Frequently Asked Questions

Wildlife Diseases

Do warts hurt deer? Can you eat the meat?

Warts are usually harmless to deer, but in rare cases warts on the head may interfere with eating or vision. The growths may be covered with hairless skin, or they can have a rough surface. Deer warts, called cutaneous fibroma, are caused by a virus that is not transmissible to livestock. The meat is edible unless inspection shows an infection in the muscles.