Good News for Central NY
04-07-2005, 08:22 AM
#12
Typical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Pa.
Posts: 554
RE: Good News for Central NY
Massive NY hunt aims to stem deer illness
DEC move comes after chronic wasting disease found in captive herds
By MATT PACENZA, Staff writer
First published: Wednesday, April 6, 2005
ALBANY -- State environmental officials will begin killing 420 wild deer in Oneida County next week in an effort to limit the spread of chronic wasting disease. The disease has been found in two farm-raised deer there, one of which was unwittingly eaten at a recent firehouse benefit dinner.
State Department of Environmental Conservation personnel will shoot the wild deer to collect brain tissue, so the agency can determine whether chronic wasting disease has spread from captive deer to the wild herd. The hunt will last several weeks, said Gerald Barnhart, director of DEC's Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources Division.
"If we can effectively collect that many deer, we will be able to determine whether the disease is present with a high level of confidence," said Barnhart.
The state also revealed that the deer were raised in the town of Westmoreland, south of Rome. The first deer found with the disease was part of a captive herd owned by John Palmer; the second was owned by Martin Proper.
All the deer from those farms were killed Tuesday. Tests on them will be complete within two weeks.
Neither farm owner was available for comment.
Meat from Palmer's deer was served to up to 300 people at an annual benefit dinner for an Oneida County fire department, local officials said Tuesday. The venison from the six-year-old, white-tailed doe was prepared as steaks, burgers and stews at the Verona Fire Department's Sportsmen's Feast on March 13, about two weeks before testing on the animal was complete.
Health officials continue to say there is no known link between chronic wasting disease, an ailment that kills deer and elk, and human health problems.
Although the federal Centers for Disease Control suggests that there is a remote possibility that chronic wasting disease could migrate between species, officials in New York downplay that concern.
"This disease has been in the food chain for decades, but there have been known no cases among humans," state Department of Health spokesman William Van Slyke said Tuesday.
Officials are urging anyone who ate the venison at the Verona feast to call the state Health Department in order to give them accurate information, not because of any lingering health concerns.
About 20 who attended the banquet had called the Oneida County Health Department as of Tuesday morning, said spokesman Ken Fanelli. "We assure them there shouldn't be any undue alarm or apprehension about eating the diseased meat," Fanelli said.
Chronic wasting disease has been detected in wild and farm-raised deer and elk populations in 12 states.
Scientists don't know how the disease, a neurological ailment that is usually fatal, is transmitted among animals. Symptoms in deer and elk include weight loss, stumbling, tremors, lack of coordination and listlessness.
Officials are primarily concerned with protecting the health of deer in the wild. They're still trying to determine how the disease got to New York, but they already know it spread between the herds owned by Palmer and Proper. Proper had received deer from Palmer, according to state Department of Agriculture and Markets spokeswoman Jessica Chittenden.
Proper's deer died of an undetermined respiratory ailment on his farm last month, Chittenden said, before the news broke about chronic wasting disease. Proper contacted the state, which sent samples away for testing. This weekend, those test results came back positive for the wasting disease.
Deer on at least four other farms also had direct contact with deer from Palmer. Those animals are now quarantined. "They are all in captive herds that have adequate fencing and are contained separate from wild deer," said Chittenden.
To figure out if local wild deer have chronic wasting disease, next week's hunt will focus on an area of roughly 10 miles around the farms.
The hunt should not be viewed as a massive depopulation, said Barnhart; 420 deer would be roughly half the number killed in that area during last year's hunting season.
Nonetheless, the hunt is likely to invite criticism from animal rights groups, who have protested similar state hunts in Wisconsin and Colorado.
The DEC is reaching out to local landowners for permission to hunt on their land. Officials do not anticipate they will need anyone other than their own personnel during the hunt.
Matt Pacenza can be reached at 454-5533 or by e-mail at [email protected].
DEC move comes after chronic wasting disease found in captive herds
By MATT PACENZA, Staff writer
First published: Wednesday, April 6, 2005
ALBANY -- State environmental officials will begin killing 420 wild deer in Oneida County next week in an effort to limit the spread of chronic wasting disease. The disease has been found in two farm-raised deer there, one of which was unwittingly eaten at a recent firehouse benefit dinner.
