anthrax updates for Sutton and valverde

[Texas8point]

As for all the deer leaving and coming back theories, my opinion is No, they’re dead. This is numerous counties miles and miles. Going from one anthrax ranch to the next doesn’t make much sense to me. I could be wrong though.
Our place is same update, not really finding any fresh ones just old ones from real bad outbreak in late July. Kinda stopped looking after 138 bodies, tired of death.
Some pastures have zero deer on camera, some still have decent numbers. I have My texting camera going off all night with nocturnal pics of about 6-10 deer every night. Out of the 28 big known bucks on the ranch ZERO are on camera but only 3 have been found dead. We are seeing pockets of deer driving no where near feeders on the ranch.
Like others said, drove miles and miles at night where we usually see 100 deer and don’t see a single one now.
Majority of feed pens that usually have 30 deer in it look like this right now...

That is not good news.

[chicken fried]

Terrible

[Hart8]

Just go back from our place just south Sonora and we were pretty much wiped out. We did two deer surveys and counted 13 the first night (only surveyed half the ranch) and 27 the second when we surveyed the full 5,000 acres. We typically see 150 plus on a normal survey. We have only found 37 dead so not sure where the rest are? I know it sounds crazy but do the deer get a sense that something is wrong and leave?

Man,that's a good question..Probably no way of knowing unless tpw has some chipped,or collared.These rascals have adapted,and evolved over 1000's of years.I wouldn't be surprised if the headed for "greener pastures".
That being said..Hundred's found dead on low fence ranches,don't support what you;and I hope.
The drought of 2011 is the closest thing to this I've ever seen.Funny thing about it is, we had plenty of cistern fed water trough's.Deep wells.Plenty of water,and grass..Deer don't like it,but I figured they'd eat it,before they'd die.
We had lots of broadleaf hay,and protein tubs/troughs by the dozens..
On Memorial day weekend.(Friday) It was 112 degrees.Never got below 100 for a high,until mid October.This was between Eden,and San Angelo.Set all sorts of records for the region.
Went from seeing 40 deer in an evening sit(2010) to seeing three deer (2011) Dead deer all over the place.
Can the heat kill them? Cuz food and water sources were everywhere..Yet the carcasses were too.
Honestly,the place just got back to somewhat normal.I hunted '11,12,13,14,and 15 never killed a buck.aaaaand it gets jerked out from under us this year.Easy come easy go[emoji846]

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[slayr]

Spent a few days on our place near Loma Alta. No signs of dead deer and they’re hitting the feeders pretty hard. While heading out this morning saw quite a few deer on 277 between Loma Alta and 55.

[sotol]

As far as finding only a few dead deer but not having any seen or on camera.

My take is that they are dead. When someone shoots a deer that does not drop in sightb think how much effort it can take to find it. That is with the knowledge of where to start looking. Sometimes a person can walk real close to the dead deer and miss seeing it.

Now factor in randomly scanning an area for potential carcasses. Apparently no buzzards to help spot them. Over 100 degrees during the middle of the day and the joy of walking around in the brush when it is near dark during prime rattlesnake time.

It is just sort of luck of the draw how many you find.

Jmo.

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[Lee230]

I've been keeping up with the various threads on this outbreak and I know how much effort, $$, time and restraint many of you exercise in developing quality deer. Kick in the gut for sure and I hate that many of you are going through this. Find some positives and endeavor to persevere!!

[88 Bound]

As far as finding only a few dead deer but not having any seen or on camera.

My take is that they are dead. When someone shoots a deer that does not drop in sightb think how much effort it can take to find it. That is with the knowledge of where to start looking. Sometimes a person can walk real close to the dead deer and miss seeing it.

Now factor in randomly scanning an area for potential carcasses. Apparently no buzzards to help spot them. Over 100 degrees during the middle of the day and the joy of walking around in the brush when it is near dark during prime rattlesnake time.

It is just sort of luck of the draw how many you find.

Jmo.

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Yes and no. The dead carcasses still very much smell dead and are not that hard to find. With the deer population in the Sonora area, there would be one dead behind every bush or bunches piled up near food and water source if everything was truly dead.. Finding just a handful after dedicated searches is just confusing. They very well may be dead, but it just doesn’t make sense. Time will tell for us all I guess.

To add insult to injury, the oak trees are starting to put on acorns. That definitely won’t help anyone come deer season.

[aggieland]

Yes and no. The dead carcasses still very much smell dead and are not that hard to find. With the deer population in the Sonora area, there would be one dead behind every bush or bunches piled up near food and water source if everything was truly dead.. Finding just a handful after dedicated searches is just confusing. They very well may be dead, but it just doesn’t make sense. Time will tell for us all I guess.

