Black Tongue Disease?

: Has anybody heard of black tongue disease. A buddy told me it has hit Franklin Cty pretty hard this year. Says that they have found tons of deer laying beside creeks and ponds dead, and it makes sense cause we are just not seeing 1/2 the deer we did last year.

I've heard of it and it will put a hurt on a herd of deer in a hurry. They contract a fever, that is why they typically die near water.

Hate to hear this news...

Don't you mean BLUE TONGUE??

I've never heard of Black Tongue..



More than likely these deer have EHD.

Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD)

Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD)* is common to white-tailed deer, but rarely affects other species. It occurs in the driest part of the year when conditions are just right for biting gnats, the carriers of the disease.


The disease is not contagious from one animal to another, and it is not transferable to humans. It comes from a virus carried by biting gnats that live in or near water and wet, muddy areas. It is transmitted to deer that congregate at such watering holes during warm, dry weather.

The spread of the disease is usually cut short with colder, wetter weather that spreads deer out and away from gnat-infested areas, or the first hard frost, which will kill the disease-carrying gnats. Since the incubation period for the disease is five to 10 days, afflicted deer may be observed up to a couple of weeks after frost.

Deer in the early stages of EHD may appear lethargic, disoriented, lame, or unresponsive to humans. As the disease progresses the deer may have bloody discharge from the nose, lesions or sores on the mouth, and swollen, blue tongues. They become emaciated because they stop eating. Sometimes they even stop drinking, although many die close to or in water.

Other wildlife, like mule deer, elk, and bighorn sheep could be exposed to the disease but are usually not stricken like white-tailed deer. No evidence of an outbreak in these species has been found at this time nor in past outbreaks in recent years.

Domestic livestock could also be exposed, although cattle and sheep are usually only carriers, not victims, of the "Bluetongue" virus, which is very similar to EHD.

Since deer hunting season usually doesn't open until well after the first killing frost, deer hunters usually don't see live, infected animals. It is recommended that hunters avoid shooting and consuming deer that show any EHD symptoms, even though the disease cannot be transmitted to humans.

EHD typically strikes in late summer and early fall during an unusually warm, dry year when wildlife concentrates at whatever water is available.

* ("Epizootic" means an animal epidemic. "Hemorrhagic" means to bleed or hemorrhage.)

TOW, that's it, though most folks here in Gawga refer to it as black tongue disease for some reason. I can't tell you why, though I've always heard it called Black Tongue disease down here...LOL

huntnnut said:

TOW, that's it, though most folks here in Gawga refer to it as black tongue disease for some reason. I can't tell you why, though I've always heard it called Black Tongue disease down here...LOL

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Probably just confusing "Blue" with "black", Milton.

There are numerous strains and Georgia's deer experience this disease at varying levels across the state virtually every year. Some deer die and some survive. However, many that survive can be in general "poor" health from fighting the disease. Outbreaks can be severe (killing up to 25%+) to mild (3-5%) or in between. Outbreaks can be widespread to local.

Hunters can observe killed deer for signs of having survived the virus such as sores/scarring on the chest and knees and/or evidence of sloughing hooves. However, a confirmation can only be obtained from a lab test.

Diseased deer in ga.

My bosses friend said he found a big 10 pointer freshly dead on his propert. He called dnr and they told him it was blue tongue. But again this is only hearsay.

This was in whitfield co.

Finding several here at the house north west fannin co.

EHD can be bad news.

Happens in primarily dry weather and affects all deer.

Illinois and many other Midwest states were pounded 3-4 years ago.

I think, on my farms in Illinois, we are about to fully recover but it is very dry in west central Illinois right now.

Pray for rain.

the deer at my Hart County properties appear to be making it just fine at the moment. Hope it doesn't come around.

EHD is really bad news. Will wipe out a deer herd so fast. Top that with the yotes we have and there's a big problem

Yep that's mouth rot.

Found a good one laying in a creek in Dekalb. No wounds, probably EHD ? He came by my trail cam a few days before with his mouth open.
Years ago we took a few doe in Dekalb with messed up hooves. Never put 2 & 2 together back then ?

sorry to hear ehd blue tounge doesn't usually hit to hard in the south hope its not to bad

BowanaLee said:

Found a good one laying in a creek in Dekalb. No wounds, probably EHD ? He came by my trail cam a few days before with his mouth open.
Years ago we took a few doe in Dekalb with messed up hooves. Never put 2 & 2 together back then ?

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That's a shame. Would've been a nice one for someone to kill.

Wow that's a shame Bowana!