12/06/2025
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These cracked deer hooves are a classic indicator that this deer survived EHD or bluetongue virus infection earlier this year. These hooves belong to a yearling doe harvested on November 29 by Jason Wisniewski in Cherokee County, Alabama, on the state line with Georgia. Jason said that other than the unusual hooves, the doe was normal and healthy.
When a deer suffers with hemorrhagic disease (EHD and bluetongue viruses) in late summer, hoof growth stops during the worst of the infection period. Deer that die of EHD usually do so within five to 10 days of infection. If they survive, hoof growth resumes, but there is now a growth gap that leads to the ends of the hooves eventually flaking off. EHD survivors may still have internal lesions and other health effects that can reduce the chances of winter survival in the most severe cases.
If you kill a deer with hooves that are cracking and flaking off like these, but the deer appears healthy other than the broken hooves, the venison is safe to eat (If you hunt in a CWD zone, submit all deer for CWD testing, which is a separate issue). But if you see additional signs of poor health or indicators of ongoing secondary infection, it’s probably best to discard the venison. Use your best judgement in every case.
2025 was an unusually bad year for hemorrhagic disease in deer. It’s likely many hunters will see hooves like these, especially in the South where deer populations have higher immunity levels and more deer survive infection.
