2022 Deer season

The #1 community for Gun Owners in Indiana

Member Benefits:

  • Fewer Ads!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • two70

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    19   0   0
    Feb 5, 2016
    3,725
    113
    Johnson
    Looks like it might have had EHD. Looks similar to all the dead ones I found around my place. They all had the similar black color , which I assume is from not being scavenged on . Most of the scavengers shied away from EHD carcasses
    That buck hasn't been dead nearly long enough to be an EHD casualty and the hooves do not appear to be deformed as they often are for EHD survivors. As old as he appears to be, there's a decent chance that he was just too run down from the rut to survive the cold snap we had a few weeks ago.

    Mgderf I'm sure you know this but there are probably others that don't, in order to legally possess antlers from a buck found dead, one needs to either contact the local CO for a salvage tag or use your buck tag if it is still during hunting season.
     

    ws6duramax

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    24   0   0
    Nov 21, 2011
    474
    59
    Metamora
    That buck hasn't been dead nearly long enough to be an EHD casualty and the hooves do not appear to be deformed as they often are for EHD survivors. As old as he appears to be, there's a decent chance that he was just too run down from the rut to survive the cold snap we had a few weeks ago.
    That could be the case as well. I've seen roughly 30+ EHD deer this year between my place and neighboring properties, all look very similar to this. Entrails and eyes missing, the rest really never gets touched. I have yet to see a single one with any deformed hooves. The only thing I've noticed is swelling in the eyes and face, but you have to find them fairly soon after death.

    I have a dead doe close to the house that's been there since about the end of September, pretty much looks just like this one. They all have the black coloring from I assume is mold, because they have been sitting so long.

    This summer I drug a roadkill out in a field and placed it next to a suspected EHD buck. The roadkill was eaten in a few days, the other buck is still there, nothing really touches it ,they just slowly decay
     

    two70

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    19   0   0
    Feb 5, 2016
    3,725
    113
    Johnson
    You only see the hoof issues if they survive EHD. It can take a couple different forms, sometimes the hoof itself has excess growth or the hard material sloughs off over and over, other times it is in the form of major swelling in the first joint above the hoof.

    Interesting, I've never heard of scavengers avoiding EHD kills before or noticed them lingering untouched but I've never done a side by side comparison either.
     

    ws6duramax

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    24   0   0
    Nov 21, 2011
    474
    59
    Metamora
    You only see the hoof issues if they survive EHD. It can take a couple different forms, sometimes the hoof itself has excess growth or the hard material sloughs off over and over, other times it is in the form of major swelling in the first joint above the hoof.

    Interesting, I've never heard of scavengers avoiding EHD kills before or noticed them lingering untouched but I've never done a side by side comparison either.
    Early on, I asked the CO who I know very well about the carcasses being avoided. He said that was because of the abundance EHD in the area and the scavengers couldn't keep up. To which I kind of agreed with, but I believe that to be false now. Animals know when something isn't quite right.

    I found 11 on my place this year and any of them close to the house that I could get to I buried. Nothing touched them except for eyes and entrails for the most part.

    During bow season , I found a doe that had and arrow it. She was less than 100 yards from another suspected EHD deer. The one with the arrow had the hind quarters all but eaten off when I found it and a day or two later it was about all gone. The other one is still there, covered in black mold and basically just melting away.
     

    El Conquistador

    Expert
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    48   0   0
    Jan 28, 2019
    1,129
    129
    far from here
    In December of 2019 i was muzzleloader hunting at my place, saw a nice buck chasing a doe across the field. It was about 150 yards out when i shot him, he went another 75 yards before he expired. When I walked up on him i knew something was wrong, he was at least a 4.5 year old 12 point but looked to only weigh 120 lbs or less. Looked like he had the mange missing a lot of hair around the neck area and his right front hoof was the size of a softball with cracking on the other hoofs. I feel I did him a favor putting him out of his misery but you had to give it to him, despite all he had going wrong with him he was still out chasing the ladies.
     

    Willie

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Nov 24, 2010
    2,679
    48
    Warrick County
    Early on, I asked the CO who I know very well about the carcasses being avoided. He said that was because of the abundance EHD in the area and the scavengers couldn't keep up. To which I kind of agreed with, but I believe that to be false now. Animals know when something isn't quite right.

    I found 11 on my place this year and any of them close to the house that I could get to I buried. Nothing touched them except for eyes and entrails for the most part.

    During bow season , I found a doe that had and arrow it. She was less than 100 yards from another suspected EHD deer. The one with the arrow had the hind quarters all but eaten off when I found it and a day or two later it was about all gone. The other one is still there, covered in black mold and basically just melting away.

    Interesting... I've found dead deer in the past early in the archery season and close to water (pretty indicative of EHD) and they had not been eaten at all. In mgderf's case I think It's pretty late in the year for an EHD deer to show up dead. The biting midges that spread it are long gone.
     

    jwamplerusa

    High drag, low speed...
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Feb 21, 2018
    4,210
    113
    Boone County
    Question for the thread.

    Is there any push or expectation that public land will be opened up to the 6.5 cartridges?

    I am considering a 6.5 Grendel upper or a 350 Legend. I would prefer the Grendel for overall capability and wider Applicability. The 350 Legend however gives the option of public land deer hunting.

    Is there any push in the legislature to expand the bottlenecked cartridges to public land?
     

    El Conquistador

    Expert
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    48   0   0
    Jan 28, 2019
    1,129
    129
    far from here
    Question for the thread.

    Is there any push or expectation that public land will be opened up to the 6.5 cartridges?

    I am considering a 6.5 Grendel upper or a 350 Legend. I would prefer the Grendel for overall capability and wider Applicability. The 350 Legend however gives the option of public land deer hunting.

    Is there any push in the legislature to expand the bottlenecked cartridges to public land?
    I am at the Statehouse everyday when they are in session and I haven't seen any bills filed to expand this to public land. Also I haven't heard of any talk about doing this either.
     

    cg21

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    25   0   0
    May 5, 2012
    4,549
    113
    Question for the thread.

    Is there any push or expectation that public land will be opened up to the 6.5 cartridges?

    I am considering a 6.5 Grendel upper or a 350 Legend. I would prefer the Grendel for overall capability and wider Applicability. The 350 Legend however gives the option of public land deer hunting.

    Is there any push in the legislature to expand the bottlenecked cartridges to public land?
    As of now in pistol form you can use that cartridge on public, to my knowledge.
     

    Site Supporter

    INGO Supporter

    Forum statistics

    Threads
    524,489
    Messages
    9,794,217
    Members
    53,638
    Latest member
    Dhlawson
    Top Bottom