The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has a new tool for hunters, landowners and many others to use.

Conservation Officer Jeremy King says that last year, Guthrie County and many of the adjacent counties in the area were hit hard by epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD), or what’s more commonly referred to as blue tongue in whitetail deer. He continues that this disease becomes more prevalent in drier conditions, when creeks and rivers are lower and there is more standing water.

King mentions that this is because the creatures that cause it, biting midges, thrive in standing water. He shares that once a deer is infected, it passes directly from deer to deer, which can cause entire local herds to be affected. King tells Raccoon Valley Radio about a tool that the DNR created for keeping track of cases.

“The DNR created on their website a place for you to go and report suspected EHD deer, and that is going to be a great tool for people for a couple things. You can report EHD deer, and you can also view areas of how many deer have reported as far as suspect (for) EHD. Now, not all of them are tested, again, this is suspect deer.”

King mentions that Guthrie County had a particularly severe case of EHD around Springbrook in 2012. He adds that symptoms for EHD include lethargy, weakness and unresponsiveness, along with a high fever. King says that if people see a deer who exhibit these symptoms, and are in or around a water source, he recommends they use this EHD reporting tool to report the deer so that the DNR can keep track of local herds and their condition.