To add insult to injury, the oak trees are starting to put on acorns. That definitely won’t help anyone come deer season.

This is what has us stumped as well. The land owner and ranch hands spent several days riding all over the ranch on ATV's and got a total dead count in low 40's so where are all the other deer? She plans to do a an helicopter survey soon to see what we truly have.

[88 Bound]

This is what has us stumped as well. The land owner and ranch hands spent several days riding all over the ranch on ATV's and got a total dead count in low 40's so where are all the other deer? She plans to do a an helicopter survey soon to see what we truly have.

Agreed, it’s quite weird.

Please share your results!

[Gary Roberson]

Talking to rancher friends south of Sonora and Ozona tell me that they were hit extremely hard. One told me that they were flying for hogs and coyotes and did not see a deer south of Ozona.
I heard that there was a little case near Ft. McKavett and another near Christoval where we normally don't experience it.
Adios,
Gary

[TheHammer]

Yes and no. The dead carcasses still very much smell dead and are not that hard to find. With the deer population in the Sonora area, there would be one dead behind every bush or bunches piled up near food and water source if everything was truly dead.. Finding just a handful after dedicated searches is just confusing. They very well may be dead, but it just doesn’t make sense. Time will tell for us all I guess.

To add insult to injury, the oak trees are starting to put on acorns. That definitely won’t help anyone come deer season.

This was my thinking as well! Especially with people saying that one part of their ranch was hit and the other not so much. There is plenty of pockets for these deer to go.

[Fischer]

Just came back from ranch and experienced what other have indicated, deer sightings virtually none, game cameras showing deer activity ending around the end of July, not even any raccoon pictures after late July, protein feeders still having protein after 10 weeks when they generally empty after 5 or 6 weeks and found some deer carcasses. Looks like anthrax hit the ranch hard (located on 189). Spoke with owner of Rafters and he also said he was finding dead deer on his property. know the question is what to do! we know the impact will be several years at a minimum and no or very minimal harvesting should take place. Are those of you also impacted leaving or working with the land owner on a plan to stay with monetary incentives? With such a large area impacted in Sutton county (outside what has been historically impacted) the landowners must understand their land should not be hunted and allow time for re-population of existing surviving heard and animals moving in form outside areas. If those of us affected by this outbreak were to leave, the landowners would have a hard to leasing to new hunters that happen to not be aware of the anthrax not to mention the moral issues of leasing knowing virtually no deer exist. What are your plans?

[Stolle]

It seems like our place in SouthEast corner of Sutton county is in the clear, but man the deer sure weren't as hungry as they were a month ago. I found one dead fawn, but luckily buzzards were eating it. My wife killed an axis spike that wasn't acting just right. I started to clean him and look like he had blood clots all over the hide as I was skinning him. He went to the dump. Buzzards cleaned him up within in day. Locals think he might have gotten whooped bad by an older buck as was just bruised and beat up. We are still seeing a the normal numbers of axis and WT on cameras. They just don't seem to be as hungry as a person would think.

[powderburner]

Just came back from ranch and experienced what other have indicated, deer sightings virtually none, game cameras showing deer activity ending around the end of July, not even any raccoon pictures after late July, protein feeders still having protein after 10 weeks when they generally empty after 5 or 6 weeks and found some deer carcasses. Looks like anthrax hit the ranch hard (located on 189). Spoke with owner of Rafters and he also said he was finding dead deer on his property. know the question is what to do! we know the impact will be several years at a minimum and no or very minimal harvesting should take place. Are those of you also impacted leaving or working with the land owner on a plan to stay with monetary incentives? With such a large area impacted in Sutton county (outside what has been historically impacted) the landowners must understand their land should not be hunted and allow time for re-population of existing surviving heard and animals moving in form outside areas. If those of us affected by this outbreak were to leave, the landowners would have a hard to leasing to new hunters that happen to not be aware of the anthrax not to mention the moral issues of leasing knowing virtually no deer exist. What are your plans?

Do you stay or do you go.. The age old question. When we hunted out there we stayed for 2 more years after the outbreak. Then the ranch sold. It was not good hunting but it was hunting.
The ranch owner told us. Stay or go he is going to get the same amount of money for the ranch. And he was right some left others came in. We told them what happened and they were mad but stuck.
The life a leaser not owner.

[sotol]

I see on the TPWD that anthrax is a reportable disease. Suspected cases must be reported to the Texas Animal Health C
ommission.

What then???

Do they come check out every report?

How many of y'all have a "confirmed" case on your lease or land?

Just curious.


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