Oldtimr

Source, the PA Game Commission


ADDITIONAL CWD CASES DETECTED IN PENNSYLVANIA WILD DEER

HARRISBURG, PA - The Pennsylvania Game Commission tested 5,707 deer and 110 elk for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) during 2016.

Twenty-five wild deer tested positive for CWD. All of the wild CWD-positive deer were in or near Disease Management Area 2 (DMA 2), the only area of the state where CWD has been detected in the wild. These 25 deer more than doubled the number of CWD-positive deer detected in DMA 2 from 2012 to 2015.

Through 2016, 47 wild deer have tested positive for CWD in DMA 2.

Each year, the Game Commission collects CWD samples from hunter-harvested animals, road-kills, escaped captive cervids, and any cervid showing signs of CWD.

Since 2002, the Game Commission has tested over 61,000 deer for CWD. Although samples are collected from across the state, efforts were increased within the three Disease Management Areas (DMAs), which are areas in the state where CWD has been identified in wild and/or captive deer. These include: DMA 1 in parts of Adams and York counties in which CWD was identified on a captive deer farm in 2012; DMA 2 in parts of Bedford, Blair, Somerset, Fulton, Cambria, and Huntingdon counties where CWD has been identified in multiple wild deer since 2012 and recently on three captive deer facilities; and DMA 3 in Jefferson and Clearfield counties where CWD was detected on two captive deer facilities in 2014.

The 25 new CWD-positive wild deer were part of 1,652 deer samples collected within DMA 2 during 2016. CWD-positive deer included 13 road-killed deer, 10 hunter-harvested deer, and two deer showing signs consistent with CWD.

No CWD positive wild deer were detected in DMA 1, DMA 3, or the remainder of the state in 2016 or in any previous year.

During late 2016 and early 2017, CWD also was identified on three captive deer farms in the southcentral part of the state in Bedford, Fulton, and Franklin counties. These are the first detections of CWD-positive captive deer within DMA 2. Additional information on these recent positives in captive cervids and the CWD surveillance and response program in captive deer can be found through the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

As a result of new detections in wild deer and cervid captive facilities, DMA 2 boundaries will be expanded, though the changes are not yet final. The eastward expansion will include the area around the captive facility in Franklin County where a CWD-positive deer was detected.

Within DMAs, special regulations are in place to reduce the risk of CWD spreading to other areas. These regulations include restrictions on transporting deer carcasses, feeding deer, and use of urine-based deer lures.

CWD not only is a threat to Pennsylvania’s deer, but also the elk herd; however, no positives have been detected in our elk herd to date. During 2016, 110 wild elk were tested for CWD, including hunter-harvested animals and elk exhibiting clinical signs consistent with CWD.

MEDIA CONTACT: Travis Lau - 717-705-6541

Champlain Islander

I know CWD is inevitable for Vermont since it has already appeared in more than a few states east of the Mississippi. Vermont has proactively eliminated supplemental feeding deer, using deer based scents, importing whole dead deer carcasses from infected states and banned all captive whitetail deer farms as a hedge against some of the way the disease can move from state to state. I hope these measures at least delays the onslaught of this horrible disease. Since the spread of the disease has occurred in many states at or around captive deer facilities I can't imagine why they aren't banned in all states. If and when it does appear in Vermont it will bankrupt our Fish and Wildlife Department. I am so sorry it showed up in such a beautiful state as Pennsylvania. Good luck.

Oldtimr

I wish our Commission had the courage to ban the use of deer urine and deer farms, however our Dept of Ag has way too much clout in the legislature and the commission is not up for the fight. Deer farming was taken from the PGC and given to dept of Ag specifically because the PGC had strict rules governing deer farms and the movement of deer. Sadly, the last time I recieved any figures, PA leads the country in the number of deer farms.

Champlain Islander

They did that here too taking it away from the F&W and sent to the AG Dept as an effort to stop the ban. Fortunately the forward thinkers ended up banning new ones and then over time closed the remaining 2 we had in operation. The captive hunting facilities other big negative impact are pigs. Many of then supplement the deer/ elk hunting with exotics and Russian Boars which always get out and then are impossible to eliminate. I understand there are still a few wild pigs in both neighboring NY state and New Hampshire. I hope they stay right where they are.

Oldtimr

Yeah, we have some wild pigs here now. Of course those who where they are keep it on the QT because they want to keep their hog hunting for themselves. The Fish and Wildlife service's arm, wildlife services trapped them for years in PA. but they continued to exist.

olsaltydog

Alot of states that do deer farms had the deer removed from the Commissions overseeing wildlife and giving to the agriculture department. It was a smart move for the deer farmers but still not good for the states that have done this. I honestly never understood it personally, we have seen time and time again that when we force animals to live in close proximity to each other (cattle, deer, pigs, chickens) in a unnatural way, issues with disease, viruses have tended to rear their ugly heads.

olsaltydog

I have heard the same thing around here, there have been guys bringing in pigs and releasing them or buying stock ones and releasing them. I truly don't get why they would do it but seems it has been a big issue for many areas. Heard one state has placed a ban on hog hunting in the hopes that it would deter individuals from introducing hogs in this way. Right now they have none.

Oldtimr

Perhaps our Game Commission should tell the Dept of Ag, either they pass regulations to shut down deer farms or the commission will allow wild hogs to be stocked. If they ever saw what a couple of hogs can do to a field in one night they just may take the bait.

TN Lone Wolf

That would be my home state. It's been six or seven years since the TWRA has overhauled the wild hog regulations. I don't think we've eliminated them yet, but we have pushed them back and eliminated some of the small, isolated populations that were started by people illegally releasing them into a new area.

Sorry to hear CWD keeps spreading in Pennsylvania. I hope the game department can slow or stop the spread before it reaches your areas.

Champlain Islander

I heard something about that ...I think it was in western NY state. The purpose of stopping the hunting was to allow the pigs to gather so they can be all killed by whatever means the F&W comes up with. I guess pigs are really smart and hunting them does reduce the numbers but that pressure just causes them to scatter making the problem worse since they are such prolific breeders.