screw worm

the TEXAS ANIMAL HEALTHE COMMISON has been notified by the united states dept. of ag. of the confirmed presence of NEW WORLD screw worm in KEY deer from the national key deer refuge in BIG PINE KEY, FL. NEW WORLD screw worm affects all warm blooded animals including humans
Thomas Swafford
public info officer
Texas Animal Health Commmissioon
512 719 0743

I remember the screw worm epidemic back in the 50's. It devastated the deer herd in Texas and killed cattle by the tens of thousands.

People find it hard to believe but back in the 50's there were a lot of areas of Texas that had no deer due in part to the scew worms.
That's back when deer leases were dirt cheap and you could find a place to hunt pretty easily.
You can thank Dolph Briscoe for helping to bring an end to the screw worm and also for the high prices of deer leases and high fences and everything that came with it.
The 60's began the golden age of deer hunting in Texas.
Back then as a teen I had free range of a 1700 acre ranch and my brother and I would explore and find those empty cardboard boxes with the bullseye printed on them (sterile flies) and printing that described the screw worm eradication program.
They were everywhere in the hills around Bandera county.

Screwworm infected deer in gory condition

Hope they get a handle on it quick.

That's screwy.

Where's flounder when you need him??

People don't realize how bad it was. Lots of metroplex hunters on here that hunt shackelford and callahan county area have no idea the deer there were almost completely wiped out, only returning in the 60's, early 70's.