Reflecting back on CWD in Wisconsin
02-10-2007, 04:05 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: S.E. Wisconsin
Posts: 148
Reflecting back on CWD in Wisconsin
As the sun sets on the 2006 season, its hard for me not to reflect back to when this whole CWD mess started. I remember how all my out of state relation and friends flocked here to hunt in the marshes near my home. I remember shining huge bucks every night. Sometimes seeing as many as a dozen Boone & Crockett bucks in one night of shining & glassing the public lands around my home. I would pass buck after buck, waiting for that one special animal, one that I had seen all summer. I would just take a couple does for meat if the right buck never showed. It was not always that good. But it just kept getting better over the years, and those last few years before CWD were the best ever.
I remember the Wisconsin DNR announcing a plan to eradicate CWD. They said it had to be stopped. They showed us maps and explained that if we did not kill every deer within the area, CWD would rapidly expand and take the State over within 5 years. They said it may kill people if not contained. They said, If we don't stop this disease, non-residents will stop traveling here to hunt deer, residents will quit hunting for fear of diseased animals, the economy would crumble.
There were many of us who questioned this logic, after all CWD had been in Colorado for 30 years, and no one had ever gotten sick, the whole state did not get rapidly infected, and people still flocked there to enjoy hunting.
I started studying CWD and learned quickly that CWD cannot be eradicated in any way. Once its here, there is no way to remove it. It gets into the environment and remains there forever. I also learned that some animals that have survived in CWD areas have shown some sort of built up resistance to the disease, which also made me question the total eradication plan. I was not alone, many people were questioning the Wisconsin DNR's plan, including some leading wildlife professionals.
The DNR would not listen, lead by there chief Governor Jim Doyle, they marched forward with there war on whitetails. They killed 1000's of animals including fawns. They provided dumpsters to toss your unwanted catch into after the days hunt, a practice that was illegal before CWD. They refused listen to anybody who would disagree with them. And Doyle restructured the Managerial DNR positions with people who have no background with wildlife management (All had helped with his campaign funding before his election though) to replace the veterans who were in those positions.
Now, as I reflect back over the last 6 seasons, I see how the DNR was right about one of there claims. My out of state relation and friends no longer want to travel here to hunt, but it seems more cause of the lack of quality deer than fear of disease. Hunting residents have been quitting there hunting here due to the low numbers and poor quality just as they predicted too. But its the DNR's liberal limits, or actually no limits, that is ruining these peoples hunting, not CWD. Now, when I shine, I am lucky to see two dozen deer of any size in an entire night.
They did not control the disease or kill the number of deer they claimed they needed to to stop the spread, yet the mapped out destructive future they predicted never happened, just like in Colorado. No body died or even got the sniffles from eating CWD infected meat.
The DNR reminds me of a stubborn person that you can show the facts, but they just refuse to listen. How long will this War on Whitetails have to continue before they realize the damage they have done and are still doing to our great state.
I remember the Wisconsin DNR announcing a plan to eradicate CWD. They said it had to be stopped. They showed us maps and explained that if we did not kill every deer within the area, CWD would rapidly expand and take the State over within 5 years. They said it may kill people if not contained. They said, If we don't stop this disease, non-residents will stop traveling here to hunt deer, residents will quit hunting for fear of diseased animals, the economy would crumble.
There were many of us who questioned this logic, after all CWD had been in Colorado for 30 years, and no one had ever gotten sick, the whole state did not get rapidly infected, and people still flocked there to enjoy hunting.
I started studying CWD and learned quickly that CWD cannot be eradicated in any way. Once its here, there is no way to remove it. It gets into the environment and remains there forever. I also learned that some animals that have survived in CWD areas have shown some sort of built up resistance to the disease, which also made me question the total eradication plan. I was not alone, many people were questioning the Wisconsin DNR's plan, including some leading wildlife professionals.
The DNR would not listen, lead by there chief Governor Jim Doyle, they marched forward with there war on whitetails. They killed 1000's of animals including fawns. They provided dumpsters to toss your unwanted catch into after the days hunt, a practice that was illegal before CWD. They refused listen to anybody who would disagree with them. And Doyle restructured the Managerial DNR positions with people who have no background with wildlife management (All had helped with his campaign funding before his election though) to replace the veterans who were in those positions.
Now, as I reflect back over the last 6 seasons, I see how the DNR was right about one of there claims. My out of state relation and friends no longer want to travel here to hunt, but it seems more cause of the lack of quality deer than fear of disease. Hunting residents have been quitting there hunting here due to the low numbers and poor quality just as they predicted too. But its the DNR's liberal limits, or actually no limits, that is ruining these peoples hunting, not CWD. Now, when I shine, I am lucky to see two dozen deer of any size in an entire night.
They did not control the disease or kill the number of deer they claimed they needed to to stop the spread, yet the mapped out destructive future they predicted never happened, just like in Colorado. No body died or even got the sniffles from eating CWD infected meat.
The DNR reminds me of a stubborn person that you can show the facts, but they just refuse to listen. How long will this War on Whitetails have to continue before they realize the damage they have done and are still doing to our great state.
02-10-2007, 11:23 PM
#2
Bartender
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 6,634
RE: Reflecting back on CWD in Wisconsin
Well put bro
I have a email out to find out how long a unit stays a CWD unit. Back in 2003 Kenosha county found a deer with
CWD and has not found one since. So with all the testing going on in 77B and only 1 deer testing positive I am interested in seeing the reply? Will keep you posted.
I have a email out to find out how long a unit stays a CWD unit. Back in 2003 Kenosha county found a deer with
CWD and has not found one since. So with all the testing going on in 77B and only 1 deer testing positive I am interested in seeing the reply? Will keep you posted.
02-11-2007, 12:47 PM
#4
Bartender
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 6,634
RE: Reflecting back on CWD in Wisconsin
I need to state that kenosha county only 1 deer but the unit as a whole more. So I emailed again to see if the county will ever be dropped due to only 1 deer testing positive. My bad sorry
ORIGINAL: PEAKRUT
Well put bro
I have a email out to find out how long a unit stays a CWD unit. Back in 2003 Kenosha county found a deer with
CWD and has not found one since. So with all the testing going on in 77B and only 1 deer testing positive I am interested in seeing the reply? Will keep you posted.
Well put bro
I have a email out to find out how long a unit stays a CWD unit. Back in 2003 Kenosha county found a deer with
CWD and has not found one since. So with all the testing going on in 77B and only 1 deer testing positive I am interested in seeing the reply? Will keep you posted.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
idahoelkinstructor
Bowhunting
20
02-01-2006 01:35 PM