State Department of Environmental Conservation personnel will shoot the wild deer to collect brain tissue, so the agency can determine whether chronic wasting disease has spread from captive deer to the wild herd. The hunt will last several weeks, said Gerald Barnhart, director of DEC's Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources Division.
"If we can effectively collect that many deer, we will be able to determine whether the disease is present with a high level of confidence," said Barnhart.
The state also revealed that the deer were raised in the town of Westmoreland, south of Rome. The first deer found with the disease was part of a captive herd owned by John Palmer; the second was owned by Martin Proper.
All the deer from those farms were killed Tuesday. Tests on them will be complete within two weeks.
Neither farm owner was available for comment.
Meat from Palmer's deer was served to up to 300 people at an annual benefit dinner for an Oneida County fire department, local officials said Tuesday. The venison from the six-year-old, white-tailed doe was prepared as steaks, burgers and stews at the Verona Fire Department's Sportsmen's Feast on March 13, about two weeks before testing on the animal was complete.
Health officials continue to say there is no known link between chronic wasting disease, an ailment that kills deer and elk, and human health problems.
Although the federal Centers for Disease Control suggests that there is a remote possibility that chronic wasting disease could migrate between species, officials in New York downplay that concern.
"This disease has been in the food chain for decades, but there have been known no cases among humans," state Department of Health spokesman William Van Slyke said Tuesday.
Officials are urging anyone who ate the venison at the Verona feast to call the state Health Department in order to give them accurate information, not because of any lingering health concerns.
About 20 who attended the banquet had called the Oneida County Health Department as of Tuesday morning, said spokesman Ken Fanelli. "We assure them there shouldn't be any undue alarm or apprehension about eating the diseased meat," Fanelli said.
Chronic wasting disease has been detected in wild and farm-raised deer and elk populations in 12 states.
Scientists don't know how the disease, a neurological ailment that is usually fatal, is transmitted among animals. Symptoms in deer and elk include weight loss, stumbling, tremors, lack of coordination and listlessness.
Officials are primarily concerned with protecting the health of deer in the wild. They're still trying to determine how the disease got to New York, but they already know it spread between the herds owned by Palmer and Proper. Proper had received deer from Palmer, according to state Department of Agriculture and Markets spokeswoman Jessica Chittenden.
Proper's deer died of an undetermined respiratory ailment on his farm last month, Chittenden said, before the news broke about chronic wasting disease. Proper contacted the state, which sent samples away for testing. This weekend, those test results came back positive for the wasting disease.
Deer on at least four other farms also had direct contact with deer from Palmer. Those animals are now quarantined. "They are all in captive herds that have adequate fencing and are contained separate from wild deer," said Chittenden.
To figure out if local wild deer have chronic wasting disease, next week's hunt will focus on an area of roughly 10 miles around the farms.
The hunt should not be viewed as a massive depopulation, said Barnhart; 420 deer would be roughly half the number killed in that area during last year's hunting season.
Nonetheless, the hunt is likely to invite criticism from animal rights groups, who have protested similar state hunts in Wisconsin and Colorado.
The DEC is reaching out to local landowners for permission to hunt on their land. Officials do not anticipate they will need anyone other than their own personnel during the hunt.
Matt Pacenza can be reached at 454-5533 or by e-mail at [email protected].
04-07-2005, 10:41 AM
#13
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Brockport, NY
Posts: 613
RE: Good News for Central NY
Basically, the ugly will be what the state does and how they choose to handle/mishandle this. They just released and printed John Palmers name last night, thats just plain sh*tty. We are getting a group together to represent us now. The definition of epidemia is well-defined. The CWD problem is not an epidemic, or it would be racing eastward. Colorado has had it since the 70s! Wisconsin easily controlled it once their government agencies stopped spreading it and blaming the deer farmers. We as farmers are actually the best controll group, for study and test that they have, yet they use us as the scapegoats. The LEAST of your worries is CWD, the problem is how they handle it, and the scare tactics used. Im very limited as to what I can say here, for obvious reasons. Those of you who know me and how to contact me might do so privately.
