Latest news with #NationalDeerAssociation
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Viral Video of Deer Crawling with Ticks Is Nightmare Fuel. It's Also a Warning
A short video posted by Kip Adams, Chief Conservation Officer at the National Deer Association, has gone viral on social media, and for good reason. The clip shows a dead deer swarming with thousands of crawling ticks. But Adams says this skin-crawling video is more than just nightmare fuel. It's a warning. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kip Adams (@kipadams_nda) 'I've been a wildlife biologist for about 30 years,' Adams tells Outdoor Life. 'I've seen some crazy and cool stuff across the country. But I've never seen anything quite like that.' The deer was used as part of a necropsy session held on Sunday during an NDA Deer Steward class near Hanna, Oklahoma, on Muscogee (Creek) Nation land. The mature doe was harvested under a state-issued depredation permit and stored overnight in a cooler before being used for the class. When Adams laid it on the table the next morning, the ticks became horrifyingly visible. 'I looked down and couldn't believe the number of ticks. There were thousands of them. I pulled out my phone because I wanted to share it with my colleagues at work,' Adams says. 'I didn't expect it to blow up online like it did.' Some online commenters speculated that the crawling insects on the deer were 'keds' — a type of parasitic louse fly. Adams says those people are mistaken. 'Yes, there were a few louse flies. That's to be expected,' Adams says. 'But the vast majority of what you see in that video are ticks — mostly black-legged ticks and quite a few Lone Star ticks.' Read Next: I Got Alpha-Gal (The Tick-Borne Disease That's a Hunter's Worst Nightmare) Adams says the location had a lot to do with the number of ticks swarming the deer carcass. The animal came from an area of Oklahoma with dense vegetation and no recent prescribed fire, which can create a perfect storm for ticks. 'This region tends to produce deer with heavier parasite loads,' Adams says. 'But this was an extreme case, even for there.' Despite the grotesque scene, the doe was in surprisingly good health. Adams, who has aged thousands of jawbones, aged her as a mature doe, one that is at least 5 ½ years old. But she was probably older than that. 'Based on the amount of wear on the teeth, this deer was probably a lot closer to 10 years old than it was to five,' Adams says. 'All of the incisors in the front were completely worn away, and the premolars and molars in the back were slicked right down.' Although the doe was relatively old for a whitetail, Adams also noted that it was lactating, meaning it had successfully birthed a fawn earlier this summer. For adult deer, ticks are mostly an irritation. But for fawns, tick infestations can be fatal, especially in the first weeks of life. 'Young fawns don't move much. That's their survival mechanism,' Adams says. 'In areas that have lots of ticks, they will just cover the fawns. They'll be all around their eyes, nose, and mouth. In those cases, ticks can actually kill fawns.' Ticks Are Spreading Across the U.S. The video also highlights a growing concern that affects more than just deer: the increase of tick-borne disease in the U.S. Black-legged ticks — commonly called deer ticks — can transmit Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, and alpha-gal syndrome, a potentially life-altering red meat allergy. And tick populations have expanded their range across the United States over the past several decades. 'I think part of it is that our climate is just warmer than it's been in the past,' Adams says. 'That has allowed ticks to move much farther north. They are also active for more of the year. Black-legged ticks, for example, can be active any time the temperature is above 32 degrees.' That expansion has had direct consequences for humans, with tick-borne illnesses on the rise across the country. The CDC estimates nearly half a million people in the U.S. are diagnosed with Lyme disease each year. 'This isn't just something that just impacts hunters,' he says. 'It impacts anybody who wants to go outside. Increased tick populations and the spread of tick-borne diseases impact all citizens of the U.S.' But there may be hope for controlling tick numbers — and it starts with fire. Read Next: Vampire Ticks Are Ravaging New England Moose. Hunting Could Help Ongoing research from Craig Harper at the University of Tennessee is exploring how prescribed burning can impact tick populations. Early findings suggest that fire could be an effective tool for reducing ticks, in addition to its known benefits for habitat and forage. 'It's encouraging,' Adams says. 'We're finally starting to get data that shows fire helps with ticks, too.' Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Yahoo
Rare white fawn spotted in North Olmsted
NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio (WJW) — A rare piebald fawn was spotted in North Olmsted Tuesday afternoon. The sighting occurred off Gessner Road as Frank Giampietro was driving by. Two on motorcycle killed after colliding with vehicle in Stark County 'First time I've ever seen a white deer!' Giampietro told FOX 8. The video shows a white-tailed doe and two fawns. One of the fawns is nearly all white, except for a few dark patches around his eyes. Piebald deer make up about 1% of the deer population. Albino deer, which are rarer, lack pigmentation entirely and have pink eyes. School employee charged with sending nude photos to teen: sheriff Piebald deer often have brown eyes and some brown hair, according to wildlife experts. According to the National Deer Association, piebald deer often have other health problems due to the rare genetic condition. The deer association says piebald fawn rarely survive to adulthood. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
