CWD in Minnesota

[jkcmj]

Preliminary testing for MN is done at the U of M labs in Mnpls/St. Paul. On something this important they always get a second opinion on the testing I suppose, and the labs in AMES are supposed to be the best in the country.

A little hysteria scaring hunters out of SE MN might not be a bad thing the way the hunting population has exploded down here in recent years, Might open up a few nice hunting spots for me

[hockeybc69]

If this is a verified case, I wonder if the venison donation program will see changes.

I know, I know, its apparently not able to transfer to humans, but it would seem to be something that might raise eyebrows.

Just thinking out loud.

[Dave S]

Good question HBC69. I would suspect it could put the kabosh on any donation programs if CWD is found in the area. Even though there are no verified cases of it having an effect on humans, I don't think they want to find out the hard way that it could.

In cases like CWD in MN, I think our DNR is doing what ever they can to be proactive vs. reactive. Either way, if the fencing at the elk farm in Pine Island is able to be breached that easily, the state needs to be putting the screws to Tower Investments to correct the issue.

[brittman]

The DNR will probably attempt to kill every deer within a mile or two of that site. This cold snowy winter would allow them to be rather efficient if they move quickly in the next week or two.

[zepman]

The DNR will probably attempt to kill every deer within a mile or two of that site. This cold snowy winter would allow them to be rather efficient if they move quickly in the next week or two.

The deer in question was shot 3 miles from the elk farm...I would think the area of eradication would be much larger than a mile or two. In this area, we would have to be talking about the potential of thousands of deer...no small task.

[someday]

Right now its wait for the DNR to do their survey and say what the plan is. I think they plan to take some deer to test them to see how far it may have spread. I've seen herds of deer move over 20 miles in one nite ahead of a storm. If an infected Elk was brought here 3 or more years ago. it would be hard to say how far from here it has spread.

[mrklean]

not good at all

[jkcmj]

They leave it up to the landowner weather or not the deer get killed or not, so it only affects those landowners who wish to reduce and test the herd on there property. Were it me, I would wait and see if they killed any more possible cases before I drill my deer herd. Of course if anyone wants some killed, I havn't gotten any deer this year and would be happy to help out!

[Tom7227]

Of course if anyone wants some killed, I havn't gotten any deer this year and would be happy to help out!

That raises an interesting question - what happens to the deer that are shot?

[jkcmj]

They take samples for later testing, in the mean time I'd eat them...

[lakevet]

Were it me, I would wait and see if they killed any more possible cases before I drill my deer herd.

This is one concern that the DNR has. If landowners feel that the deer are "my herd" instead of everyone's and refuse to participate in the effort and the opportunity to eliminate CWD before it gets to entrenched, then everyone's deer herd will have CWD for sure. Including the one who thought it was in their best interest to wait and see and get 1 or 2 deer seasons in with higher deer numbers. Deer populations will rebound from a CWD herd reduction effort. The deer herd will be forever affected if CWD is not hit hard and fast right now.

lakevet

[leech~~]

I'm not arguing for or against elk farms but they sell meat and velvet off of the racks to other countries for medicinal purposes.

Just like Bear gale bladders and Rino horn! Qwack, Qwack! They need to start making decisions on facts at hand and stop over reacting. How many times have they wiped out a bunch of deer in an area just to find nothing!

[jkcmj]

[quote name='lakevet

If landowners feel that the deer are "my herd" instead of everyone's and refuse to participate in the effort and the opportunity to eliminate CWD before it gets to entrenched' date=' then everyone's deer herd will have CWD for sure.

The deer herd will be forever affected if CWD is not hit hard and fast right now.

lakevet [/quote']

Assumptions, with no facts behind them. This is the attitude that will cause problems, not those who want to react cautiously, or let nature take it's course. The best genetic scientists have been unable to understand the affects, transfer, and extent of this disease after over 50 years of knowing of it's existance. I think claiming that erradication is the answer after finding just one positive wild deer in MN is a wee bit premature.

[Dave S]

Sounds like a plan. Why don't we just let nature take it's course. Then after all of the sick deer have died off everything should be fine.

I'm inclined to believe that even after sick animals are eradicated or die off, that CWD still exists in some form whether it stays in ponds frequented by the animals or stays in the soil. Would there be any other reason for the intent to quarantine the now vacant elk farm and keep the deer out?

[jkcmj]

State of WI has now joined all of the Western states in throwing in the towel. Basically do nothing, and monitor numbers to see if it is spreading. All efforts at elliminating or controlling through intensive kill efforts have been a waste of time, so maybe MN could save a lot of money, by not making the same mistake. People trying to trump nature never works very well. They usually just make matters worse.

[hockeybc69]

I agree. Lets just ignore it and everything will be just fine.....

[lakevet]

State of WI has now joined all of the Western states in throwing in the towel. Basically do nothing, and monitor numbers to see if it is spreading. All efforts at elliminating or controlling through intensive kill efforts have been a waste of time, so maybe MN could save a lot of money, by not making the same mistake. People trying to trump nature never works very well. They usually just make matters worse.

