FWP officials suspect viral disease outbreak in NW, SE Montana deer

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials suspect a hemorrhagic disease is the culprit behind several dozen white-tailed deer deaths in northwest Montana, and the department is also following reports of localized outbreaks in deer and antelope in the southeast part of the state.

The department received reports of roughly two dozen dead deer near Eureka and a dozen near Plains. In a press release, FWP officials say that while lab testing has not yet confirmed the viral disease, the outbreak’s timing makes it suspect to one of two common types of hemorrhagic disease.

Both forms of the viral disease — epizootic hemorrhagic disease and blue tongue — are transmitted by biting midges. They primarily affect white-tailed deer, but mule deer and other species, including antelope, can be impact