14-05-2025
- Science
- USA Today
'1 out of every 100,000:' See the rare female elk recently spotted in Colorado
'1 out of every 100,000:' See the rare female elk recently spotted in Colorado Show Caption Hide Caption Bison munch on fresh grass in town, stopping traffic A herd of bison gorged on fresh green grass while roaming Mammoth, Wyoming on the northwest edge of Yellowstone National Park. A female elk with a unique genetic trait is turning heads in Colorado and beyond. Colorado Parks and Wildlife recently shared photographs of a rare elk, a piebald female cow, out in the wild. The female elk, which sports a brown and snow-white coat, "has been catching attention for a bit and for good reason" since it was spotted in Estes Park, a town that serves as the base for Rocky Mountain National Park. The appearance of the fur is the result of a genetic trait that causes a "white coat of hair with some patches of brown," according to the state agency. The genetic anomaly, commonly seen in deer, "causes random patches of skin to lack the specialized pigment cells that give deer hair its color," according to the National Deer Association. Even the skin underneath the white hair lacks color. "This rare genetic trait occurs in about 1 out of every 100,000 elk," the agency wrote in a May 12 Facebook post. "If you're lucky enough to catch a glimpse of her, remember to give her lots of space!" Colorado Parks & Wildlife did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment. Visitors share photos, videos of the 'rare elk' After Colorado Parks & Wildlife shared images from the spontaneous photo-op on Facebook, people who follow the page also began share original photos and videos of the piebald female cow and others they've seen in the comments of the post. "I saw her a couple weeks ago," one person wrote in the comments. "Such an amazing experience!!" This female elk may likely be one of one, or at least one of a few "piebalds" foraging across Colorado, which boasts the largest elk population in the world. Over 280,000 elk, with and without the genetic trait, have lived in the area since the mid 2020s. Remember Morris from "Happy Gilmore?" He's in a better place. While some were in awe of the creature's beauty, others were cracking jokes about the elk getting into some cocaine, or powdered sugar. "Did Cafe Du Monde open up a shop up there?" another person wrote in the comments. "Looks like she got too close to someone eating a beignet and startled them. WYKYK."
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Lawmakers ignite backlash with bill that could undermine disease control efforts: 'This bill compromises the public trust'
Alabama legislators are aiming to give deer breeders more control over their facilities, which would limit the state agencies' ability to stop the spread of a deadly disease that can affect both captive and wild deer. According to The Wildlife Society, the Alabama House of Representatives passed a bill on April 15 that will limit state agencies' ability to test, kill, or stop captive deer from being transferred between farms because of chronic wasting disease. It also makes the deer property of the breeder. There are some exceptions to the bill, including the ability to test if CWD was detected on a farm or in a farm from which the deer was transferred. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, chronic wasting disease is a serious disease that causes death and affects deer, moose, reindeer, and elk. It can be passed through "contact with saliva, blood, urine, or feces of an animal with CWD" and can also be spread through food, water, and soil. Daniel Greene, a certified wildlife biologist and president of the southeastern section of TWS, believes fencing isn't infallible; wild deer can still come in contact with captive deer. Trees can bring down fences during storms, and wild and captive deer can rub noses with each other. "This bill compromises the public trust," said a signed opposition letter from TWS, TWS Southeastern Section, the National Deer Association, the nonprofit Boone and Crockett Club, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, and the National Wildlife Federation In Alabama, there are 200 breeders that breed large deer for hunting purposes. They are fenced in, and hunters pay a premium for access. The TWS Alabama chapter wrote a letter opposing the bill, which said: "This legislation threatens our state's $2 billion hunting industry, which is vital to most of Alabama's rural economies and [the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources'] conservation funding." Deer can also spread the disease before testing positive, and soil can stay infected for years. Republican bill sponsor Jeff Sorrells said in an interview with WBMA: "This bill has nothing to do with hunting. It is more about government overreach of a valuable resource for the state of Alabama." Should the government be able to control how we heat our homes? Definitely Only if it saves money I'm not sure No way Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Several wildlife organizations have come forward against the bill. Chris Blankenship, commissioner of the ADCNR, is asking legislators to reject the bill. He said in a statement: "This bill should be disturbing to all ethical sportsmen, hunters, and citizens in Alabama." Angie Larsen-Gray, a certified wildlife biologist and a TWS Leadership Institute graduate, said there are ways to prevent the disease. However, she said: "It is nearly impossible to get rid of it once it's there." The National Deer Association has tips for deer hunters, including following local rules and regulations to prevent the spread and reporting sick deer to officials. It's also vital to explore critical climate issues like this to understand how to combat the problem. If you learn about similar cases that affect your state, you can use your voice by speaking to your local representatives to ensure bills like this don't become law. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
