Mysterious deer infection, please look

BSK

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This is what EHD infection does. It causes the hoof material itself to break down and slough off. It can be very painful to the deer. It would be like us trying to run around with our big toe toenail ripped off. The below deer was limping so hard he would pick up his leg while running and only run on three legs.

But this is not what you're seeing Dumbluck.
 

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utvolsfan77

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Photos are attached of yesterday's deer. He had damage on this front right and rear right ankle and could barely move. His rack fell off when he hit the ground. The neighbors buck had damage to his right rear ankle and his rack fell off as well. Last years buck I found dead had damage to his right rear ankle.

I watched a doe in archery season that had her right rear ankle and hoof heavily damaged.
It seems odd that the damage always appears on the right side, from what you said in your message. As odd as it may seem, this is a pattern starting to form.
 

7mm08

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I'm no expert but if we ran around in brambles, sticks etc make sense that a staph or strep or tetanus infection would infect and or kill us without medical care including antibiotics. My buddy killed a doe years ago in Unit L when I was with him. On further inspection before we field dressed her she had something similar on her foot. After we were done with her I cut that open and it was full of pus and smelled like staph.

Hard to know what is causing these problems. 20% of humans carry staphylococcus aureus on their skin ….. so why can't deer?
 

Kayman12

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Hunt Giles county and we have seen several(4 to 5) deer limping this year. Have not killed one of those yet, but plan on doe control this week. So might kill one then. Will report if we do
 

UPSman

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Shot a buck tonight with this same ankle infection. He was limping badly and his right rear leg is just skin and bone. I wouldn't have shot him under normal circumstances but after watching him hobble around, I figured that being killed by a bullet was more humane than being pulled apart by coyotes. This is a Humphreys county deer.
 
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UPSman

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He had about a dozen or more bot fly larvae in his nose/ back of his throat when I skimmed out his head. That was kindly disgusting also.
 

Carlos

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I killed a buck years ago in Franklin County that had an infected right rear hoof. It looked exactly like the one in the previous pictures.
 

Carlos

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Found out what it's all about.
Read more here..

 

BSK

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Informative article. Thanks for posting.

But too bad the author turned that informative article into an advertisement for supplemental feed and minerals.
 

Dumbluck

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We also believe it to be foot rot but are stumped on the source. I have talked to all the neighbors with large tracts and none of them are feeding the deer. So as to where so many are getting it is a mystery for now.
 
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I live just south of Chattanooga in GA where feeding is legal. We feed deer year around and don't seem to have any issues like that. I don't think it has anything to do with the neighbors feeding them.
 

WestTn Huntin man

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I live just south of Chattanooga in GA where feeding is legal. We feed deer year around and don't seem to have any issues like that. I don't think it has anything to do with the neighbors feeding them.
Any disease that's spreading feeding or minerals and salt blocks can increase the spread greatly. Makes them congregate in larger #s.
 
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