CWD issue

[Red Lion]

I read the article below in the newest issue of Field and Stream and was struck by how much I did not know about the spread of CWD, the issue of unethical and criminal owners of high-fence hunting operations being a major contributor to the spread, and the lack of collaboration between states and between states and the federal government in preventing/stopping. This political issue bothered me enough to post it here, as what some high-fenced operation owners can get away with and the possible 50% infection of wild herds of cervids down the road, makes me believe that the ball is being dropped.

http://fieldandstream.blogs.com/news/2007/05/special_feature.html

[Deleted User]

[Deleted by Admins]

[Red Lion]

Did you read the piece on Stanley Hall? Read like a real piece of crapolie to me.

[petasux]

Its my understanding the prions that cause CWD arent killed by high heat or extreme cold so Im not sure simply burning the carcasses would do any good.The prions are still there after the deer carcass is long gone.The safest way to dispose of them seems to be a tissue digester that is available through the USDA but is pretty spendy.

Seems pretty obvious to me that the states and federal govt need to get on the same page concerning this issue.Hard to believe the deer ranchers were able to override the state and US fish and wildlife Dpt as easily as getting these penned deer reclassified as livestock instead of wildlife and put under the jurisdiction of the USDA.The guy in the story was able to keep his contaminated deer alive for over 3 1/2 years simply by tying it up in court while the CWD could be spread to the public deer herd throughout that whole time.They shoulda been put down immediately.To make matters worse it looks like he got away with selling the bucks around the country and got paid a large sum of money from the govt in the process.Its nuts that such a small group of people can have such a large amount of sick deer and still manage to get away with it simply by burying the matter in political red tape[:'(]

[Champlain Islander]

I read the same article the other day and found it to be a good read and informative. There is probably no way to realistically stop it but banning all high fence operations and deer feeding would do a lot to slow the spread.Along with anti's it is certainly a factor that could severely limit our sport in the future.

[BenGarrett]

Good read. Nice, comprehensive report by Field & Stream. CWD is real, and it's coming to a hunting grounds near you. Those who bury their heads in the sand are simply ignoring the inevitable. I'm glad to see that (so far at least) no HNI members are joining the few hunters out there who insist that this isn't a threat.

In defense of game farms, it bears pointing out that when CWD was discovered in an enclosure in 1968, it was NOT a private game farm but a facility operated by the Colorado DNR. And because no one really knew how to classify CWD or handle it until 10 years later, it was DNRs who were responsible for its initial spread.

That said, of course, it is mind-boggling to me that game farms are able to transfer animals so easily, especially when it is almost impossible for state game agencies to transport cervids now. Earlier this year, Tennessee's elk reintroduction program, which is taking place almost literally in my back yard, was derailed by a USDA ruling that banned the state from importing elk from Elk Island National Park in Alberta, a herd that is certified disease-free. We reported on emails that turned up indicating that the USDA made its decision by bowing to pressure being applied by the private cervid industry in the U.S., who were threatening lawsuits against USDA. Yet, the Elk Island disease testing protocols are more rigorous than what the USDA requires for the interstate transport of cervids within the U.S. The cervid industry here at home is transporting these animals with fewer testing requirements than what are being carried out at Elk Island. So since the state DNR decides to go out of the country to bring in elk that they are sure beyond a reasonable doubt are disease-free, instead of going to game farms that are less-reliable, or worse yet going to free-roaming elk in Utah and other western states which are probably the least-reliable of all, they are punished by USDA. How absurd is that!? The bureaucracy of our nation amazes me sometimes.

What I fear about CWD is what the impact on the herd will be when it shows up in Tennessee. I'm not concerned about eating a deer infected with the disease. Lab tests revealed that mice could be infected with CWD, but only by injecting a high concentration of the prions directly into the brain; not by injecting the prions into the bloodstream or having the mice ingest them orally.

I think the old argument that CWD has been around forever and is just now turning up because states are just now beginning to test for it is probably being proved baseless. Tennessee and many other states have tested for several years now without finding any positives. I would be interested in knowing, however, whether West Virginia had tested prior to finding the disease, or if they found it early on in their testing. Anyone from WVA have any insight?

[falcon]

A 59 acre "hunting preserve" with over 100 fenced in deer-amazing.Why is it that"hunters" will pay money to "hunt" in such a place?Is itso theycan show off the horns and claim they killed in fair chase?

[Red Lion]

ORIGINAL: falcon

A 59 acre "hunting preserve" with over 100 fenced in deer-amazing.Why is it that"hunters" will pay money to "hunt" in such a place?Is itso theycan show off the horns and claim they killed in fair chase?

I was thinking along the same lines. In my opinionanyone that would pay $10,000 to shoot a buck on a 59 acre high-fenced "prserve" is not a hunter and not someone I wish to be affiliated with.

[Champlain Islander]

Now the high fencedebate is more than a moral issue concerning sportsmanship.Keeping and feeding cervids confined into an enclosed space can certainly promote CWD and many other diseases. All states need to be regulated and controlled when it comes to deer and elk captive herds. If one state doesn't have stringent rules, potentially infected animals could be spread all over the world by unscrupulous sellers. I encourage all our HNI brothers and sisters to read the article in the latest Field and Stream. It is one of the most informative articles that I have read on the subject.