Wisconsin's CWDns In
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David Blake***
Jan 28, 2017, 11:53:34 AM1/28/17
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New thread new topic to stir the pot.
I started hunting deer in the late 60's. Carried a 20ga shotgun mostly because I was a driver. Got to use the 30/40 Krag on those occasional opportunities when I sat on a stand. Hunted mostly Southern Wisconsinn, now the primary CWD zone. Those early year before the 70's, deer were scarce in the SW part of the state. Party permits were the norm and filling one doe tag was a time to rejoice. Tagging a buck between 6 hunters was elation, straight to the tavern.
The latest issue of Wisconsin Outdoor News posted a great article on the status of CWD thru 2016. So here are the facts as I know them.
CWD is a neorological disease transmitted by contact, thru bodily fluids (saliva, urine, fecis) in the whitetail population (Including all other deer species). These Prions can lay dormant on the ground and in plant material for extended periods of time until an animal (deer) are exposed. Once the deer is exposed and acquires CWD the life expectancy is 18 months. 60 % of all bucks and 40% of all does will get CWD in the 3 years after birth. To date there is no cure, vaccine, or genetic resistance to the disease. To date there is no known transmission to the human population. To date all virtual diseases, transmitted to humans have oiriginated from animal contact (bird flu, West Nile virus) are recent examples.
Initially the disease was controlled by eradication of infected animals and exposure control by reducing the population. (Call it what you will) Intially, harvested deer were sampled by mandatory registration stations all over the state (taverns, gas stations etc) thus a random sample was acquired to assess the spread of CWD and appropriate actions could be started. CWD spread, grew at at 7% rate in the SW deer population in 2015 up from1- 2% in the previous years.
State of the state: by the Kroll report and legislation actions mandatory site specific registration is gone. Therefore little CWD sampling is occurring unless the individual hunter wants to know his animals status and sends in a sample at his expense, then wait several weeks for results. In the meantime, process, and freeze the animal. If the sample turns out positive do you eat it, or disposed of it ???
The last report I heard of indicated that samples taken prior to the Kroll/legislative action was +5500 animals annually. Now with automated registration and a wait and see (Kroll) approach to CWD, the samples have dropped below1500 annually, and those are primarily from curious hunters wanting to know the status of their harvested deer.
Opinion:
It would appear that the fate of Wisconsin's deer is dim at best. A knowledgeable DNR warden now retired, told our hunting group that deer in southern Wi will be extinct in 10 years time. So if you think there are few deer in the north, cross your fingers that CWD does not get a foot hold above HWY 10.
What do you think?
I started hunting deer in the late 60's. Carried a 20ga shotgun mostly because I was a driver. Got to use the 30/40 Krag on those occasional opportunities when I sat on a stand. Hunted mostly Southern Wisconsinn, now the primary CWD zone. Those early year before the 70's, deer were scarce in the SW part of the state. Party permits were the norm and filling one doe tag was a time to rejoice. Tagging a buck between 6 hunters was elation, straight to the tavern.
The latest issue of Wisconsin Outdoor News posted a great article on the status of CWD thru 2016. So here are the facts as I know them.
CWD is a neorological disease transmitted by contact, thru bodily fluids (saliva, urine, fecis) in the whitetail population (Including all other deer species). These Prions can lay dormant on the ground and in plant material for extended periods of time until an animal (deer) are exposed. Once the deer is exposed and acquires CWD the life expectancy is 18 months. 60 % of all bucks and 40% of all does will get CWD in the 3 years after birth. To date there is no cure, vaccine, or genetic resistance to the disease. To date there is no known transmission to the human population. To date all virtual diseases, transmitted to humans have oiriginated from animal contact (bird flu, West Nile virus) are recent examples.
Initially the disease was controlled by eradication of infected animals and exposure control by reducing the population. (Call it what you will) Intially, harvested deer were sampled by mandatory registration stations all over the state (taverns, gas stations etc) thus a random sample was acquired to assess the spread of CWD and appropriate actions could be started. CWD spread, grew at at 7% rate in the SW deer population in 2015 up from1- 2% in the previous years.
State of the state: by the Kroll report and legislation actions mandatory site specific registration is gone. Therefore little CWD sampling is occurring unless the individual hunter wants to know his animals status and sends in a sample at his expense, then wait several weeks for results. In the meantime, process, and freeze the animal. If the sample turns out positive do you eat it, or disposed of it ???
The last report I heard of indicated that samples taken prior to the Kroll/legislative action was +5500 animals annually. Now with automated registration and a wait and see (Kroll) approach to CWD, the samples have dropped below1500 annually, and those are primarily from curious hunters wanting to know the status of their harvested deer.
Opinion:
It would appear that the fate of Wisconsin's deer is dim at best. A knowledgeable DNR warden now retired, told our hunting group that deer in southern Wi will be extinct in 10 years time. So if you think there are few deer in the north, cross your fingers that CWD does not get a foot hold above HWY 10.
What do you think?
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