Lice

[K333ROE]

Shot a buck which was of average weight, however it's coat was patchy and bare on the breast. I've never seen a roe so full of grass when gralloched, and he was still in velvet
If it is lice that has caused this skin condition, will chilling the carcas kill the lice ?

 

[Trapper]

Guess this time of year its PELAGE , winter to summer coat , scratty as hell but normal, unless the ticks n stuff are tap dancing at your feet !Then consider them for Britains got Talent ,.If so concerned about the skin whip it off and hang in muslin ,
Trapper.

 

[K333ROE]

No, no tap dancing, just badly rubbed, you could be right, I'll have a closer look after it's been chilled for a few days. They might be more approachable then ! Thanks anyway

 

[morena]

If you look very carefully at hairs from behind the ears,between the shoulder blades (withers) on the rump and groin you may see lice eggs attached to shafts of the hairs. Cold just makes the lice dopey and no blood, hungry as they are biting ones. The animal may be down in condition and therefore more susceptible to blood loss further worsening its condition. Equally it could be one that hasn't groomed itself and the burden of lice builds up. Damalinia tibialis lice are parthogenic ( they breed without a male ) so build up rapidly. Deer can live with a goodly number but critical number knocks them as spend a lot of time scratching less time eating and ruminating (cudding) Full rumen. Not full nourishment so still velvet. In the highlands some of the stag calves don't grow first antlers until they hit a certain body weight so are actually older than they appear.
In the States when they imported fallow, lice went with them and they had a lot of fatalities amongst their native deer population due to lice infestations.
morena

 

[Davie]

Nice write up Morena has started me itching like hell But i will say at this time of year some stalkers get a bit edgy about the condition of the coat and it can at times look like the roe have full blown mange when a few weeks on the deer will be in good condition. I hope its not lice i just cant abide creepy crawlies

 

[K333ROE]

Thanks for the feedback, and yes there was "parasitic infestation" in the usual areas on closer inspection.
Turned the chiller down low overnight before I skinned him.