Chronic Wasting Disease found in MN deer/shut down big game hunting preserves!!

[BLACKJACK]

On Wednesday there was an article in the Strib about the push to legalize big-game shooting preserves, basically inside a fence, 'canned' hunts for deer and elk. It states right in the article that it would increase the transfer of deer and elk throghout the state. Yesterday it was announced that CWD was found in a Minnesota deer, a pen raised deer in Lac qui Parle County. If these game farms/shooting preserves aren't shutdown, they'll end up spreading CWD throughout MN. That will be the end of deer hunting as we know it. In a free country people should have a right to make a living, but not if it will ruin the rights of the majority, in this case MN deer hunters. Big game shooting preserves should be shut down and any captive deer and elk herds should be required to have double fences to decrease the risk of escape and nose to nose contact with wild deer.

[catman71]

I totally agree. If a captive animal pollutes OUR deer herd, I would be very upset. As it is now, i'm suprised nobody dispatches these animals in the fence from the road in vigilante retribution. It must be because most of us are reasonable and law-abiding.

mandatory testing or inspections, increased permit fees, double fences and more regualtion of these "farms" are a minimum.

Bird flu, CWD, and there isn't enough bears for everyone....something must be done.

[harvey lee]

I also agree strongly.Why ruin the wild herd if an infected deer or elk escapes into the wild.

[lawdog]

I think we need to start a grass roots contact your legislator effort to stop these darn game farms! Not only do they cause CWD problems, but they just aren't hunting either. No high fence hunting for me!

[gundoglily]

When contacting your legislators about your fears and concerns with Big Game Preserves, make sure you emphasize

Big Game Preserves . As the operator of a upland game shooting preserve/game farm, i would hate for our industry to get confused with and in the mix with the Big Game Preserves.

[lcornice]

Quote:

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When contacting your legislators about your fears and concerns with Big Game Preserves, make sure you emphasize

Big Game Preserves

. As the operator of a upland game shooting preserve/game farm, i would hate for our industry to get confused with and in the mix with the Big Game Preserves.

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There is a legislative committee hearing on this bill Monday at noon. So, if you're planning on contacting your legislator, now is the time. If you contact your Senator, reference Senate File 3048, which restricts the taking of captive cervidae. There is a companion bill in the House numbered House File 3362. If you need to find your legislator, look here:

Find your Legislator

[harvey lee]

Everyone should send a e-mail. Maybe they will stop it if enough people contact the right people.Say nothing,and they think everything is just fine.

[Neiko]

According to this article it already is legal to can hunt them here. This state does not need this because some people are too lazy (see quote below) to put anytime into hunting. How can you honestly display a mount from one of these hunts? I have been told the place in Pillager is 200 acres. Is that really big enough to make it a fair hunt for an elk? They are talking about $10,000 average for an animal there. Has anyone seen the Bellar Video with Jimmy Houston in it? It shows the deer in a 3 acre pen running into the fence while Jimmy is upthere laughing. I guess he shot the buck and had it on his HSOforum saying he finally got his trophy deer in a fair chase hunt. After this video came out he got some heat and took it down. I hate to watch some of these hunting video because it is mostly 1 big commercial filmed at a ranch. I would like to see a poll on who here would be willing to spend $10,000 for an elk or $5000 for a whitetail?

[harvey lee]

It may be legal now,but if it doesnt get stopped and 1 or 2 get loose into the wild,then you know the problems that could arise.

I say we should play it safe and lessen the chance of CWD entering the wild herd by restricting the game farm herd.

If you want to hunt these animals,either do it in the wild or go to another state and hunt thier penned animals.Lets save Minnesotas herd.

[CAJ]

I don't know the laws in Minnesota about game farms, but here in Montana, the fish and game check those guys out for desies. They make them test a lot. The rules a pretty strict. I think I would trust them for being free of any desies before a wild animal. I'm not for shooting them like a caged animal. They are all right to sell meat, and then they are inspected again. CWD is nothing to mess with. CAJ

[candiru]

I think that the other angle that needs to be considered is the further fragmentation of habitat with the fences blocking the free movement of wild animals. I sure wouldn't want one going up next to where I hunt.

[BLACKJACK]

gundog, I personally am too cheap to pay the $10+ at a bird shooting preserve, but the key difference between you and big game preserves that you're not transporting animals all over the state and spreading disease to the wild animals. Thats my main concern. Every case where they've found CWD has been in or near captive herds of deer/elk. Then to top it off, once CWD is found, then the DNR has to BUY all the animals on the farm before they can destroy them. The game farmers should have to pay to get them removed!!!

