leehop

I made a post about this but can't remember where so...... Do any of you bone out your deer without cutting bones or jounts? I just read a book on processing deer and they reccomend this procedure because of the WD threat.

timbercruiser

A lot of deer have been killed and consumed for a l-o-n-g time and as far as I know there has never been a confirmation of any person getting CWD by eating deer meat or processing their deer, or any other means..

Freezersfull

No cases in the Carolinas for CWD..As for boning..I always take mine out before processing..I have been finding small fatty tumors on deer here and have had to get rid of the meat behind tumor, usually on shoulders and hind quarters..I contacted wildlife biologist and he came to my home to investigate and he didnt see where it would be any problem with the meat..Always check your meat for possible signs of contamination and report it to your local biologist..Thats there job..
happy hunting in 07'

Wingbone

I bone out my deer. It's a pretty easy process once you get your system down. I cut up my entire deer using only a fillet knife. Also the meat fits in the freezer easier w/o bones.

gopherfan

I second timbercruiser's statement that it has never been transmitted to humans. The concern for CWD is that it is caused by the same type of protein fragment (prion) that causes mad cow (bovine spongeform encephalitis) and CJD (Crutzfeld-Jacobs Disease), a human version of mad cow. The infectious agent resides in the central nervous system (spinal cord and brain). Our group doesn't bone out the carcass but rather avoids splitting the deer down the spinal cord. Boning out the entire animal isn't a bad idea especially if there is high concern for CWD in your region but keep in mind that this recommendation is based on concern for a disease that has never been transmitted to man. Just my angle.

-your local biologist

timbercruiser

I still think that heads being transported home to taxidermy shops is going to be one of the main ways that CWD is spread. They cut the antlers off with a saw tearing out brain matter and in most taxidermy shops I have seen it isn't the cleanest place in the world. Lots of hunters in and out and that stuff is picked up on their boots.