MADISON, Wis. — Wildlife officials say the state is experiencing its largest outbreak on record of a deadly disease affecting white-tailed deer, with thousands of suspected cases reported across southeast Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) confirmed during an October 12 Deer Advisory Committee meeting that Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) has been detected in wild deer in Fond du Lac, Sheboygan, Washington and Waukesha counties.
- Dodge County: around 150
- Fond du Lac: less than 10
- Jefferson County: around 50
- Milwaukee County: around 35
- Ozaukee County: around 140
- Sheboygan County: around 20
- Washington County: just over 1,300
- Waukesha County: just over 600
DNR deer herd health specialist Erin Larson says the outbreak was first identified in late July, when several dead deer were discovered in the Richfield and Hubertus area of Washington County.
The disease is spread by small biting insects known as midges and can cause deer to die rapidly after becoming infected…