[lcornice]

Actually, the taxpayers get to buy all the animals. Since they're captive, they are covered under USDA indemnification laws. It's the same thing with bovine TB in the northwest. We all get to buy the cows, deer, elk, or whatever else gets quarantined and depopulated. The real hit for hunters is that wild deer testing gets done with license dollars. The hit to local communities can be measured in declines in hunter numbers that occurs when CWD is found in the wild. I believe Wisconsin has lost about 11% of their deer hunters since CWD was found. The last survey that was done on hunter expenditures estimated each person spends more than $600 each pursuing deer. Do the math and you can figure out that finding CWD in the wild costs everyone a lot of money.

[tjm]

I'm against hunting fenced animals as well but who are they try'n to fool about CWD.

If you realy think Mn does NOT have CWD already your more crazy then fish & game telling everyone we dont have it

How can Canada,.S/N Dakota,Iowa and Wisconsin all have it but we dont ????

What about the deer that crosses the border roads from these states into Mn do we put a double fence along the borders too??

Also if you think it just comes from pen raised animals thats another 1 against ya.Comes more from to many animals period not just pen raised animals

Just like mange in fox/coyotes did that come from pen raised animals???Now not to many people blink an eye at this 1 cause oh big deal it's just a fox or a yote right??

Just to easy to put the blame some place else.Just so happends the pen raised animals gets attacked this round.

[BLACKJACK]

lcornice, where did you see the survey about each hunter spending an average of $600 for hunting? I can believe it when you start adding in guns, trip costs, etc.

[lcornice]

Quote:

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lcornice, where did you see the survey about each hunter spending an average of $600 for hunting? I can believe it when you start adding in guns, trip costs, etc.

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It was a Fish and Wildlife Service study conducted in 2001. They do it every 5 years so new numbers should be out this year. I erred a little bit on the numbers. Actual expenditures are $683/hunter for all hunting. The number for deer hunting only is $500 per hunter. The national survey is available here:

USFWS National Survey

The Minnesota data is here:

2001 Minnesota Hunting/Fishing Data

As for CWD in MN and other states, it has not been found in either Iowa or N. Dakota. Minnesota has tested 28,000 deer over the last 3 years and not found the disease. Certainly, that doesn't prove it doesn't exist but it is a compelling dataset to make you think we don't have a widespread infection in wild deer.

[tjm]

Guess thats why they shut down the transpotation of deer from certain counties then.Also shut down the border to transport deer across the state line as well..HMMMM

Look at the numbers $$ iowa lost in the 3 counties they shut down a couple years.Only 3 counties non resident tags were left after the drawing.You say non were found.HUH

Guess i could go dig up some info online for those who dont recall this

CWD was found 30 miles from mn border in ND the same year mn raised the doe limit in that zone.I was going to hunt that area the same year ND anounced it

[tjm]

North Dakota – North Dakota, wildlife officials continuing their aggressive, CWD defensive tactics, destroyed 30 white-tailed deer on a game farm. The deer were destroyed in May as a precautionary measure to reduce the likelihood of disease transmission between wild game and penned, captive elk on the farm.

I guess they just killed these animals for no reason.HMMMM

[Gissert]

tjm -

Are you trying to say that the MN DNR is not doing a good job in monitoring CWD? Not sure what you are driving at here.

[almostthere!]

tjm,

CWD originated from penned deer (elk). I believe it was somewhere in either Colorado or Montana (memory keeps failing me). CWD is caused by prions. These prions are so stable that when the DNR sanitized the infected area and brought new animals in, the disease starts right up again. The culprit was bone meal made from sheep with scrappy (sp?) disease. From there, some of these infected animal escaped into the wild and thus started the wild herd CWD.

CWD was further transported to other states with the help of caged hunting perserves. When these caged perserves' fences gave way to nature, the infected animals escapes and spreads the disease.

[tjm]

Not at all,I'm saying what they want us to know is better for them.If the dnr said hey we found 27 infected deer in northern minnesota this year with cwd what do you think would happen?

