Hemorrhagic disease is the deadliest disease threatening whitetail deer. Although there isn’t a cure, there are some things you can do on your land to lower the chances of the local herd contracting the disease. (Photo by Jason Yoder, Shutterstock)
July 31, 2025
By Dr. James C. Kroll
In an earlier edition of North American Whitetail (Spring 2024), I compared and contrasted the two most important diseases in white-tailed deer, Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) and Hemorrhagic Disease (HD). The column created quite a stir among hunters, landowners and the general public, since the majority of these folks were either uninformed or ill-informed about these diseases. Now, I’d like to go a step further in discussing HD, its history and efforts to combat this devastating disease.
HEMORRHAGIC DISEASE HISTORY
In 1955, several white-tailed deer were found dead adjacent to water in New Jersey; and at about the same time, also in Michigan and South...
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