Two more dead deer found in Lincoln County
COLFAX – About 80 dead white-tail deer have been found so far in the Colfax area.
The Colfax public works have picked up the carcasses found in city limits, said Colfax police Chief Bruce Blood.
Four of the deer were found while they were alive and ill. They were dispatched by Colfax officers.
“To let them go would have left them suffering,” he said. “It’s tragic that something like this happens.”
Blood said a similar situation happened in 2015.
“It’s not very unusual, unfortunately. When it gets hot and dry it’s not an uncommon occurrence,” said Staci Lehman, a state Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) communications manager. “It’s not a huge number.”
Around Kamiah, Idaho, the Idaho Fish and Game are reporting approximately 250-300 white-tail deer were found dead.
Samples taken from the dead white-tail deer in Whitman County were sent to Washington State University for testing to determine the cause of death.
The deer tested positive for Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD), which is delivered by midges, or small flies, said Lehman. The drought and heatwaves are pushing deer to drink from more swampy areas of water where the midges live. They bite and pass on the virus to the deer.
Two dead deer found in Lincoln County were also sampled. Bluetongue disease was found in the Lincoln County deer. It’s also delivered by midges and is barely distinguishable from EHD.
“It’s not always fatal,” Lehman said of EHD.
Wildfires are contributing to the white-tail deer moving from their habitat to “where we don’t normally see them,” said Lehman. They are seeking safety, clean air, and water.
When finding a dead deer, people should contact local county or city governments. The WDFW does not collect animal carcasses.
Regarding eating the scavenged dead deer, the WDFW doesn’t recommend it and strongly suggests following proper cooking techniques and meat handling to insure safety.
“We ask that people be very careful about that,” said Lehman. “The viruses that cause these diseases do not affect humans.”
If people see unusual behavior by deer or if they look ill, they ask people to call the WDFW at 509-754-4624.
“We track when deer are sick,” she said.
People can’t help the deer. The situation is driven by drought, heat, and wildfires.
“We have to wait until the weather cools down. We need some rain,” said Lehman. “No matter what, we don’t advise people to feed deer.”
Deer learn to become dependent on people and eases their fear of humans, which brings them closer to cities and highways.
Bill Stevenson is a retired editor of the Whitman County Gazette, Colfax Daily Bulletin and Franklin Connection. He had nearly 30 years of journalism experience covering news in Eastern Washington.
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