HD is great for televisions, but not so much for white-tailed deer.
QUESTION: Last summer I got a trail cam picture of a doe with floppy ears. I’ve never seen this before. Any idea what’s wrong with this deer?
ANSWER: It’s difficult to say without more information, but there are a few things that suggest at least one possibility. Floppy or drooped ears is one sign of something called hemorrhagic disease (HD). Others include swollen tongue, eyelids, neck or head.
The deer pictured seems to display at least two of these. Another sign is loss of fear of humans or erratic behavior, which might also be the case here as the deer is walking around on a hot mid July day when it should be bedded down.
Having said that, the deer could be suffering from some other disease or injury. As the disease often occurs in outbreaks, it’s likely you would see other deer with similar symptoms, or find carcasses in the area.
Even if that is the case, you need not be overly concerned. HD occurs in two forms. One is fatal. Some deer survive the other and develop immunity, making the herd stronger. Another symptom is sloughing of the hooves, so you might find deer in the fall with damaged or misshapen hooves.
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