Grandson came in yesterday afternoon and said we had a dead White Tail by my fishing pond. The pond is about 40yds south of the side of our house. One eyeball was gone and a little blood out the anus. No other sign of trauma. She looked healthy and couldn't have been there over a few hours. Any thing that I need to be concerned about? We had 6 out there this morning feeding.

Sounds like anthrax. Incubation period of about ten days, and death within hours. Healthy appearing carcass, and typically found near water. I would expect the missing eyeball was from a crow or similar. Lots of Caracara around now, too, and they will do that as well.

I don't know which part of TX you are in, but there are several counties out west that are known to have anthrax issues every year.

Be DARNED careful around that carcass. Humans are very susceptible. As a matter of fact, it might be worth a trip to the MD's office if you and your grandson have been very close to the carcass. Not trying to scare anyone, but human infection DOES occur, and it is a nasty bacterial infection.

Game warden was notified. Hopefully hear from him tomorrow.
Thanks

Visited with the State Biologist today. Deer was probably hit by car. Said they seek water when injured. He wasn't aware of any anthrax in any Texas deer. Said far west Texas and in the west part of the panhandle a few deer have been found with the wasting disease.

Eye was out? perhaps a gunshot wound or the birds got to it and the kill may have been a little older than you think..Id be looking for human footprints or sign of a poaching..Never heard of Anthrax in anything but cattle in Texas, but you never know..a skinning would tell it it was a car or Pickup hit..Skinning and gutting, checking heart and liver and lungs, is usually the best indication of what killed it..Lots of deer die every year by a number of reasons, and don't discount lightening strikes, especially near water. in which case the lungs, liver will have many black blood spots in them, Best I can tell at 2000 miles away..