When it comes to diseases in wildlife, deer aren't usually the first animals that come to mind. Every one first considers rabies, and animals like raccoons or skunks. Deer are usually quite harmless when it comes to disease, and are a much bigger threat to your flowers or vegetable garden.
Even if it is not a huge problem, you should always know the latest news on deer borne diseases so that you are not putting your family at risk when there are wild deer on your property.
Deer and Lyme Disease
This is still the most common disease associated with deer, even though it's not actually the deer who carry it. It's the deer tick.
And while we are talking about deer ticks, there have recent discoveries of other diseases besides Lyme that ticks could be carrying. Encephalitis and a disease similar to malaria are also transmitted by deer tick, and they are showing up more often as the weather becomes warmer in many parts of North America. This is just more reason to keep your deer tick population down and to protect yourself when outside.
Wear long pants with socks, and long-sleeved shirts when spending time outdoors in the high grass or overhead brush. Your outdoor pets can be at risk for ticks as well, probably more than you are since they run around in the grass without any protection. Give them a thorough tick check after time spent outside.
KEEP DEER AWAY FROM YOUR HOME WITH DEER REPELLENT PACKS>
Deer and Chronic Wasting Disease
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is found in white-tailed deer, causing an overall decline in health, until inevitable death. Until 2016, it was only found in deer but more recently it is now seen in other species like mule deer, caribou and even moose. This latest news is troubling as it can impact larger populations of animals as it passes from species to species.
Not only is CWD now being found in more animals, it has also spread in its range. As recently as 2018, there was a large cull of animals in the Canadian province of Quebec to stop the spread of this disease. It had not been known in Canada before this.
It's not able to spread to humans, even if infected meat is eaten but officials are watching this closely since there are clearly changes going on with this mysterious deer borne disease.
Though the dangers to humans are still relatively minor with either of these scenarios, it can be a smart idea to reduce the risk even further by making an effort to keep deer away from your home and yard. As anyone who has had visiting deer knows, this isn't as easy as it seems. Deer will hop over a typical yard fence without a second thought, for one thing. Instead, try to use their sense of smell to your advantage and add a scented repellent that will give the impression that there is a predator (like a coyote) in the area. It is one of the most reliable way to keep deer away from your home.
