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Should we even worry about CWD anymore?

BSK said:
I want to clarify what I mean when I say I no longer worry about it. What I mean by that is I no longer worry about altering management strategies because of CWD. It is spreading and absolutely will spread across the entire range of the White-tailed Deer, guaranteed. From a biological standpoint, it's a friggin' disaster. A contagious disease in deer that is 100% fatal? That's a big deal. However, I do not believe we can do anything to stop or slow it's spread. We have to learn to live with it and hope its presence doesn't chase too many hunters out of the sport (if there are no hunters, there is no management). Personally, I am not going to change how I hunt or manage because of CWD. But concerned about the effects of it? Oh yes, I'm very, very concerned.
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how do the states out west still have animals!!!! since its 100% fatal in your words!!! you say you will not charge anything but are very concerned about the affects???? that makes about as much sense as driving off a cliff!!! but you are a deer biologist i hear!!! do you work for TWRA!!! sounds like it
 
BSK said:
I want to clarify what I mean when I say I no longer worry about it. What I mean by that is I no longer worry about altering management strategies because of CWD. It is spreading and absolutely will spread across the entire range of the White-tailed Deer, guaranteed. From a biological standpoint, it's a friggin' disaster. A contagious disease in deer that is 100% fatal? That's a big deal. However, I do not believe we can do anything to stop or slow it's spread. We have to learn to live with it and hope its presence doesn't chase too many hunters out of the sport (if there are no hunters, there is no management). Personally, I am not going to change how I hunt or manage because of CWD. But concerned about the effects of it? Oh yes, I'm very, very concerned.
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This is about where I fit in.
 
BSK said:
And by the way, I'm NOT saying "Don't follow the CWD rules." I'm saying I'm not worried about it spreading to my area. It will. It's already close. But I AM saying I will change nothing about my hunting or management styles because of CWD.
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But when it's on your property will it change what you do AFTER the kill? Ie, test deer, change the way you process the carcass, how you handle the skull cap, meat, etc?

Once it gets close to me, I suspect I'll be wasting a ton of deer meat after the kill. Gotta learn to get over that stigmata that we were all raised on.
 
trkhunter said:
how do the states out west still have animals!!!! since its 100% fatal in your words!!! you say you will not charge anything but are very concerned about the affects???? that makes about as much sense as driving off a cliff!!! but you are a deer biologist i hear!!! do you work for TWRA!!! sounds like it
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I agree with you.
 
trkhunter said:
how do the states out west still have animals!!!! since its 100% fatal in your words!!! you say you will not charge anything but are very concerned about the affects???? that makes about as much sense as driving off a cliff!!! but you are a deer biologist i hear!!! do you work for TWRA!!! sounds like it
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I look at this way, if an animal gets it, it will die. But it will take some time, so many will be harvested before that happens, so many hunters will not even know they got a positive deer or elk unless they are forced to test it, which is only select units out west. By now, many locals have just not really made an issue of it, so they carry on as usual not even noticing it. Here, besides feeding and minerals there shouldn't be much to change management wise, sooner or later this will work itself out, and I highly doubt it will wipe out the herd, we just have to have realistic goals as to when to harvest a deer and possibly be ready to make the choice of whether to eat it or not, mount it or not etc. Its here, might as well get used to that.
 
megalomaniac said:
But when it's on your property will it change what you do AFTER the kill? Ie, test deer, change the way you process the carcass, how you handle the skull cap, meat, etc?
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We already handle butchering very carefully. Will we test harvested deer? Possibly. And meat from those deer testing positive will be labelled as such. Each person/family will be able to choose for themselves if they want to eat it. Would I eat it? Absolutely.
 
megalomaniac said:
But when it's on your property will it change what you do AFTER the kill? Ie, test deer, change the way you process the carcass, how you handle the skull cap, meat, etc?

Once it gets close to me, I suspect I'll be wasting a ton of deer meat after the kill. Gotta learn to get over that stigmata that we were all raised on.
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close to you??? dont you hunt hardin county???? that was close but now there is no cwd zone!! so maybe you are safe!!! covid and cwd are distant memories in the eyes of the government now!!!
 
fairchaser said:
CWD is here to stay and it will eventually spread everywhere. Like Covid, there is no stopping it. It's doubtful whether any of the efforts to slow the spread have actually done anything.

Yes, it has and will impact populations in some areas as I'm a witness of that in the area I hunt. But, it won't eliminate a population altogether; just make the population younger.

There is no magic cure on the horizon and thankfully doesn't seem to pass to humans or any other animal that's not in the deer family.
So, here we are. We just have to live with it just like Covid. It's part of society now and forever more.
Is it time to just move on and put it behind us? I say yes.
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I'm more worried about people in Mississippi navigating a damn roundabout
 
Nebraska just sent me their CWD yearly plan with results of testing

They are close to ground zero.

How in the world is their prevalence rates so much lower than Tennessee yet their deer are much more concentrated into small pockets?


I wish someone would answer that question.
 
BSK said:
We already handle butchering very carefully. Will we test harvested deer? Possibly. And meat from those deer testing positive will be labelled as such. Each person/family will be able to choose for themselves if they want to eat it. Would I eat it? Absolutely.
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We already handle butchering very carefully. Will we test harvested deer? Possibly. sounds just like government talk !!! depends if u want to or not sounds like!!!! you biological people are really in the know!!! possibly????? haha. i think that follows up having a cwd zone for a few years now its non existent???
 
trkhunter said:
if you are talking bout me don't worry im no threat!!!! i dont hunt!!
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So why does it bother you if you don't hunt? Serious question.
trkhunter said:
We already handle butchering very carefully. Will we test harvested deer? Possibly. sounds just like government talk !!! depends if u want to or not sounds like!!!! you biological people are really in the know!!! possibly????? haha. i think that follows up having a cwd zone for a few years now its non existent???
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What part of that confused you? I do the same, except I don't test unless they make it mandatory. I am careful when I butcher my deer, make sure I don't contaminate the meat, careful not to cut myself, and maintain surveillance for any possible infections or abnormal growths, just in case. I also hunt for others, but those I get from here in Montgomery county, if it gets here, then I will tell them and let them decide on how to proceed.
 
AlabamaSwamper said:
Nebraska just sent me their CWD yearly plan with results of testing

They are close to ground zero.

How in the world is their prevalence rates so much lower than Tennessee yet their deer are much more concentrated into small pockets?


I wish someone would answer that question.
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I'm no biologist. What I do know is CWD is a deer density and proximity disease. Nebraska is more open and deer are more spread out than say TN or MS. The deer may be concentrated in certain areas but those pockets are separated from other areas. An infected deer would have to travel to other areas. Just my theory.
 
fairchaser said:
I'm no biologist. What I do know is CWD is a deer density and proximity disease. Nebraska is more open and deer are more spread out than say TN or MS. The deer may be concentrated in certain areas but those pockets are separated from other areas. An infected deer would have to travel to other areas. Just my theory.
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Are you saying deer in Nebraska don't travel?
 
As Swamper said, they are certainly concentrated in NE, primarily to the waterways for whitetails. Ranch we hunted last year in western part of state ( Sandhills) was literally cut in half by a highway. Eastside has the Loop River running thru it & 2 irrigated alfalfa circles. West side only has water in tanks and strictly mule deer. The alfalfa would have 100+ whitetails on them each day. You'd think it would be prime incubator for CWD.

BTW, I'm over the whole CWD issue. Have hunted out west since 1979 and no doubt have eaten infected deer & elk.
 

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