Chronic Wasting Disease Management

[HD]

Chronic Wasting Disease management
Mandatory testing in four areas scheduled this fall

The discovery of deer infected with CWD that were raised in captivity on farms in Crow Wing and Meeker counties means that wild deer harvested from permit areas surrounding those farms will be tested for CWD this fall during the first two days of the firearms deer season.

Wild deer in these areas are not known to have CWD. Testing should determine if any are infected.

Testing also will be done in permit areas surrounding the disease management zone in southeastern Minnesota.

Deer harvested in southeastern Minnesota within that disease management zone – deer permit area 603 – will continue to be tested and carcass movement restricted.

Fall 2017 CWD testing

North central: Deer permit areas 155, 171, 172, 242, 246, 247, 248 and 249.
Central: Deer permit areas 218, 219, 229, 277, 283 and 285.
Southeast: Deer permit areas 343, 345, 346, 347, 348 and 349.
Disease management zone: Deer permit area 603, which is surrounded by the southeast testing zone.
CWD information can change rapidly. Please check back regularly for important updates.




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[deadeye]

So can someone tell me why 100% of Minnesota CWD cases can be traced to game farms and as of now they are still off limits for any new laws to protect the rest of the state from the spread of CWD.   

[Steve-o]

Didn't someone remind us a while back that game farms fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Agriculture, not the DNR?

That isn't any excuse for there not being more effective legislation, but it does speak to the fact that farmers have priorities that often compete with sportsman and environmentalists and where the power in the state is.

But then, what can be done to stop the spread of CWD short of banning game farms?

[Auggie]

That would have been me Steve-o. It's actually the Board of Animal Health.

Deadeye, the only reason people THINK CWD can be traced to game farms is 100% of deer/elk that die, or are butchered are tested at cervid farms for the disease.  This does not mean they caused CWD, brought it, spread it, or any other thing we want to say. If 100% of wild deer mortality was tested it would be found elsewhere as well. Breeders are not going to make the investments they do, to raise animals they can't sell. While I agree that the system is never perfect and improvements could be made in the industry (this could be said about all systems! Especially Government run)we can't continue blaming the farms for this disease. The farms are not off limits to new regulation, in fact there are new rules in place almost every year it seems. In fact the biggest improvement I would like to see is requirement of double fencing. This would help the wild and farmed population in my opinion....
Instead the DNR in all there wisdom have banned importation of carcass from out of state.. Not only has this hurt my business to the tune of $10,000 plus a year, but also many meat cutters especially close to the borders. I also see guys still bringing them in to the state and just dumping the carcass in the woods because they are to focused on not getting a ticket and not the health of our herd. EXACTLY what we don't want..Instead of listening to reason and requirements for hunters to bring the carcass to a taxidermist or meat cutter and have it disposed of properly, they choose to ignore the fact it will end up on the back 40. And since I don't get paid for keeping records for the DNR already, I (and everyone else in our industries) would happily do more not to lose the income.