This Bill Would Give Deer Breeders a Free Pass to Ignore Alabama's CWD Laws
A handful of Alabama lawmakers are pushing a bill that could totally upend whitetail deer management there. Introduced in the state House Thursday, the proposed legislation would make all of the state's high-fence deer private property, and it would make deer breeders immune to the CWD regulations that have been imposed in Alabama, as in other states, to protect wild deer herds. State wildlife officials are not mincing words about the bill, which they view as a direct threat to Alabama's wildlife and hunting traditions. The National Deer Association is also speaking out against it. If passed, HB509 would revise the laws that allow Alabamians to raise and propagate designated game birds, game animals, and fur-bearers. Under current law, licensed individuals can breed not only whitetails, but also elk, fallow deer, and any other nonnative species that was brought into Alabama prior to 2006. Although they're defined as livestock under the legal code, pen-raised whitetail deer are still considered a public resource in the state. But HB509 would make all of those captive critters the personal property of the breeders themselves. It would also prohibit state agencies from euthanizing, testing, or prohibiting the transfer of 'certain cervids' (notably whitetails) due to disease 'except under certain circumstances.' Read Next: Texas Officials Kill Off Deer Breeder's Entire Herd, Ending Yearslong Legal War Over CWD Management According to the current language of the bill, those circumstances would only apply if the specific disease had already been detected in another one of the breeder's deer, or in a deer that was transferred from another breeder. It's unclear how those detections could occur, however, if breeders aren't required to test their animals and if the state isn't allowed to. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources said it is 'strongly opposed' to these proposed changes in a statement shared Monday. 'This bill should be disturbing to all ethical sportsmen, hunters, and citizens in Alabama,' Chris Blankenship, the Commissioner of the ADCNR, said in the written statement. 'Alabamians have a constitutional right to hunt and fish in this state. HB 509 would jeopardize that right.' Blankenship said the proposed law would also 'drastically increase the risk of the spread of CWD or other diseases to all parts of Alabama.' The commissioner had a few other choice adjectives to describe the bill — among them: 'reckless, disturbing, and unfathomable.' Hunters must currently obey CWD carcass movement and transportation restrictions on deer carcasses in the state. While not quite as brazen as another recent bill, introduced in Texas, that would have abolished the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for the benefit of deer breeders, the proposed legislation in Alabama is still staggering in terms of what it would mean for wildlife and hunters. The notion that deer and other wild game are resources to be conserved and held in the public trust for all state citizens is sacrosanct under the North American Model of Wildlife Management. Turning the pen-raised ones into privately owned pets is not only a depressing idea but a dangerous one. As Blankenship points out, it would allow deer farmers to bypass state hunting regulations and put their animals in small pens or fences, where 'they could be shot by individuals for a large fee paid to the breeder.' What's even scarier, though, at least for wild deer, is that the legislation would severely limit the ADCNR's ability to inspect and test for CWD and other diseases at high-fence breeding operations. By tying the state's hands this way, the bill's proponents seem to be purposefully ignoring the evidence at hand; several breeders have been linked to CWD outbreaks in other deer-farming states, and experts say the transfer of infected deer from captive herds remains a very real risk. Read Next: In the War Against CWD, Deer Breeders in Texas Are Being Cast as Both the Enemy and the Answer By preventing the ADCNR 'or any other agency of the state' from testing, euthanizing, or even restricting the transfer of farmed deer, HB 509 not only encourages deer breeders to go about their business without considering the implications of CWD. It shields them from the pesky regulations that could otherwise impact their profitability. Alabama's CWD regs increased in scope in 2022, when wildlife officials confirmed the state's first CWD case and implemented its strategic surveillance and response plan. This plan is similar to the ones that are underway in other CWD-positive states. It establishes high-risk CWD zones and buffer zones, and it requires hunters to submit any deer killed in those zones for postmortem testing. The plan limits the movement of deer carcasses and parts, and it prohibits the transfer of any deer (alive or dead) in counties that fall within the zones. It also prohibits baiting and supplemental feeding in those zones. From Blankenship's perspective, giving licensed breeders carte blanche to transfer their pet deer wherever they like, without any sort of testing, is the 'most concerning' piece of all this, as it would allow for the 'reckless transfer of diseased deer' all across the state. 'This is totally unacceptable,' Blankenship said.
