Deer Deaths in Kinney County Being Investigated
Seven whitetail and axis deer have been found dead of an undetermined cause in Kinney County south of Brackettville over the last several days. Tissues samples were being collected Wednesday by a U.S. Department of Agriculture veterinarian for laboratory analysis. “At this point, we do not know what caused these mortalities, but we want to err on the side of caution and urge anyone who finds a dead deer or one showing clinical symptoms in Kinney County to contact a game warden, biologist, or the Texas Animal Health Commission,” says Texas Parks and Wildlife Big Game Program Specialist Ryan Schoeneberg. Anyone finding a dead deer should take these precautions:
- Do not touch or move the carcass
- Do not attempt to take a tissue sample
- Contact the Texas Animal Health Commission at 1-800-550-8242 or TPWD’s 24-hour number, 1-800-792- 4263. Once the discovery of a deer carcass has been reported, (if available) a veterinarian will be sent to collect a sample for laboratory analysis.
The animal will then be burned in place. “Since there are animal diseases that can be spread to humans, it is very important to play it safe if you encounter a dead deer in this area or anywhere else,” Schoeneberg added. Results of the lab tests will be announced when available.
