Question

[HOYT6.0]

Im currently deployed, but my Mom and Dad own acerage in Oregon.  I usually hunt it on LOP tags for Columbia Whitetail.  My parents emailed me and said they have a whitetail that is acting strange in one of there fields.  It walks in circles, lays down for a while,  gets up and will eat a little bit then lays back down.  They watched it do this for 2 days.  My dad when out on the 4wheeler and drove about 30 yards from it.  It got up, but didnt run off.   He ended up calling ODFW and a biologist came out and looked at him.  The biologist said it could be a Bot fly that crawled in his nose and laid eggs.  Now,  Ive been hunting for numerous years (20+) and have never heard of this.  I thought he might have had his bell rang by a bigger deer.  He is a pretty heavy 3x3 with eye guards (going off what my parents say).  Anyone heard of this?

[Bullkllr]

My brother shot a decent 3x3 blacktail. He mentioned it didn't seem overly alert when he shot it- like it was turning its head slowly from side to side like it was dizzy...
On closer examination the buck had a small wound just below the eye. He skinned it out and there was actually a puncture clear through the skull. His first thought was maybe a .22? There was no slug he could find. He used the point of another antler in the hole and it fit perfectly- so he figured it was from another buck-no way to prove it though.
I just want to know how I can run into some of these "dizzy bucks". I think my success rate would go up dramatically.

[boneaddict]

Whirling disease

[HOYT6.0]

My Dad got within 30 yards of it.  He couldnt see any thing wrong with its antlers or eyes. No blood either.  Just curious if any one has heard of this "fly" thing this biologist is talking about.  Ive seen elk get shot in the antlers during archery season do to bad shots.  It rings there bell pretty good, but within 30 seconds they are running again.

[boneaddict]

Yes, there are several parasites that can do that.   Naegleria fowleri is probably one of the worst and can be picked up by multipe species drinking from the water.   

[boneaddict]

I thought botts were more intestinal bugs, but I haven't studied them.  They lay eggs on horses all the time, but I was thinking the larvaw went for the stomache.

[HOYT6.0]

Boneaddict,

I was thinking along the same lines for the stomach thing.  I found it kind of strange a biologist would say that.  Anyway, thanks for the inputs.  Hopefully it will recover for next...

[Weatherbyfan]

Doing research with the wdfw a few years ago we did some test on elk alive and desceased and they both had what are called nasal bots , they do make them act funny , they will crawl out the end of the nose to drop and turn into adults , i havent seen it in deer but it could happen  it is transfored the same way an elk gets them . they come from water and or feed.

[KillerMiller]

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10370_12150_12220-26640--,00.html

Information on deer nose bots.

[HOYT6.0]

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10370_12150_12220-26640--,00.html

Information on deer nose bots.

Thanks for the link and info.  Learn something everyday...

[jacob321]

All very interesting stuff. Never would have thought about this. Thanks for all the info

Jacob