2000 Hunters Advised to Take Precautions Against Rabies and Thoroughly Cook Game Rabies has affected a variety of wildlife in New York State, including a small number of deer. According to Steven D. Rose, Oswego County Commissioner of Human Services, most hunters will never see a rabid deer. Hunters and trappers are more likely to encounter a rabid raccoon, fox, skunk or woodchuck, and should be alert to this risk. No person in New York State or any other mid-Atlantic state affected by raccoon rabies has ever been known to contract the rabies virus as a result of hunting, field dressing, butchering a deer, or consuming the venison, said Commissioner Rose. Although the risk of encountering a rabid deer is low, there are things that hunters can to reduce their risk of rabies when hunting deer.
Rabies affects the part of the brain that controls behavior.
In the past, all deer that tested positive for rabies in New York State were reported to have been acting abnormally, or if found dead, showed physical signs of abnormal behavior. Don t touch any dead animal unless you killed it when it was acting normally. Don t tag an animal that you find dead, even if it looks as though another hunter killed it. Don t take road-killed deer. Rabid deer may be more likely to be struck by a vehicle.