COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has released a new township-level map tracking the spread of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) to help hunters and the public monitor localized deer losses across the state.
Updated weekly, the interactive map displays voluntary, suspect EHD reports within every 36-square-mile township-range block, while also identifying the 15 counties where the viral disease has been officially confirmed through laboratory testing.
Spread by biting midges, the virus causes fatal internal bleeding in white-tailed deer during late summer and early fall, with outbreaks typically subsiding once a hard frost kills off the insect vectors.
State wildlife officials say that while the localized die-offs can be highly unsettling and dramatically reduce immediate neighborhood herd numbers, overall impacts on the statewide deer population are expected to remain minimal.
Local data reveals that Branch and Hillsdale counties are among the areas hardest hit by the virus , while St. Joseph County remains notably absent from the laboratory-confirmed list.
Branch County was identified as one of the state’s initial virus hot spots when the first 2026 cases were detected in early September.
Meanwhile, data collected from August through mid-October highlights Hillsdale County as a major epicenter of the outbreak, racking up more than 100 reported deer fatalities alongside Jackson County.
Although EHD is fully confirmed via strict 16-hour carcass tissue testing windows in both Branch and Hillsdale counties, state biologists urge residents in St. Joseph and surrounding areas to continue logging any sightings of sick or deceased deer near water sources through the DNR Eyes in the Field online reporting system to ensure the map stays accurately updated
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