6500 deer

[someday]

An article in the Rochester post-bulletin says the DNR found 6500 deer within 10 miles of the CWD site or 65 per sq mile.

[mrklean]

so there gonna kill them all off?

[nonteepical]

i thought they were trying to schedule a hunt for this weekend.

[someday]

They started shooting some today. the DNR goal is 500 in the first 5 mile radius and 400 in the next.

[zepman]

I don't get it. If there was a positive test found why are they messing around with 1000 deer or so. I understand they will do more tests on those killed but what are they expecting to find? If they find no other positive tests are they done?

Either kill 'em all or leave them alone. It's here...and it's been proven impossible to eradicate it once discovered.

[hockeybc69]

And how do you propose they kill EVERY deer zepman?

They have a method to the madness. Thank god we dont have people on these forums running the deer management in the state......... Everyone thinks they know more than the guys that are trained and educated in this field.

Yes, I disagree with some decisions, but this one I am leaving up to them. I wouldnt have a clue what the right answer is in this case. They are darned if they do and darned if they dont. Simple as that.

[00rowe]

There are no guarantees, but if you shoot all the deer or as many as they can, they'll have done more damage than CWD. I do understand the fear that it could spread to other areas, but that was the fear years ago in northern Colorado, guess what, they're back. It's been found in herds in other states and the herd always rebounds. If eradication is the answer, then at the very least they could allow the land owners in the area harvest as many deer as they want, and no people have NEVER contracted CWD from eating the meat.

Mike

[hockeybc69]

Hey Mike,

Lets put a big ole steak on your plate thats got confirmed CWD in it, and see how much you enjoy it.

LOL

[Dave S]

And how do you propose they kill EVERY deer zepman?

They have a method to the madness. Thank god we dont have people on these forums running the deer management in the state......... Everyone thinks they know more than the guys that are trained and educated in this field.

Yes, I disagree with some decisions, but this one I am leaving up to them. I wouldnt have a clue what the right answer is in this case. They are darned if they do and darned if they dont. Simple as that.

I couldn't agree more HBC. Let the people who are trained in this field do their job before offering any critique on the circumstances. There's a long road to travel here so the best bet is to kick back and wait for the results. I would be shocked if any deer out of the initial 900 culled from the herd are not infected.

[mainbutter]

my girl's great uncle died of "unknown causes".

His venison that year tested positive for CWD.

Her entire family is SURE that he died from contracting CWD. All the research I've read says otherwise, but then again, all the research I've read highly suggests not eating CWD contaminated meat (or at least not coming in contact with the body parts that harbor extreme concentrations of the prions).

[highlife4me]

CWD is here to stay. I'm sorry but that is the truth. They may be able to slow it down but it will never be stopped. I hope the DNR will get some useful information and are willing to pass it down the honest information to the general public.

[zepman]

And how do you propose they kill EVERY deer zepman?

They have a method to the madness. Thank god we dont have people on these forums running the deer management in the state......... Everyone thinks they know more than the guys that are trained and educated in this field.

Yes, I disagree with some decisions, but this one I am leaving up to them. I wouldnt have a clue what the right answer is in this case. They are darned if they do and darned if they dont. Simple as that.

That's just my point...how DO you kill every deer. Answer is you can't. With a 4 year gestastional period, and the migratory nature of deer, this issue is here for our lifetimes.

I certainly don't have the answer...the DNR has admitted that they don't have the answer(s) either. It just seems to me they're following steps taken by other states that have proven to get them nowhere.

I would just like for someone to explain to me the method of their madness is all. I support the DNR 100% as an organization...that doesn't mean I have to "go along" with every decision that comes down the pipe.

[00rowe]

Cook it, no worries, just like E-coli beef, or salmonella (sp?) eggs. I hunted Colorodo CWD area and wouldn't have hesitated to eat an elk without testing for CWD. I guess I'm not gonna freak out over everything, especially the unknown. I wouldn't eat ANY sickly or diseased animal though, if it's that obvious why. I know there are other guidelines for safe handling of the meat, don't cut the spine is one of them.

