Illness in the Shawnee National Forest?

Joined
Jun 23, 2020
Messages
16
Location
Southern Illinois
I just wanted to post a PSA concerning illness within the deer herd. I'm from Pope County, but live outside of Marion, IL now. During this past turkey season and as recently as this past weekend I have found several dead heads around water. The crazy thing is, it isn't localized to one area. I've found them in Pope, Hardin, Johnson and Pulaski counties with the greatest concentration (5 within a 1/2 mile) along the Cache River outside of Karnak.

I notified the GW with coordinates and pictures of each one. I called him this morning to follow up and he said he's sent bio samples from each carcass in for testing, but that the initial prognosis is EHD. His reasoning is that the last few winters have been warm, the Springs have been wet and all the carcasses were found near water.

One note to make is that I found most of these while kayaking. I run cameras in the Shawnee year-round and access the majority of them via water. I hunt HARD using the same waterway access but I don't remember seeing any ill-looking deer during season. I'm no Biologist though.
 

STL

FNG
Joined
May 25, 2021
Messages
47
Interesting. I hunt mainly in Missouri but have buddies in southern Illinois who hunt Shawnee and are active out there pretty much year round. I’ll have to ask them if they’ve noticed anything lately.
 
Joined
Jan 19, 2020
Messages
413
Wow. My family has 80 acres at the edge of Pope and saline just south of Harrisburg we hunt every year. Hadn’t noticed that. Keep us updated.


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OP
R
Joined
Jun 23, 2020
Messages
16
Location
Southern Illinois
Wow. My family has 80 acres at the edge of Pope and saline just south of Harrisburg we hunt every year. Hadn’t noticed that. Keep us updated.


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I definitely will. My family farm is between Dixon Springs and Brownfield, but I've hunted all over Pope County my entire life. The deer I've found there this year have been along Lusk Creek between Golconda and the Iron Bridge on Eddyville Blacktop. I'm willing to bet if I followed the creek in the opposite direction I'd find more.
 
Joined
Jan 19, 2020
Messages
413
Gotcha. We are just north of there near Rudement. I’ll keep a look out. We live near St. Louis so only go down about a weekend a month but will keep an eye out.


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Rutjunkie

FNG
Joined
Dec 27, 2018
Messages
17
Location
wi
I guess i did not realize ehd could hit this early, i usually here about it more in late july and august
 

Vartz04

FNG
Joined
Sep 3, 2022
Messages
8
I know this is an old thread, but is this still going on? I'm considering trying a backpack hunt down there next fall.
 
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