CWD 2025 and beyond

[Las543]

Consider this a rant or brain fart but I am genuinely interested in opening this discussing to my fellow hunters.

I see a lot of CWD threads and content on forums is from years ago. I have learned about the disease from game and fish here in Wyoming and concluded some investigative research after having a deer test positive for the disease.
It frustrating to me that the majority of the information we are provided comes from Canada Health study which references a non peer reviewed study where they fed macaw monkeys infected meat and injected infected tissue into its brain. This information is passed to CDC and WHO which is where the states game and fish take their policies. I am unable to find any additional research done on the transmission of the disease.
Is our hunting community not concerned? Is this another mechanism to control the 2a freedoms? I never thought that in 2025 we would be living in a society where the facts of reality are so hard to come by and sometimes drown in misinformation to persuade an industry to continue the status quo. To date is seems that there is only a handful of Texas high fence farms that are actually paving the way for CWD research to protect their livelihoods. Why has the billion dollar hunting industry done nothing to protect the resource that keeps their companies selling new products? Consider this a call to act! the action is unclear but the intention is real.

 

[Hash254]

CWD is right in the next county here, we get all out adult deer tested. You're correct that no one has ever gotten sick. It seems like it is very close to scrappies in sheep. No one has ever gotten sick from scrappie either. We haven't had one test positive yet, but when we do we have decided not to eat it. If it was just me I probably would but I got kids and just not worth it to us, we wouldn't eat a sick sheep either.
I wouldn't criticize anyone for eating it either. But our DNR has gotten really aggressive with the Doe seasons and very liberal with Tags and it has impacted the local population pretty hard. Between all the extra hunting pressure, really high predator population and just a general lack of productivity of the land we are going to give the Doe's a year off to give them a chance.

 

[BigDewberry]

To date is seems that there is only a handful of Texas high fence farms that are actually paving the way for CWD research to protect their livelihoods.

Those high fence deer farms are also to primary centers for outbreaks. Go ahead and look into TPWD's 'Ghost Deer' investigation. I'm not saying all deer farms break quarantine, but it seems to be a problem.

I have the hard line stance of deer farms should either be illegal or farm deer should be considered livestock with routine inspections. Any CWD on the farm should result in 100% culling, just like if we found mad cow or bird flu.

I don't eat CWD positive meat. The risk is just not worth it. One jump over to humans and it will completely turn the public against all cervids. People won't care about Bambi anymore if their kid could get a fatal wasting disease from playing in sand a deer was in.

 

[LostArra]

More CWD insanity right here in my home state

Can We Breed Our Way Out of CWD? Oklahoma Wants to Try.

Update (5/6/2024): Governor Kevin Stitt has signed this bill. Oklahoma residents will still have a chance to weigh in when the Department of Agriculture promulgates the rules that will govern the new program. Update (5/1/2024): The full Oklahoma legislature passed this bill and sent it to...

www.themeateater.com

 

[KBaird]

If you won’t eat it, don’t hunt it. You’re subjecting yourself to far more prion exposure handling a carcass, caping, boiling head, etc than from ingesting edible portions. If you’re afraid of a jump stick to regions/species without CWD.

 

[BigDewberry]

If you won’t eat it, don’t hunt it. You’re subjecting yourself to far more prion exposure handling a carcass, caping, boiling head, etc than from ingesting edible portions. If you’re afraid of a jump stick to regions/species without CWD.

Or consider this. You can get your deer tested for free at a deer check station. Your taxes go towards them anyway, get your moneys worth.

 

[KBaird]

Consider this. I’m not aware of a “deer check station” within 200+ miles of where I most frequently hunt in CWD country. And whether there’s a station or lab nearby has very little at all to do with handling a positive carcass immediately after the kill. Good on the folks who take some precautions with PPE during breakdown and waiting to clean/boil heads until a test result comes back. I’ve never seen a trophy pic with latex gloves on though. And how many of those fellows poke a tongue back in with bare hands? Bottom line, if you’re willing to kill a positive specimen, you’re exposing yourself whether you eat it or not.

 

[RockAndSage]

Consider this. I’m not aware of a “deer check station” within 200+ miles of where I most frequently hunt in CWD country. And whether there’s a station or lab nearby has very little at all to do with handling a positive carcass immediately after the kill. Good on the folks who take some precautions with PPE during breakdown and waiting to clean/boil heads until a test result comes back. I’ve never seen a trophy pic with latex gloves on though. And how many of those fellows poke a tongue back in with bare hands? Bottom line, if you’re willing to kill a positive specimen, you’re exposing yourself whether you eat it or not.

Man, dishin' out these uncomfortable truths...

You're right though, in terms of dangers. One nick with the knife and it's blood-to-blood CWD transfusion.

 

[BigDewberry]

Consider this. I’m not aware of a “deer check station” within 200+ miles of where I most frequently hunt in CWD country. And whether there’s a station or lab nearby has very little at all to do with handling a positive carcass immediately after the kill. Good on the folks who take some precautions with PPE during breakdown and waiting to clean/boil heads until a test result comes back. I’ve never seen a trophy pic with latex gloves on though. And how many of those fellows poke a tongue back in with bare hands? Bottom line, if you’re willing to kill a positive specimen, you’re exposing yourself whether you eat it or not.

Good luck to you then. Its rough out there for some of you folk...

 

[KBaird]

Good luck to you then. Its rough out there for some of you folk...

Same to you bud. I do find it rough occasionally. Though not because I live in fear of becoming the first case in recorded history of CWD infecting my brain. Have a good one.

 

[LostArra]

Or consider this. You can get your deer tested for free at a deer check station. Your taxes go towards them anyway, get your moneys worth.

A negative test result is not a guarantee the animal is disease free.

 

[wytx]

Every single biologist we know in Wyoming puts absolutely no confidence in that macaw study. It was flawed and they know it.
Not sure who is feeding you that info but it shouldn't be any bios in Wyoming.
Wyoming has been testing for year and years, not a single species jump.
They did a 20+ year study on cattle in the pens at Sybille, not one ever tested positive- they were all put down at the end of it.
Save for a few cow elk with a unique gene every elk, moose and deer put in those pens dies of cwd.

No doubt countless folks have eaten positive animals yet no species jump.
How many processors test every animals or clean after every animals they run through the business???
Still no species jump to humans.

Would I feed a positive animal to my kids or share that meat, nope. Unless they stated it was ok.
I have eaten a positive animal that showed no symptoms.
Never shot anything that was obviously sick and we have seen cwd elk and had WG&F put them down.

 

[wapitibob]

Shot this years WY Deer in a cwd area, didn't get it tested and likely never will. If you choose not to eat an infected animal, get it checked, otherwise, don't bother.