Mike

[candiru]

CWD is caused by protiens called prions. It is my understanding that these prions are not killed by cooking.

[Lunker]

We are arguing while there is a perfectly good case study right next door. WI adopted the "kill em all mentality" for their CWD. It's just about impossible.

[Jameson]

Deer naturally disperse.

If their are no deer (or very close to none) in an area, deer dispersal from that area will be non-existent. Deer from the surrounding area will disperse into the said area. Shooting deer as they move into the effected area will slow (almost prevent) the spread of the disease, not get rid of it in that area.

What would we rather have? A relatively small area of the state devoid of deer, or a large area of the state with CWD?

[00rowe]

I was under the impression it was spinal fluid and brain tissue that you were supposed to stay away from for "safely" handling the meat. I guess you can get the results of the CWD test back in 3 days, so let the deer hang until the results are in. I did see that the DNR is allowing landowners up to 10 tags to harvest themselves, I think that's the cheapest and simplest way. Still don't agree with trying to eradicate the herd though, just something we're going to have to deal with.

Mike

[jigginjim]

That is alot of wasted meat if no CWD is found in 3/4 of the deer or even any of them. Talk about a waste of the resources, if not found, or keep killing until it is.

[Dave S]

I was under the impression it was spinal fluid and brain tissue that you were supposed to stay away from for "safely" handling the meat. I guess you can get the results of the CWD test back in 3 days, so let the deer hang until the results are in. I did see that the DNR is allowing landowners up to 10 tags to harvest themselves, I think that's the cheapest and simplest way. Still don't agree with trying to eradicate the herd though, just something we're going to have to deal with.

Mike

Here is the email sent out by the DNR:

Landowner permits, deer feeding ban part of DNR’s CWD strategy

(Released February 4, 2011)

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is taking the next steps in implementing its Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) incident response plan. They include inviting landowners to participate in a deer sampling process, and putting in place a deer feeding ban.

Related Link:

CWD information

Landowners who obtain shooting permits from the DNR will be authorized to take deer in a portion of southeastern Minnesota within roughly 10 miles of where a CWD positive wild deer was found, as part of the agency’s efforts to sample wild deer in the Pine Island area for CWD.

Landowners who accept shooting permits will be allowed to authorize additional shooters. All harvested deer will be tested for CWD.

“Rather than having a traditional special hunt, we are working through local landowners to issue permits so they can assist with the sampling effort,” said Lou Cornicelli, DNR big game program coordinator and CWD incident commander. “All the land in the surveillance area is private land that cannot be hunted without permission.”

Carcasses of deer taken can be retained by the landowner or designated shooters, or surrendered to DNR for donation to individuals. CWD test results are expected to be available within three business days so that people holding carcasses can make decisions on processing and consumption. This approach will provide for more landowner control of shooters on their property and will also allow for better control of movement of carcasses prior to testing results being available. Prions can be spread through portions of carcasses, particularly brain and spinal column. If any CWD positive deer are identified, the carcasses will be taken to the University of Minnesota’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for disposal.

DNR staff began contacting landowners in the CWD surveillance area on Thursday. Landowner contacts are prioritized based on deer numbers and proximity to the location where the infected deer was harvested.

The deer population estimate based on the aerial survey has been completed and DNR estimates there are 6,500 deer within a 10-mile radius around the positive deer. Of those 6,500 deer, 1,900 were seen within the core area, which is roughly a 5-mile radius around the positive deer. Some of the highest deer numbers were observed in the area the positive deer was taken. Based on these numbers, DNR has calculated a surveillance goal of 900 deer, of which 500 should be taken from the core area.

The possibility of using U.S. Department of Agriculture sharpshooters during the sampling effort also is being considered, but no specific plan is in place.

