Hunting Season Could Be Affected By Deadly Deer Disease

Hundreds of white-tailed deer have died this year after being stricken with epizootic hemorrhagic disease.

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Big Game Biologist Ben Layton said most of the reports have come from eastern and central Tennessee.

“It’s transmitted by a title biting midge or biting no see ums that infects the deer with the disease,” Layton said. “The disease causes a fever and internal hemorrhaging in the deer and it does cause death.”

It’s not the first time the disease has affected deer. In 2007 the disease killed thousands of deer which dropped the deer harvest by 30-percent from 2006, when a record harvest was set at 174,937.

Officials said the disease should die down as the temperatures become colder.

Tennessee’s deer hunting season begins in September.