Lice

gmorrice96

Well-Known Member
hi folks,

had a wee look about and didn't see much so thought I would ask.

Do lice on a deer have any effect on the carcase? is there any doo`s and don'ts? had one this morning and noticed when I got it home some lice around the groin area.

cheers

Greg
 
I assume that you mean what we call Keds like this one...........

Hippoboscid2-XL.jpg


At certain times of the year and in certain places there can become infestations,and to be honest it must have some sort of affect on the well being of the animal they are on,but it isn't easy to see as I have dealt with plenty of Deer as I am sure others have that have been riddled with these horrible little things and the Deer have been in good nick.I as others must do as well get them on myself from time to time and they just seem to move around the body being a tickly nuisance,but I have not been aware of any bites from them,unlike the dreaded Ticks.Only advice I can give is keep an Eagle eye out for them while you are skinning etc,always roll your sleeves up and keep checking your fore-arms.........oh,and good luck.

Martin
 
thanks for the reply martin but what I seen was much smaller. see attached photo

lice.JPG

what do you think? I take it they are of no determent to the beast.
 
Just out of interest, has anyone ever been bitten by a ked?
Whilst up north I've been covered in them but never seemed to be bitten?
I wonder of they only bite during a specific period of their life cycle.
 
Never been bitten by a ked, and all things insect seem to find me tasty

Just out of interest, has anyone ever been bitten by a ked?
Whilst up north I've been covered in them but never seemed to be bitten?
I wonder of they only bite during a specific period of their life cycle.
 
I assume that you mean what we call Keds like this one...........

Hippoboscid2-XL.jpg


At certain times of the year and in certain places there can become infestations,and to be honest it must have some sort of affect on the well being of the animal they are on,but it isn't easy to see as I have dealt with plenty of Deer as I am sure others have that have been riddled with these horrible little things and the Deer have been in good nick.I as others must do as well get them on myself from time to time and they just seem to move around the body being a tickly nuisance,but I have not been aware of any bites from them,unlike the dreaded Ticks.Only advice I can give is keep an Eagle eye out for them while you are skinning etc,always roll your sleeves up and keep checking your fore-arms.........oh,and good luck.

Martin

Many years ago I shot a red stag in Ross-shire . It was infested with these keds by the thousands.
I have never seen it again.

Does anybody know why a beast should have so many ?
 
Annoying when you get one crawling in your hair.
They can bite but you dont feel it at the time.
They really need the warmth of thick deer hair on their normal host .
the "nits" are the smaller larvae stuck to the hairs.

ticks and keds are occupational hazards for stalkers,
especially if you carry out New Zealand style,
over your shoulder round your neck.
 
Do lice on a deer have any effect on the carcase? is there any doo`s and don'ts? had one this morning and noticed when I got it home some lice around the groin area.

As a general rule, lice only occur in large numbers if an animal is already under some stress. The sucking lice can exacerbate any debility but rarely the biting lice - the ones you've probably seen. So while the lice won't cause any damage, it is always worth a more vigilant check on the carcass if there are large numbers of lice present
Keds and Lice are different (the ked is a wingless fly) and it can bite!
 
Mmm. Never come across these lice and seen 100s of dead deer. Just btw keds don't bite. They eat dead skin. So presumably stalkers suffer less from dandruff than average....
d
 
Hi

Lice are not that common on roe deer in my experience. |See more parasites in reds. If the numbers are low then probablyof no importance. However if they are in large numbers and there are skin and coat changes and perhaps some weight loss then may be a sign of more serious illhealth. Normally lice do not affect the carcase. I assume the gralloch asnd red pluck looked ok?? Jimmy ( the vet)
 
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