04-07-2005, 11:57 AM
#15
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Caledonia, NY
Posts: 773
RE: Good News for Central NY
ORIGINAL: Bill Yox
Basically, the ugly will be what the state does and how they choose to handle/mishandle this. They just released and printed John Palmers name last night, thats just plain sh*tty. We are getting a group together to represent us now. The definition of epidemia is well-defined. The CWD problem is not an epidemic, or it would be racing eastward. Colorado has had it since the 70s! Wisconsin easily controlled it once their government agencies stopped spreading it and blaming the deer farmers. We as farmers are actually the best controll group, for study and test that they have, yet they use us as the scapegoats. The LEAST of your worries is CWD, the problem is how they handle it, and the scare tactics used. Im very limited as to what I can say here, for obvious reasons. Those of you who know me and how to contact me might do so privately.
Basically, the ugly will be what the state does and how they choose to handle/mishandle this. They just released and printed John Palmers name last night, thats just plain sh*tty. We are getting a group together to represent us now. The definition of epidemia is well-defined. The CWD problem is not an epidemic, or it would be racing eastward. Colorado has had it since the 70s! Wisconsin easily controlled it once their government agencies stopped spreading it and blaming the deer farmers. We as farmers are actually the best controll group, for study and test that they have, yet they use us as the scapegoats. The LEAST of your worries is CWD, the problem is how they handle it, and the scare tactics used. Im very limited as to what I can say here, for obvious reasons. Those of you who know me and how to contact me might do so privately.
04-07-2005, 09:05 PM
#16
Typical Buck
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Stacy Basin, NY
Posts: 845
RE: Good News for Central NY
For the record, I know of atleast 5 people who were at that dinner, and Rome is 15 minutes from my house...
My sister is a DNR officer in Colorado and its interesting to see the type of work she does on these animals, but I dont love it enough to want it in my back yard!! [:'(]
My sister is a DNR officer in Colorado and its interesting to see the type of work she does on these animals, but I dont love it enough to want it in my back yard!! [:'(]
04-09-2005, 08:50 PM
#17
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location:
Posts: 135
RE: Good News for Central NY
Well its not unexpected but three more deer tested positive from the captive herds so far. Here is a link to a article in todays Buffalo News.
http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial...09/3028947.asp
I cann't wait until the first bozo claims that the auto insurance companies brought CWD infected deer from out west to help lower the deer populuation in NY. Therefore to reduce the number of car accidents.
http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial...09/3028947.asp
I cann't wait until the first bozo claims that the auto insurance companies brought CWD infected deer from out west to help lower the deer populuation in NY. Therefore to reduce the number of car accidents.
04-09-2005, 09:16 PM
#18
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Brockport, NY
Posts: 613
RE: Good News for Central NY
The latest three positives are from the same initial herd. Both herds were depopulated and tested, with no more positives from the second herd, and those three from the larger herd. I believe youll soon see that there was contamination at the first herd that infected the animals. No, the insurance companies sure had nothing to do with this and is not to blame, nor is captive deer herds. CWD just occurs, thats all. Do a search on Johnnes disease or EHD and wonder why we dont hear more about those wasting diseases. Captive herds are the most likely place to see these conditions, because the numbers are monitored so closely.
04-10-2005, 07:34 AM
#19
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location:
Posts: 135
RE: Good News for Central NY
Bill
I realize the insurance companies have nothing to do with this. I am just sure a though that some fool out there will jumped to that conclusion. Remember they brought mountain lions here to and there aren't even any mountian lions in NY.
I realize the insurance companies have nothing to do with this. I am just sure a though that some fool out there will jumped to that conclusion. Remember they brought mountain lions here to and there aren't even any mountian lions in NY.
04-10-2005, 02:43 PM
#20
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Brockport, NY
Posts: 613
RE: Good News for Central NY
RW, I realize that you were saying so tongue-in-cheek, but these days I still clarify for those who may not know how to read what you or me are posting, or who might take it literally. I feel with this subject we can never be too careful, hehe! I did appreciate what you were saying though, as I too hear all about the mountain lions, etc. Hey, people actually think that stuff!