The number of deer in Virginia reported killed by hemorrhagic disease (HD) in recent weeks has surpassed the 150 mark with additional fatalities expected until the first freeze wipes out the insects that carry the disease.

HD is a common infectious disease of white-tailed deer that occurs in Virginia annually, but the strange thing about this year’s fatalities, they have occurred in far Southwest Virginia. Normally, piedmont Virginia is the hotbed.

Scott County has reported the most incidents, with 33 sightings and 64 deaths. Other counties impacted include Buchanan, 12 fatalities reported; Dickenson, 14; Lee, 36; Russell, 1; Washington, 5; and Wise, 20. Buchanan is the site of Virginia’s elk herd, but officials have reported no HD in the big animals.

“The current HD event in southwest Virginia is actually just the eastern boundary of a much larger and more serious HD problem that spread through the Appalachian Mountains this summer from eastern Tennessee, through eastern Kentucky, West Virgina and into Ohio and Pennsylvania,” said Matt Knox, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries deer project leader.

Kentucky has documented nearly 4,300 reports of HD.

HD outbreaks are characterized by otherwise healthy looking deer being found dead or dying near or in water late summer and early fall, Knox said. Past outbreaks in the eastern part of Virginia have been large enough to impact the size of the deer herd and lower hunting success..

Deer that appear diseased should be reported to the DGIF at its office in Wise, 276-376-4560, or via the agency’s Wildlife Helpline, 855-571-9003.

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