Mike Hanback’s blog posting on July 15, 2008 titled Knot-on-the-Jaw Doe features a photo that was sent in to the Quality Deer Management Association from a QDMA member in Wisconsin. The photo, captured with a game camera, clearly shows a doe with the entire side of her face swollen up. QDMA believed the doe may have had a case of arterial worms, which would prevent the doe from properly swallowing her food properly. This results in food building up under the tongue and in the cheek, causing what is known as a food impaction.
After checking with the Wisconsin DNR, they discovered that there had never been a reported case of arterial worms in Wisconsin. They found out the impaction could have been caused by a number of things, and though an impaction may look bad it is rarely fatal. Fortunately, recent game camera photos of the doe appear as if she is getting better.
Trail cameras are a great tool in monitoring the health of your deer herd. Without the aid of a game camera chances are that this would have gone totally unnoticed.
This photo was sent to Moultrie from Anthony in Tennessee. He said he had seen this deer twice during the summer and could tell something was wrong. Anthony noted, “Pictures speak a thousand words. The skin problem is cutaneous fibromas and yes this deer is still alive roaming the hills near my home. This picture was taken with a Moultrie D-40 game camera. This is one of the worst cases of cutaneous fibromas our regional biologist has ever seen.”
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