An expert with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources discusses a virus that’s becoming more prominent in deer.

According to Dallas County DNR Conservation Officer Dustin Eighmy, 93 Iowa counties are witnessing deer that suffer from either bluetongue or Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD). He says that the outbreak is the second largest within Iowa’s history as the central and northwest counties are the most severely affected. Eighmy summarizes that people should contact their DNR Conservation Officer when they spot a dead deer out hunting.

“It could have been hit by a car; ran off, got injured, died later on; it could be EHD; it could be that bluetongue; it could be merely the fact that it was poached; and we just want to investigate it.”

Eighmy reassures Dallas County residents that the conservation agency is aware of the disease impact and will respond appropriately with sustainable harvest regulations, which he notes, have seen some positive results in western Iowa.