Rare foot rot disease may be infecting Kansas deer population

An unusual type of contagious foot disease may be affecting Kansas’ deer population at a higher than average rate, and the cause isn’t yet known.  Tim Donges, president of the Quality Deer Management Association’s Bluestem branch, said reports of foot rot have been coming in at an alarming rate in recent weeks. As a result, the QDMA is working with the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism to get to the bottom of the issue.  “It is new to me this year and has always been said to be a rarity, but it does not appear to be rare this year in Kansas,” Donges said.  He said his land was among those that had apparently been hit by the disease. “I have 20 percent of the bucks that use my 200-acre farm as part of their home range that have shown signs of what appears to be foot rot,” Donges said. Shane Hesting, wildlife disease coordinator with the KDWPT, said he is working with a cooperative lab based in Georgia to try and figure out the cause of the high numbers of foot rot reports, and if it is indeed foot rot.