CWD moving east?
04-20-2005, 02:24 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Maine
Posts: 3,555
CWD moving east?
5 NY deer tested positive for CWD last week
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...toryId=4586823
Has anyone else heard more of this story? I'm curious if this got more play in NY then in Maine and New Hampshire.
********************EDIT*****************
I failed to mention the deer that tested positive were captive animals on a deer farm.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...toryId=4586823
Has anyone else heard more of this story? I'm curious if this got more play in NY then in Maine and New Hampshire.
********************EDIT*****************
I failed to mention the deer that tested positive were captive animals on a deer farm.
04-20-2005, 08:52 PM
#2
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Brockport, NY
Posts: 613
RE: CWD moving east?
Nope, its not moving east. It was a case of contamination. Very isolated, its believed. I think the reason it got more play in NY state is thats where it occurred? So far testing of wild deer nearby have all come up negative. The best thing you can all do is check your local regulations, and dont bring deer from other states on the carcass, cape and process them before coming home. Good luck to you.
04-21-2005, 07:23 AM
#3
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Southern PA USA
Posts: 83
RE: CWD moving east?
Yep. Heard about it here in PA.
Appears NY found it quickly and was able to isolate it due to their mandatory testing of all herds that ship susceptible animals offsite.
Bad news in PA is that if a similar occurance happens, it may easily get spread wide and far before we even know it's here.
Only 251 of our captive/farmed herds are in our voluntary monitoring program. About 750 other herds have no mandatory testing requirement even on sick or culled animals and they can legally ship those susceptible animals anywhere in the state.
Appears NY found it quickly and was able to isolate it due to their mandatory testing of all herds that ship susceptible animals offsite.
Bad news in PA is that if a similar occurance happens, it may easily get spread wide and far before we even know it's here.
Only 251 of our captive/farmed herds are in our voluntary monitoring program. About 750 other herds have no mandatory testing requirement even on sick or culled animals and they can legally ship those susceptible animals anywhere in the state.
04-21-2005, 09:33 AM
#5
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Southern PA USA
Posts: 83
RE: CWD moving east?
Let's not blame it all on those with captive/farmed herds. There's plenty of blame to go around. An outbreak could come from susceptible animals legally imported before the ban, from a carcass brought back by a hunter because the PGC hasn't enacted legislation like some other states requiring the skeleton and brains and potentially infective organs must be left in the state where susceptible animals were shot, or it could even walk across our borders and not much more we can do about that except continue monitoring. Let's share even more of the blame with fellow hunters (shooters if you prefer) who are willing to pay outrageous prices for a huge set of horns, possibly tempting those who supply them to ignore our importation rules.
I can't hardly place any blame on those who act in a legal manner, but if I had to place some blame for leaving us wide open for potentially distributing CWD both far and wide before it was even found, I'd have to point my finger at the PA Dept. of Agriculture for not requiring mandatory testing of all herds that ship animals off site and at a minimum, sick animals at those that dont. I'd have to point to the PGC for not pressing the issue, and both our Gov. and legislature who oversees them both. I think it's them folks we need to be asking WHY DON'T WE TOO HAVE MANDATORY CWD TESTING to provide early detection and minimal spread across our state. Why aren't we willing to pay for that insurance?
And while we're at it, pointing fingers. Don't seem to recall any of our major statewide sportsmen's clubs picking up the mandatory testing banner either.
I can't hardly place any blame on those who act in a legal manner, but if I had to place some blame for leaving us wide open for potentially distributing CWD both far and wide before it was even found, I'd have to point my finger at the PA Dept. of Agriculture for not requiring mandatory testing of all herds that ship animals off site and at a minimum, sick animals at those that dont. I'd have to point to the PGC for not pressing the issue, and both our Gov. and legislature who oversees them both. I think it's them folks we need to be asking WHY DON'T WE TOO HAVE MANDATORY CWD TESTING to provide early detection and minimal spread across our state. Why aren't we willing to pay for that insurance?
And while we're at it, pointing fingers. Don't seem to recall any of our major statewide sportsmen's clubs picking up the mandatory testing banner either.
04-21-2005, 08:46 PM
#6
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Brockport, NY
Posts: 613
RE: CWD moving east?
TinPA3 - I take exception to your comments. Do you have any idea how many thousands of dollars its cost me to raise deer legally, to comply with the states mandatory testing, to keep detailed records of all movement, propagation, and medical history, to build a handling facility, to double tag all deer yearly, to cull animals for CWD monitoring/testing (which, is a post mortem test) etc? Do you realize that my total income is based on deer, as a farmer and taxidermist? I have more riding on these animals than you do. So please, I for one would prefer to see less of those kind of uneducated comments about my industry. Its funny, but do any of you realize that without our captive deer, youd have no test, no records, no way of following a trail to its source? You wouldnt know there was CWD in your state until it was already active in your wild herd, and that would be too late.
