources are plentiful. This means that deer populations have the ability to recover, even after the most severe EHD outbreaks. 3. EHD is often fatal, but not always fatal. Studies suggest that EHD can be fatal for up to 90% of deer showing clinical signs of infection, but that mortality rarely exceeds 50% of a local deer population in a given season. On a lighter note, deer that survive an EHD infection can develop an immunity, which keeps them from becoming infected in future outbreaks. 4. EHD is a relatively new disease in Iowa. The first major outbreak in Iowa was only recorded in 2012. Deer in Iowa and surrounding states appear naive to EHD compared to states where the disease has a longer history, such as Texas or Florida. Midwestern and Great Plains deers may currently be more susceptible to die from EHD, but this may not always be the case.

Over time, deer with a greater resistance to the disease are more likely to survive, reproduce, and pass on their innate resistance to offspring. All this is to say that there’s reason for an optimistic outlook on the future of EHD in Iowa. New Fall regulation. If you have not noticed or maybe not bought your tag yet, there is a new requirement this fall. The Iowa DNR is requiring you to measure the main beam length of any bucks harvested this fall to help the deer biologist enhance the age structure component of his herd calculations. The back of your license will have a 7inch ruler on it to use when making this measurement. You will be asked when you register your deer for this measurement by category. There have been lots of people concerned about what this means but don’t read too deeply into it. The Iowa DNR and Iowa State University did some research a few years back that indicated this was a very accurate way of collecting some generic age structure data at a very low cost. If some of you remember many years ago you submitted teeth to the Iowa DNR for aging. This process is costly and time consuming. By reporting the age structure with this method the DNR will collect the same information but at a much lower cost. If you have additional questions please reach out. I always enjoy talking about Iowa’s forest wildlife species. I am available for your questions anytime. Contact me at james.coffey@dnr.iowa.gov or send your questions to the IBA editor and I will do my best to answer them.

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IOWA BOWHUNTERS ASSOCIATION

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