“Our hope is that we can get the majority of the needed sample with landowner shooting,” Cornicelli said. “There may be cases where a landowner prefers sharpshooters, or we need to increase sample size in certain areas beyond what we can get through landowner permits.

“Our goal is to determine the level of infection in the local deer population and to remove additional potentially infected animals,” he said.

In addition to the upcoming sampling effort, a deer feeding ban covering Dodge, Goodhue, Olmsted and Wabasha counties will be in place later this month. The feeding ban includes a wider area because the potential extent of the CWD infection is not known and one of the most probable mechanisms for CWD spread among deer is over a food source that concentrates animals.

“One simple step that anyone placing food out for wildlife can do to help prevent the spread of disease is to stop feeding deer,” Cornicelli said.

DNR officials will present current CWD information and plans at a public meeting scheduled for Monday, Feb. 14, at 7 p.m. in the Pine Island High School cafeteria. After the presentation, a panel of experts from DNR, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health and the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association will be available to answer questions.

CWD is a fatal brain disease that affects deer, elk and moose, but not cattle or humans. The disease was confirmed in Minnesota’s first wild deer Jan. 25. An archer harvested that deer near Pine Island in November 2010.

The DNR has been actively on the lookout for CWD since 2002, when the disease was first found in a domestic elk farm in central Minnesota. An important management strategy for CWD is early detection.

DNR increased its southeastern Minnesota wild deer CWD surveillance efforts in fall 2009 after tests in January 2009 determined that a captive elk on a farm near Pine Island was infected with CWD. The elk farm was depopulated in fall of 2009 and a total of four CWD positive captive elk were found. Heightened wild deer surveillance efforts continued in 2010, with one CWD-positive deer detected.

Since 2002, the DNR has tested more than 32,000 hunter-harvested or road-killed deer, 60 elk and 90 moose as part of its early CWD detection strategy.

[B. Amish]

An article in the Rochester post-bulletin says the DNR found 6500 deer within 10 miles of the CWD site or 65 per sq mile.

10 mile radius with 6500 deer = 20.7 deer per sq mile.

[someday]

I did not write the article in post-bulletin. you can google it and read it yourself.

[bowhunternw]

I always thought that cwd was similar to the mad cow disease, with a rogue protein. Scary stuff I think I remember people actually got sick with the mad cow thing. Hopefully it is true that this is not transmitted to humans. Tough to lose the deer in an area you hunt but is better than spreading through the whole state. Hard to imagine all these problems from a few elk farms. But here in the NW TB was actually initiated from cattle. Sounds like they finally have that problem containd, and hopefully in a few years the deer will rebound.

[Muskie456]

Thanks, B-Amish that was bugging me.

I know this will be a hot button for some, but this needs to be talked about. I am not sure how big of an industry raising Deer and Elk is but it has the potential of raising a lot of problems for a 500 million $ industry (hunting). There are a lot of people that count on the deer hunting season on numerous levels. Ya, ya it doesn't transfer to humans but there isn't a person out there that doesn't look at the sport differantly if (and when)CWD is state wide. I am as crazy as the next guy about eating venison (and I hunt with-in 10 miles of the 10 mile radius of CWD)and I know I do not want to eat an animal (or give to my kids) until I have confirmation that it does NOT have CWD.

Yes i understand that CWD happens naturally but we are accelerating the process by trucking animals into the state.

[hockeybc69]

Quote:

That is alot of wasted meat if no CWD is found in 3/4 of the deer or even any of them. Talk about a waste of the resources, if not found, or keep killing until it is.

Where did you read or hear they are disposing of all the meat from the deer that are shot??

It will all be utilized after testing is completed and if it comes back negative.

People need to do a little research before spewing false info. Sheesh.

[LightningBG]

I have no problem with them thinning out the herd in that area and gathering more information. This is scary stuff.

BTW - if any landowners are looking for some help "thinning", I'd be more than happy to oblige.