I just checked out the Wisconsin DNR HSOforum. They have as part of their CWD plan intensive harvest, including if necessary agency (DNR) sharpshooters, to reduce deer herd in NEW CWD locations in the state. Work continues to contain as much as possible and reduce geographical size and infected deer number in existing CWD infected areas. Early in the game is when intensive harvest needs to be used. Don't take my word, check out www.dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/whealth/issues/CWD/doc/objectives.pdf

Western states also are working on control and research, and have not "thrown in the towel". Minnesota DNR has taken into account the effort in Wisconsin and other locations and hopefully will be able to have a better result having seen their mistakes.

We jumped on Tuberculosis in NW Minnesota and right now it looks good that we have successfully eliminated Tuberculosis. Some hunters screamed about the deer getting shot up, but now they will have a TB free deer herd (what we all want, a healthy deer herd) to hunt going forward.

Lastly www.cwd-info.org is a great HSOforum to read and educate yourself on current efforts and research on CWD. It is a go to source of info created by the Boone & Crockett Club, Rocky mountain Elk Foundation and Mule Deer Foundation. Since then groups such as Quality Deer Management Association and Pope and Young have joined. It is referenced as a source of info by state DNR's including MN DNR.

lakevet

[B. Amish]

for all we know CWD could of been in MN before anyone knew what CWD was.

scrapies, a similar prion disease found in sheep, has been around for centuries.

[MNforlife]

Good time for 1st post. I live at "ground zero", a couple miles south of Pine Island. I look forward to my family deer hunts each year and we practice excellent deer mgmt techniques. I'm lucky to have a wonderful place to enjoy deer hunting traditions. I realize this means nothing. Deer are provided by Mother Nature and the DNR manages them. I dread the expected call from the DNR to ask if they can enter my property to shoot deer this winter. I honestly don't know what my answer will be. I do know that they will have public forums and I hope they give me a listen. Here is what I will tell them:

First, eliminate feeding. Send letters to all rural land owners in the area prior to getting a law enacted. I have been guilty in the past during deep snow. No more. There is a working elk farm close to my house and the owner has a round hay bale just OUTSIDE of his pen to feed deer. Crazy.

Second, monitor the deer and elk farms better if they continue to exist. If the DNR did there should not be hay next to the elk pen.

Third, liberalize the 2011 deer hunting regs in a new SWD section around the effected area and require ALL registered deer out of this section to be tested and logged for location they were shot. The DNR would gain much data this way for better future decision making.

Share your ideas, my phone will be ringing soon.

[Dave S]

State of WI has now joined all of the Western states in throwing in the towel. Basically do nothing, and monitor numbers to see if it is spreading. All efforts at elliminating or controlling through intensive kill efforts have been a waste of time, so maybe MN could save a lot of money, by not making the same mistake. People trying to trump nature never works very well. They usually just make matters worse.

[HeviShot]

I may be wrong but wasnt the last big scare of CWD because of an elk farm also? Maybe this is natures way of telling us elk dont belong in Southern Minnesota? Just a thought.

[jkcmj]

Like nearly all of the states with CWD, Intensive harvest continues in the CWD zones as it would in any heavily populated area. Landowners are the final decision makers, and most I know that are in the infected zones have opted not to disrupt their normal harvest. Two of those I know have 700 or more acres and have never adjusted their harvest rates in response to CWD. Herds remain healthy as always and they harvest does/manage bucks same as they were before. Neither of the two with large acreages have ever had a deer test positive off their farms yet, so that may be why they are unconcerned. Most smaller farmers I know over there have not changed harvest/eating of deer since the beginning of the CWD scare either.

WI DNR can post all the plans they want on the HSOforum, etc, but since they cannot provide any information to the people, cooperation is minimul as it should be.

Again read through the links provided by Lakevet and see for yourself. Nothing is known, lots of people with theories, but nothing concrete known about how CWD is spread, how it developes, what makes an animal succeptible, etc.

MN should do as WI and Western states now do. Let people know what little they know, and what they are trying to learn... and leave it up to hunters and landowners to manage the herds on their properties as they see fit.

[hockeybc69]

Lets put a known deer with CWD on your plate jkcmj, and let all of us watch your face as you pile the meat into your mouth.

MMMMM. Good eats.

[someday]

What do you all think of this idea? Instead of shooting a bunch of deer that may or may not have something wrong with them. We use a sample source that is available everyday. Cars hit a deer coming or going from my property at least once a month. with the snow settling ditches are full of carcasses. How about we have a contest? everyone who provides a sample for testing gets a chance to win a car or something. I don't think the Insurance companies want people to quit eating deer because their afraid of Mad Deer disease, so maybe they'll fund it. Start with the three Counties that meet right by the Elk farm. ( I once recommended that Olmstead, Goodhue and Wabasha Counties purchase that property together for one combined County fair and events every weekend.) Anyway maybe use Federal stimulus money to hire some Illegals or somebody to drive around and collect the fresh samples. most the samples will come from the public right of way so you won't need permission.

[honker23]

If CWD was transferred to a human it would be one of the worst ways to go. I don't think we should take this lightly because of the low probability of transmission.

This has been a fear of many cattle farmers in SE MN for years. Deer herds get too big, become sick, transmit disease to cattle, they lose their herd of cattle.