Heres another case in mn back in 2002.sure it's a pen raised deer but think about how many deer are in the wild never to be found with cwd that get ate by yotes/fox/ect

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, September 19, 2002

Contacts: Michael Schommer, MDA Communications Director, 651-297-1629

Paul Anderson, Board of Animal Health Assistant Director, 651-296-2942, x21

BAH to euthanize quarantined elk herd in Aitkin County

Tissue samples to be tested at USDA laboratory in Iowa

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Board of Animal Health (BAH) today announced it will euthanize the remaining 48 elk on the Aitkin County farm where officials confirmed a case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in late August. BAH made the decision this morning in consultation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the owner of the herd.

More or less problems come from to many animals.You get to many animals i guess it's gods way of taking care of the problem

Over the last several years i'm sure most people found a dead deer in the woods.Probly all ate up what ya think he died from hmmm could it have died from cwd who knows

[tjm]

1st known case was found in 1962 Montana.I know where they say it came from.Ive read all this few years back to prepare myself if i ever ran into it.

I guess other normal farm animals that had this prior to elk farms never passed it on.Yeah right where ya think the sheep feed out west????in a barn no where near any wild elk,deer pfffttt come on.

You can bet the dnr would do more if a manged fox was worth what deer are to them.Who would be to blame the farmers???? or the fur ranch farms???

Have family in fish & wild life.Been told dont belive everything politics play a big roll just like congress.Always keep an open mind.

[harvey lee]

If the MN.DNR or The North Dakota Game & Fish found out that there was a CWD problem within either state,I personally do believe that they would report it to the general public no matter what the costs to license sales would be. I am sure that they would loose some sales.I have filled out numerous studies on CWD from the North Dakota Game&Fish in the last several years.I personally applaud them in all the research and testing that is taking place.

One also has to remember that when you process your own deer,that there are precautions you should take in case you do run into a deer with CWD.

I wear rubber gloves when I gut any deer,cut out the lymph nodes,stay away from spine meat and the brain area.

If im not mistaken,there has never been a case where CWD was transferred from venison meat to a human,proven.

If one is very carefull and does things the way he is told to,you can reduce the chance of infection.

I mentioned to another hunter once that you should clean and disinfect your butchering and skinning knife every time you use it,and his responce to me was,my dad never did,why should I.

[lcornice]

Quote:

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Not at all,I'm saying what they want us to know is better for them.If the dnr said hey we found 27 infected deer in northern minnesota this year with cwd what do you think would happen?

Heres another case in mn back in 2002.sure it's a pen raised deer but think about how many deer are in the wild never to be found with cwd that get ate by yotes/fox/ect

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, September 19, 2002

Contacts: Michael Schommer, MDA Communications Director, 651-297-1629

Paul Anderson, Board of Animal Health Assistant Director, 651-296-2942, x21

BAH to euthanize quarantined elk herd in Aitkin County

Tissue samples to be tested at USDA laboratory in Iowa

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Board of Animal Health (BAH) today announced it will euthanize the remaining 48 elk on the Aitkin County farm where officials confirmed a case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in late August. BAH made the decision this morning in consultation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the owner of the herd.

More or less problems come from to many animals.You get to many animals i guess it's gods way of taking care of the problem

Over the last several years i'm sure most people found a dead deer in the woods.Probly all ate up what ya think he died from hmmm could it have died from cwd who knows

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With all due respect, you really don't have your facts correct. In 2002, a domestic elk in Aitkin county was diagnosed with CWD. The rest of the domestic elk were killed and tested and no additional positives were found. During that same time, 109 wild deer were shot and tested around the infected farm and nothing was found positive. Another 300+ samples were taken during the 2002 deer season and nothing was found. It is entirely likely that in Aitkin county the disease was contained inside the fence.

I'm sorry you believe CWD has been found in IA and ND but you're not correct. Here is the current map of CWD distribution in North America. Conspiracies aside, you'll notice neither state is highlighted.

Current CWD map

I hope that clears up some of the misinformation.

[tjm]

whats not correct..everything i just cut and pasted was found online..just like this 1

North Dakota – North Dakota, wildlife officials continuing their aggressive, CWD defensive tactics, destroyed 30 white-tailed deer on a game farm. The deer were destroyed in May as a precautionary measure to reduce the likelihood of disease transmission between wild game and penned, captive elk on the farm.

You think they just go around killing pen raised deer for no reason.Geez

You just got done telling me and everyone else no CWD was found in N.Dakota..Well i guess none were said to have cwd in this case i guess all 30 had the flu so they killed them off