What was wrong with this deer?

• Apr 24, 2005

• #1

Kreed5821

Gone but not forgotten.

My Grandpa killed a deer a couple of years ago and no one at camp wanted it. The hair was falling out all over. A DNR biologist said it was from being dragged. The deer was drug out, but only on one side. It's hair was loose even on its belly or inside of its legs. You could pull it out by the handfuls without holding it tight. It also had some kind of worms in its nose. The biologist said they were some kind of fly. There were at least six people in camp that weekend that had been hunting for over twenty five years and none of them had ever seen anything like this. No big deal, just wondering if anyone had any ideas.

 

• Apr 24, 2005

• #2

TJay

Senior Member

I've never heard of that either. Did the dnr guy say it was ok to eat? Even if they said it was ok, I don't think I could eat that deer. When they (dnr) figure out a way to get the picture of a deer with worms crawling out it's nostrils out of my head then maybe.

 

• Apr 24, 2005

• #3

TurkeyProof

Senior Member

Already Dead.

My take is when he shot the dear, their was another in the location that was already dead, maybe thats the one he mistaken for his and took it to camp.

 

• Apr 24, 2005

• #4

Son

Gone But Not Forgotten

infested deer

Sounds like bott fly larvae. I've saw bad cases of it in Citrus County Fl back in the 60's. The larvae live in the rumen, then fall out the nose, turn into pupae, then fly. Nasty looking, I don't know why the hair would be loose unless it was under norished or had another problem. A biologist can tell you, there's all sorts of problems deer can have.

 

• Apr 24, 2005

• #5

COYOTE X

Senior Member

I like turkeyproof's answer. I understand the "some kind of worms in its nose", but with the hair falling out too, tends to make me think that deer was the one shot a few day earlier. Unless, of course, if this happened in the spring. LOL. COYOTE X

 

• Apr 24, 2005

• #6

jay sullivent

Senior Member

Son said:

Sounds like bott fly larvae. I've saw bad cases of it in Citrus County Fl back in the 60's. The larvae live in the rumen, then fall out the nose, turn into pupae, then fly. Nasty looking, I don't know why the hair would be loose unless it was under norished or had another problem. A biologist can tell you, there's all sorts of problems deer can have.

Click to expand...

bot fly larvea live under the skin and are as large as a grub. they emerge as flies.

 

• Apr 24, 2005

• #7

B

Bowhunter24

Senior Member

dont know what it is, but i can tell u i sure would not have ate it either

 

• Apr 24, 2005

• #8

bilgerat

Senior

eat the worms and throw the deer away!

 

• Apr 24, 2005

• #9

Kreed5821

Gone but not forgotten.

Son, your right. Bott fly is what the biologist said, I just couldn't remember. He didn't mention the deer acting funny and it was still warm so it was his kill. The biologist said as the body temp dropped the bott fly larva would come out of the host. He seemed upset that we were wasting his time, though, and did'nt want to be too helpful.

 

• Apr 24, 2005

• #10

jay sullivent

Senior Member

i'm not a biologist but i don't see how a bott fly could lay it's eggs inside a deer's nostrils. my rabbits had them every now and then, they lay the eggs under the skin on the outside of the animal. the flies are quite large and i don't see one flying up a deer's nose to lay its eggs.

 

• Apr 24, 2005

• #11

Timberman

Senior Member

Looks to me like they lay their eggs inside the deers nose...

http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/nathis/mammals/deer/disease.htm

 

• Apr 24, 2005

• #12

jay sullivent

Senior Member

very interesting!!! it must be a different species of bot fly that infects squirrels and rabbits. good research timberman. i like a definative answer.

 

• Apr 24, 2005

• #13

Timberman

Senior Member

different species of bot fly that infects squirrels and rabbits

Click to expand...

Looks like it...


http://www.bioone.org/bioone/?request=get-document&issn=0015-4040&volume=085&issue=02&page=0369

 

• Apr 25, 2005

• #14

short stop

Senior Member

cant speak about those worms in the nose but a friend of mine shot a decent 8 pt in morgan co ''at home here'' when he told me he needed some help loadin him up the deers hair just came off with brushing your hand over it --it had many bald spots on it too ---the deer was shot in mild cool weather and hadnt moved 1 inch after being shot . we washed our hands and left him right there ! SS

 

• Apr 26, 2005

• #15

Kreed5821

Gone but not forgotten.

Shortstop

That sounds exactly like what we ran into. Like it had the mange or something.

 

• Apr 26, 2005

• #16

DSGB

Senior Member

Nasal bot flies:

In North America, the larvae of nasal bot flies are found in the nasal passages and throat pouches of cervids such as caribou, moose, elk, white-tailed and mule deer as well as bighorn sheep.

Female nasal bot flies deposit larvae into the nostrils of the host during hot days of summer where early stages of larval growth take place.

After a short period, larvae move to pouches that lie on either side of the throat at the base of the tongue where further growth takes place.

Fully developed larvae are about 25-36 mm in length and at maturity are expelled from the throat to pupate in the soil. Adults emerge from the soil 2-3 weeks later.

Nasal bot flies overwinter in the larval stage within the cervid host

Larvae or "bots" can cause inflammation and edema, occasionally leading to local damage or to pneumonia. Difficulty with breathing may result when the infestation is particularly heavy.

Nasal bot flies can cause annoyance that can lead to loss of body condition due to inadequate feeding. Animals under attack generally cluster, or may become nervous or panic-stricken, even stampeding.

Larvae often cause local inflammation in the infected pouches.

The meat of animals infected with larvae is considered safe for human consumption following removal of any affected tissue. Animals in poor condition are likely to have poor quality meat.

Collection of the flies or pupae is sufficient for diagnosis.

 

• Apr 30, 2005

• #17

gabowman

Senior Member

I'd have put him out of his misery and left him laying there.

GB

 

• Apr 30, 2005

• #18

Bucky T

GONetwork Member

I've only seen Bott Fly larvae in squirrels and rabbits. I've always called them wolves.

The only fly I've seen lay eggs in a deers nose, are the green and blue fly's that always show up around dead animals. I shot a spike years ago with my bow and I hung him up. It was warm that day and I had only let him hang 10 or so minutes before I started to clean him. There were already fly's laying eggs in this deers nose!!!!

Tommy

 

• Apr 30, 2005

• #19

jay sullivent

Senior Member

click onto the link on nasal bot flies in this thread. i thought wolves were the only type but they are not.

 

• Apr 30, 2005

• #20

G

Ga-Spur

Senior Member

Them deer have been on corn. Scroll down to page 5 and look at these deer eating their corn. http://www.uga.edu/scwds/briefs/404brief.pdf What do y'all think?