My earlier post quoting the email, the someone, was the Wildlife Science Supervisor at the DNR. Just in this morning you will find her report of the positive EHD cases so far that the DNR is recognizing and find that the others being tested are correlating with the reports we have been posting for the last month. First his her email today, then you will find my reply at the bottom.


--------------------------------------------
"On Fri, 9/18/15, Slack, Dawn wrote:

Subject: RE: FW: EHD results
To: "Gary Walters"
Date: Friday, September 18, 2015, 9:47 AM

Good Morning Gary,

.....

Thank you for letting us know about the dead deer on your
property. If you find another one please let me know. I
would like to sample it if we can get to it within 24 hours
of it dying.

We received a positive test result (EHDV-2) from a
Tippecanoe sample, and BOAH let us know yesterday that they
have positive samples from cervid farms in Boone, Madison
and Hamilton counties (strain is unknown from the captive
samples). We are waiting for test results that we have
submitted from other counties. We have been receiving calls
from several counties, mostly in the central portion of the
state, and are sampling as often as we can. We are
definitely tracking suspect deer and do take disease
prevalence into account for herd management.

Please continue to notify us as you have been. Please call
the local CO or the local District Biologist or the
Bloomington Field Office (812-334-1137) with reports of sick
deer. I am sorry others have had difficulties reaching us. I
assure you we respond to calls we receive.

Thank you again for your concern for Indiana's deer herd, as
well as, your efforts tracking dead/sick deer this fall. We
understand those concerns and absolutely want a healthy herd
as well. Please keep in touch and let me know what you are
finding.
R.

Dawn


Dawn R. Slack
Wildlife Science Supervisor
Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Bloomington Field Office
DSlack@dnr.IN.gov
Office: (812) 334 -1137"

Dawn,

Thanks so much for the information. While depressing news, it is good to be able to bring awareness to hunters. Hopefully this awareness of the conditions in their areas, their own observations on the ground can inspire harvest strategies that correlate with what is going on in real time for the good of the resource.

I am cc'ing the others, to illustrate how social media can in fact be a tool in deer management and organizing hunters and all deer enthusiasts. The findings are consistent with what IWDHM Group has been reporting for over one month. Again, in all fairness, we wish we were wrong, such a waste of the resource is tragic. Hopefully with awareness, harvests will be less in these areas to not put undo stress on a already stressed herd. The fact of the matter is, no group should be left out of conversation and data collecting for the good of the resource, especially a group that has brought together so many deer enthusiasts in the state, from hunters, to hikers, to kayakers. All have reported these deer to us.

Wish you well in your continued efforts to manage our resource.


Gary A. Walters, RN
Board of Directors, IWDHM Group.
Storybook Valley Farm and Loneridge Kennels

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