The stage is set for another blue tongue year

[PA BEN]

With it being hot and dry out the stage is set for another blue tongue year. I was mowing today, and the black gnats are the worst as I’ve ever seen them. It was so bad that I had to fan them out of my face with my hat while mowing. Out of the 24 years of mowing this place I have never had to do this. We lost over half maybe more of our deer herd in the last outbreak 3 years ago. (Chewelah Area) The City of Colville removed over 300 dead or dying deer that year. I removed 11 dead deer by my house and that fall jump we saw several dead deer floating in the Colville River. I hope I'm wrong, but I saw the one coming we had 3 years ago.       

[Karl Blanchard]

I fear the same but in my montana area. Big mule deer are hard to come by there but the whitetail are booming and I need a big one in my life😬

[boneaddict]

I'm afraid you are right.  The next two weeks will likely really drive it home.  The last couple days cooler temps and even a little rain was just a tease I am afraid

[GOcougsHunter]

I can confirm that the Whitetail population has not bounced back in Lincoln County.  Still mostly mule deer down by Lake Roosevelt, when it was almost all whitetails before a couple of years ago.  I am always unsure of what we can do to help mitigate it.  I don't want to temporarily fence off our watering holes on our property, but, if that is one of the blue tongue disease vectors... I would do it.

[headshot5]

Wasn't someone (on huntwa) testing out some tablets or something you throw in water holes/live stock troughs to disrupt the midges/knats lifecycle. 

I never did hear if it seemed to help.  If it did, I'd say stock up on them.
 

[andersonjk4]

Wasn't someone (on huntwa) testing out some tablets or something you throw in water holes/live stock troughs to disrupt the midges/knats lifecycle. 

I never did hear if it seemed to help.  If it did, I'd say stock up on them.

I believe the gnats reproduce in the mud around the outside of water holes.  So treating the water itself doesn't really affect them.  I'd be all ears if there was a way knock the little buggers back.  I own property with several natural ponds and the 2021 outbreak hit my property pretty hard.  I may end up placing a large stock tank and hauling water out to it to help prevent congregation at the ponds.

[huntnnw]

Then it’s every year. We rarely see rain or cool weather from mid July till September every single year

[hunter399]

Then it’s every year. We rarely see rain or cool weather from mid July till September every single year

I learned a few things from the last go around.

Don't want a massive outbreak like before,that was terrible.
With our predator pit,no antler point restriction, if bluetongue hits it
is what it is. Nothing we can really do. Except hunt areas that aren't effected.

I do have a 30 gallon water bucket that I fill with fresh water every few days. Basically for the town deer. I can't force them to drink it.
If they go down to a mud hole to drink , another is what it is.

[PA BEN]

Then it’s every year. We rarely see rain or cool weather from mid July till September every single year

It doesn't hit every year.

[nwwanderer]

The State owns the deer.  The State owns the water.  No?  Just ask them.  Is WDFW monitoring midge populations at water sources?  Have they developed metrics to predict an outbreak?  Many things can and should be done, do not hold your breath.

[Rutnbuxnbulls]

With it being hot and dry out the stage is set for another blue tongue year. I was mowing today, and the black gnats are the worst as I’ve ever seen them. It was so bad that I had to fan them out of my face with my hat while mowing. Out of the 24 years of mowing this place I have never had to do this. We lost over half maybe more of our deer herd in the last outbreak 3 years ago. (Chewelah Area) The City of Colville removed over 300 dead or dying deer that year. I removed 11 dead deer by my house and that fall jump we saw several dead deer floating in the Colville River. I hope I'm wrong, but I saw the one coming we had 3 years ago.       

I sure hope you are wrong.  It seems like this summers weather, although dry, isn't quite as hot as that last big outbreak.  Was it 2021?  Next week temps are supposed to cool down nicely so I'm optimistic we start trending into Fall weather.

[hunter399]

I have a water trough in the backyard.
Since the last outbreak. Is there any point to it,with the CWD that may take over. We will soon not be aloud to feed or water deer in this state.
So yes I hope it doesn't happen,at the same time hands are tied.
Currently washing hands of the whole deal.

[elkboy]

With it being hot and dry out the stage is set for another blue tongue year. I was mowing today, and the black gnats are the worst as I’ve ever seen them. It was so bad that I had to fan them out of my face with my hat while mowing. Out of the 24 years of mowing this place I have never had to do this. We lost over half maybe more of our deer herd in the last outbreak 3 years ago. (Chewelah Area) The City of Colville removed over 300 dead or dying deer that year. I removed 11 dead deer by my house and that fall jump we saw several dead deer floating in the Colville River. I hope I'm wrong, but I saw the one coming we had 3 years ago.       

I sure hope you are wrong.  It seems like this summers weather, although dry, isn't quite as hot as that last big outbreak.  Was it 2021?  Next week temps are supposed to cool down nicely so I'm optimistic we start trending into Fall weather.

Yes, it was 2021.  That was terrible for the whitetail herds in the inland Northwest.  Lost about 70% of the local population- at least that was the decline in the evening deer counts I would do fairly regularly.  I hope you're right, and that the weather starts the seasonal cooling.  I wonder if summer isn't sometimes as hard as winter on these critters.