Reports from several southeastern Montana locations have confirmed that EHD (epizootic hemorrhagic disease) has surfaced in the resident white-tailed deer populations. Reports from Glendive, Savage, Sidney, Circle, Brockway, Angela and Rock Springs suggest EHD has surfaced in the local white-tail populations.
EHD is an infectious viral disease of white-tailed deer and outbreaks can occur annually. EHD and the bluetongue virus are basically indistinguishable. Biting flies transmit both diseases and the disease is seasonal and usually occurs late summer or early fall. A hard freeze can kill the insects and stop the spread of the disease.
Usually EHD infects the deer and incubates for 7 – 10 days and once the virus matures it results in death within 24 hours. Normally infected deer gravitate to water.
Mule deer, antelope, big horn sheep have shown occurrence of the disease. Current reports show white-tailed deer as the target species to date. To date no extensive die-offs have been reported in southeastern Montana.