More CWD discovered in PA
05-16-2016, 12:04 PM
#1
Boone & Crockett
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: south eastern PA
Posts: 15,436
More CWD discovered in PA
PGC NEWS LETTER
05/11/2016
TWELVE MORE CASES OF CWD IN PENNSYLVANIA: STATE GEARS UP FOR ADDITIONAL CONTROL MEASURES
HARRISBURG, PA - The Pennsylvania Game Commission during 2015 found 12 additional white-tailed deer infected with chronic wasting disease (CWD) – all in Disease Management Area 2 (DMA 2), located in southcentral Pennsylvania.
DMA 2 is the only area of the state where CWD has been detected in free-ranging deer.
The latest cases bring to 22 the total number of free-ranging deer found with CWD within DMA 2 since 2012. This is the highest number of cases to be found in a single year, and more than doubles the total number of CWD-positive deer found in the wild in Pennsylvania.
These new cases have resulted in changes to DMA 2’s boundaries, increasing the size of the DMA by more than 437 square miles. A map showing the latest expansion to DMA 2 has been posted online and will be included in the 2016-17 Pennsylvania Hunting & Trapping Digest that’s issued to hunters at the time the buy their licenses. However, hunters are reminded that future CWD cases could further impact DMA 2’s boundary, and the most up-to-date maps always can be found at the Game Commission’s website.
Special rules regarding the hunting, transport and feeding of wild deer apply within all DMAs, and are detailed in full online.
One of the new cases was found in a deer harvested by a hunter. It serves as an example of why hunters need to be taking the DMA restrictions seriously. The hunter in the case transported a buck that later tested positive for CWD from DMA 2 to a deer processor far outside of the DMA, and the high-risk parts went to a rendering plant.
Transporting a deer out of the DMA is illegal. By leaving behind those parts with the highest-risk of transmitting CWD to other deer, hunters limit the chances the disease will spread to new areas of the state. The hunter in this case, which has been adjudicated, also failed to report the deer as required by law.
Hunters need to be taking CWD seriously. To do otherwise, risks spreading the disease to deer and elk in other parts of Pennsylvania. In the early stages of infection, CWD tends to spread and increase very slowly in wild deer populations. This might cause hunters to have a false sense of security, and take the presence of the disease lightly.
05/11/2016
TWELVE MORE CASES OF CWD IN PENNSYLVANIA: STATE GEARS UP FOR ADDITIONAL CONTROL MEASURES
HARRISBURG, PA - The Pennsylvania Game Commission during 2015 found 12 additional white-tailed deer infected with chronic wasting disease (CWD) – all in Disease Management Area 2 (DMA 2), located in southcentral Pennsylvania.
DMA 2 is the only area of the state where CWD has been detected in free-ranging deer.
The latest cases bring to 22 the total number of free-ranging deer found with CWD within DMA 2 since 2012. This is the highest number of cases to be found in a single year, and more than doubles the total number of CWD-positive deer found in the wild in Pennsylvania.
These new cases have resulted in changes to DMA 2’s boundaries, increasing the size of the DMA by more than 437 square miles. A map showing the latest expansion to DMA 2 has been posted online and will be included in the 2016-17 Pennsylvania Hunting & Trapping Digest that’s issued to hunters at the time the buy their licenses. However, hunters are reminded that future CWD cases could further impact DMA 2’s boundary, and the most up-to-date maps always can be found at the Game Commission’s website.
Special rules regarding the hunting, transport and feeding of wild deer apply within all DMAs, and are detailed in full online.
One of the new cases was found in a deer harvested by a hunter. It serves as an example of why hunters need to be taking the DMA restrictions seriously. The hunter in the case transported a buck that later tested positive for CWD from DMA 2 to a deer processor far outside of the DMA, and the high-risk parts went to a rendering plant.
Transporting a deer out of the DMA is illegal. By leaving behind those parts with the highest-risk of transmitting CWD to other deer, hunters limit the chances the disease will spread to new areas of the state. The hunter in this case, which has been adjudicated, also failed to report the deer as required by law.
Hunters need to be taking CWD seriously. To do otherwise, risks spreading the disease to deer and elk in other parts of Pennsylvania. In the early stages of infection, CWD tends to spread and increase very slowly in wild deer populations. This might cause hunters to have a false sense of security, and take the presence of the disease lightly.
