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There are countless conversations about fawn recruitment, predation by yotes, dogs, buzzards and more but I dont see a lot of conversation on losses due to flys, fleas and ticks. This little guy has no chance of survival as every oraface is covered with ticks or fly eggs, the fleas are crawling and the flys are swarming. His eyes are useless and his hours are few. I have seen new fawns everywhere all week, the things I have noticed or have looked for are related to these infestations and fawn losses due to them. Fawns out in row crop fields are relatively parasite free. Fawns in areas burned this past spring are also relatively parasite free. Fawns in pastures where cattle graze have a few but they are survivable numbers. Fawns in uncut hay fields have a much higher number of ticks. fawns in areas that are in the 1st or 2nd year of a 3 year burn rotation have a few parasites but nothing devestating. Fawns in thickets, unmanaged waterways and unmanaged woodlands have much higher numbers, many fatally infested with ticks, fleas and yes flys. I see that row crop ground is mostly free of habitat conducive to parasites, ground that is part of a prescribed fire rotation has less parasite habitat and I think the smokey / charred debris may well be undesirable to parasites plus prescribed burns likely toasts a lot of these critters. Grazing cattle are protected with a parasiticide and they tend to severely disrupt the habitat of the parasites. uncut hay fields are very similar to thickets in habitat for parasites. There is every reason to believe that this same principle applies to turkey poults. I will add that I am aware of a land owner who (small acreage) uses a tractor mounted fan to mist parasiticide over larger areas and I know several who treat corn with pour on parasiticide and feed it with success in controlling parasites on their game animals. Really just thinking out loud, in areas where population growth is desired like Putnam and Jackson county, TN and east this is food for thought, in western KY and Stewart County, TN it is mute as they are overrun.
There are countless conversations about fawn recruitment, predation by yotes, dogs, buzzards and more but I dont see a lot of conversation on losses due to flys, fleas and ticks. This little guy has no chance of survival as every oraface is covered with ticks or fly eggs, the fleas are crawling and the flys are swarming. His eyes are useless and his hours are few. I have seen new fawns everywhere all week, the things I have noticed or have looked for are related to these infestations and fawn losses due to them. Fawns out in row crop fields are relatively parasite free. Fawns in areas burned this past spring are also relatively parasite free. Fawns in pastures where cattle graze have a few but they are survivable numbers. Fawns in uncut hay fields have a much higher number of ticks. fawns in areas that are in the 1st or 2nd year of a 3 year burn rotation have a few parasites but nothing devestating. Fawns in thickets, unmanaged waterways and unmanaged woodlands have much higher numbers, many fatally infested with ticks, fleas and yes flys. I see that row crop ground is mostly free of habitat conducive to parasites, ground that is part of a prescribed fire rotation has less parasite habitat and I think the smokey / charred debris may well be undesirable to parasites plus prescribed burns likely toasts a lot of these critters. Grazing cattle are protected with a parasiticide and they tend to severely disrupt the habitat of the parasites. uncut hay fields are very similar to thickets in habitat for parasites. There is every reason to believe that this same principle applies to turkey poults. I will add that I am aware of a land owner who (small acreage) uses a tractor mounted fan to mist parasiticide over larger areas and I know several who treat corn with pour on parasiticide and feed it with success in controlling parasites on their game animals. Really just thinking out loud, in areas where population growth is desired like Putnam and Jackson county, TN and east this is food for thought, in western KY and Stewart County, TN it is mute as they are overrun.