I realize that you guys wouldnt know this, but heres a fact. CWD was introduced in some states by state agencies carelessness during wasting disease studies. Ask folks around the test sites near Mt Horeb Wisconsin, and see what they have to say! Wyoming has had CWD for decades, yet they have NO captive deer herds there! Also, I wonder if all the folks out there who wish to condemn guys like me who raise deer are willing to throw out all their deer calenders, posters, books, decals, logos, art work, urine, grunt tubes, hunt magazines and hunt videos? Those are largely photographed in our deer enclosures. Most of the deer you see, especially the big ones, have ear tags that are pixeled out for printing. I know first hand, and I know the names too.
So please, dont be so quick to point fingers. Theres way more to this than you realize. Trust me, most of us are the good guys, we cant afford to have the deer herd sick.
I realize that you guys wouldnt know this, but heres a fact. CWD was introduced in some states by state agencies carelessness during wasting disease studies. Ask folks around the test sites near Mt Horeb Wisconsin, and see what they have to say! Wyoming has had CWD for decades, yet they have NO captive deer herds there! Also, I wonder if all the folks out there who wish to condemn guys like me who raise deer are willing to throw out all their deer calenders, posters, books, decals, logos, art work, urine, grunt tubes, hunt magazines and hunt videos? Those are largely photographed in our deer enclosures. Most of the deer you see, especially the big ones, have ear tags that are pixeled out for printing. I know first hand, and I know the names too.
So please, dont be so quick to point fingers. Theres way more to this than you realize. Trust me, most of us are the good guys, we cant afford to have the deer herd sick.
04-22-2005, 06:59 AM
#7
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Southern PA USA
Posts: 83
RE: CWD moving east?
Yes Bill, in NY that's the case and NY farmers of CWD susceptible animals should be congratulated but I don't think T in Pa is all wrong in blaming your industry, at least not here in PA.
Here in PA, farmers of CWD susceptible animals appear to be giving your industry a black eye and have a competitive advantage over you because we lack a similar mandatory CWD testing program for facilities that ship animals around the state.
The outbreak in NY appears to have been caught quickly and confined to a minimal area because of your program.
A similar outbreak here in PA could easily spread CWD far and wide within our borders before it was even found, and T in PA is partially right in blaming cervid farmers here in PA for not supporting that mandatory testing insurance program that would minimize that spread. If PA's cervid farmers supported such a program, I think there's little doubt it would be in place.
In PA, we have 750 CWD susceptible herds that have no mandatory CWD testing requirements. None. They can legally ship those susceptible animals from untested herds anyplace in the state and I understand that our PGC is getting about 1 new permit application each and every week.
Play out the scenario Bill. A similar outbreak in PA as you've seen in NY, from whatever source, would likely be spread far and wide before it was even diagnosed here in PA, likely become almost endemic in our statewide wild deer population, before it was even diagnosed. How long would it be before it walked across your border and increased your costs?
Here in PA, farmers of CWD susceptible animals appear to be giving your industry a black eye and have a competitive advantage over you because we lack a similar mandatory CWD testing program for facilities that ship animals around the state.
The outbreak in NY appears to have been caught quickly and confined to a minimal area because of your program.
A similar outbreak here in PA could easily spread CWD far and wide within our borders before it was even found, and T in PA is partially right in blaming cervid farmers here in PA for not supporting that mandatory testing insurance program that would minimize that spread. If PA's cervid farmers supported such a program, I think there's little doubt it would be in place.
In PA, we have 750 CWD susceptible herds that have no mandatory CWD testing requirements. None. They can legally ship those susceptible animals from untested herds anyplace in the state and I understand that our PGC is getting about 1 new permit application each and every week.
Play out the scenario Bill. A similar outbreak in PA as you've seen in NY, from whatever source, would likely be spread far and wide before it was even diagnosed here in PA, likely become almost endemic in our statewide wild deer population, before it was even diagnosed. How long would it be before it walked across your border and increased your costs?
04-22-2005, 09:18 AM
#9
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 19,137
RE: CWD moving east?
Do you have any idea how many thousands of dollars its cost me to raise deer legally, to comply with the states mandatory testing, to keep detailed records of all movement, propagation, and medical history, to build a handling facility, to double tag all deer yearly, to cull animals for CWD monitoring/testing (which, is a post mortem test) etc? Do you realize that my total income is based on deer, as a farmer and taxidermist
04-22-2005, 09:22 AM
#10
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 19,137
RE: CWD moving east?
Its funny, but do any of you realize that without our captive deer, youd have no test, no records, no way of following a trail to its source? You wouldnt know there was CWD in your state until it was already active in your wild herd, and that would be too late.
No I'm not up on how this diesese is transmitted etc.
Believe me I will be educating myself since we have it here now.