05-16-2016, 01:18 PM
#2
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: On an Island in Vermont
Posts: 22,605
I believe it all started from a game farm several years ago. Sad that any state still allows them to remain in existence. Once it shows up it won't go away and the financial costs of containment and future testing can bankrupt a F&W Department.
05-16-2016, 01:32 PM
#3
Boone & Crockett
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: south eastern PA
Posts: 15,436
We should have gotten rid of captive cervid breeders years and years ago. Unfortunately, they are considered deer farming and are now under the dept of Agriculture instead of our game agency and our department of ag would rather hide a violation than enforce laws and regulations. The cervid breeders lobbied to have the PGC removed from being the authority over them because the PGC had and enforced strict regulations regarding moving deer around the state and in and out of the state for breeding purposes. The legislature acquiesced and gave the responsibility to Agriculture. We knew it would just be a matter of time after that until it appeared in our wild herd. At one time CWD was confined to being west of the Mississippi, thanks to captive breeders moving deer around for the lucrative purposes of breeding, it is now east of the Mississippi.
05-16-2016, 03:18 PM
#4
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: On an Island in Vermont
Posts: 22,605
It is in so many states now it really is only a matter of time. Like you said too many states turned a blind eye to the root cause of the epidemic. Here in Vt the keeping of cervids have been outlawed and so is feeding the wild deer herd. It showed up in NY state a few years ago and now spread even more in PA both states are fairly close to VT.
05-16-2016, 03:58 PM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: VA.
Posts: 1,415
VA. update is that 3 new cases have been found during the past season. 2 were hunter kills and the third was vehicle killed. These were found 2 miles from the WV border, so it doesn't currently appear to be spreading. VA. only has 13 reported cases total. I'm really sorry to hear about PA., especially having 12 in one year. It's only a question about how many other deer those 12 impacted.
05-16-2016, 04:42 PM
#6
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: On an Island in Vermont
Posts: 22,605
It is a bad deal all around when it shows. I think they normally try to isolate the spread by killing all the deer in the hot zone which cost lots of money. Then you have to factor in the reoccurring testing of both hunter killed and vehicle killed deer. I don't think there are many labs equipped and it requires brain tissue so that cost would be pretty high. Then lack of license sales with hunters who don't want to chance eating an infected deer and the the fallout is substantial.
05-16-2016, 06:03 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: VA.
Posts: 1,415
@ CI,
Per the VA. article, my state had 1,500 deer tested last season. The labs are minimal considering the#of animals to be tested throughout the U.S., many. That's a lot of money just for VA. All other game dept. needs don't go away just because of 1 issue. Expense must be mind boggling.
Per the VA. article, my state had 1,500 deer tested last season. The labs are minimal considering the#of animals to be tested throughout the U.S., many. That's a lot of money just for VA. All other game dept. needs don't go away just because of 1 issue. Expense must be mind boggling.
Last edited by Game Stalker; 05-24-2016 at 05:53 PM.
05-16-2016, 08:32 PM
#9
Super Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Trumbull County, Ohio
Posts: 9,520
It's unfortunate... and, as I'm sure you know firsthand OT, many PA hunters will do exactly what the hunter in the article did. Move the deer, never report it, have it cut up at a processor or in their own garage. These farms should have been shut down long ago, too late now.
-Jake
-Jake
05-17-2016, 02:24 AM
#10
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: On an Island in Vermont
Posts: 22,605
Many years ago there were a series of threads on HNI against canned hunting facilities. The place that brought it all out was in northern NY state. The facts remain that having any kind of captive deer or elk farms add to the chance of CWD to show up. In many cases the disease spreads from that facility into the wild animals. Once it appears it never leaves since the prions that carry it remain in and on the soil and are possibly re-transmitted. The business of canned hunting must have a large lobby since there are still many states that allow that kind of business which stands to degrade the hunting opportunities for the general public. Canned hunting had a dual edge which is the chance of promoting CWD in addition to the ethical argument as something detrimental to the pursuit of wild game in fair chase. In addition, canned hunting facilities are often the source of wild hogs getting into the wild. Once out there they can't be eliminated. There is nothing good about canned hunting operations other than the selfish business opportunities it gives the owners.