Is CWD Politically Generated ?

[PathFinder]

Like most government action, it can either be attributed to malevolence or blatant incompetence. The utter lack of data driven policy suggests incompetence to me. They know little about the disease but are absolutely certain that their policies are the perfect remedy. There will never be accountability for the damage.

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[Joelweb]

If you are willing to take risks than don't worry about it. I know the species barrier to infection in humans is strong and I'm not worried about getting it myself. But I'd feel like a jerk if the disease finally jumps and it's my family. That's why I test my animals if from areas where CWD has been detected.

 

[jmez]

Coordinated effort by the states or Feds coordinating the states?

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[Billy Goat]

Heck yes.

There's zero reason to be concerned with CWD.

Mad cow disease, or scrapie.

 

[dieselchessy]

Seems the title of the thread doesn’t line up with the OP’s comments/intent.

It seems the title is missing the word “fear-mongering”.

Is CWD fear-mongering Politically Generated

Would seem more fitting.

 

[Mule3006Elk]

Damned if you do and damned if your don't.

They have to make some effort from a PH stance so they are damned if you do b/c no one will approve of their approach/management or believe they know better.

If CWD crosses the species barrier and they did nothing then they are damned if you don't. They will be considered negligent. The same people that think they know better will then say Fish and Game didn't do anything now my family and friends are ill.

TBO, not sure how they win. What's the saying: you can make some of the people happy some of the time but you can't make all the people happy all the time.

Reminds me of SARS.

 

[nettereo16]

I didn’t think so previously. Seeing how Covid was politicized it sure makes you question everything now.
I’m still not sure about CWD and who benefits (que bono).

 

[Desk Jockey]

I will play….

I think the disease is real. My concerns are public reaction, specifically non hunting public reaction, the live stock industry and politicians who reactin ways that are driven by perception and momentum and not science and reason. If deer and other huntable animals become viewed as disease vectors for an illness that starts to impact domestic live stock in a way that is percieved as an economic or health risk, then pols will start hearing about it and may latch onto stupid and thoughtless policies to appease broader public constituents or specifically the livestock lobby. I can’t imagine an outcome where that is positive for hunting. Mandatory testing, Bans on transporting or eating wildgame, culls, who Knows?

 

[Crowmangler]

Admittedly I know nothing about the testing process but it would be nice if there was a "home test kit" that you could get & test on your own if you chose to. You know, that whole "freedom" thing.

And remember, just because you ain't paranoid don't mean they ain't out to get you.

 

[Andrew12gauge]

Don’t ever forget it’s 100% fatal, and they know that because they’ve never found a live deer with it, only dead ones. So we better get out there and kill the rest and test them to better protect the deer herds.


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[Jimss]

It seems like these posts are becoming more and more common? Maybe for good reason?

I really believe that the CPW's current CWD policy is driven by $ plus to a lessor extent politics. Using CWD as an excuse to increase the number of tags which equates to more $ revenue! As far as I'm concerned using CWD as an excuse to sell more tags is lame!

I live a stone's throw from the same game pens where CWD started 40+ years ago and spend time just about every day where CWD prions have been in the soil for years upon years! I witnessed the blood from culling projects back in the 80's. There is a reason the CPW dis-continued these practices way back at that time...didn't prevent the spread or prions that already existed in the soil for years.

I see no benefit to culling, increasing tag quotas, rifle rut season dates, etc.....either way, it's sad using politics or $ as an excuse! There have been no catastrophic die-offs across the US from CWD and it's been around for a heck of a long time. What seems ludicrous is increasing hunting pressure on old age class bucks that survive CWD and other diseases, harsh winters, predation, and likely carry the best genes in the entire mule deer herd! Maybe I'm missing something?

Using the 100% fatal scenerio is also a joke!

By the way, be sure to email your constructive comments to [email protected].

 

[philos]

I do believe it is real but that is not to say it is not spun to assist politically when some folks think it will help their cause.

Also for those reading and reacting to the OP with negativity. It was a post to ask a question and the OP did not state he was 100% convinced

The OP implied that very thing.

Actually he did not. Read the word maybe in his post. He merely stated a possibility

 

[mnhoundman]

Sure it's real, but been around forever and deer did just fine. Just couldn't test for it.

 

[Reburn]

Don’t ever forget it’s 100% fatal, and they know that because they’ve never found a live deer with it, only dead ones. So we better get out there and kill the rest and test them to better protect the deer herds.


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I think your being sarcastic however.....

Life is 100% fatal..........

The question is not if it is real or not? The question is does it matter?

IMO no.
IMO the fish and game departments have fear monitized it to help justify a grab for more power.
FACT Its been around since 1967.
FACT it hasn't been proved it can jump species.
QUERY Have deer populations gone up, down or stable in the last 55 years?

 

[MattB]

Don’t ever forget it’s 100% fatal, and they know that because they’ve never found a live deer with it, only dead ones. So we better get out there and kill the rest and test them to better protect the deer herds.


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Lots of live deer have been found with CWD, we just don’t have a means to test live deer to confirm it. Sounds like we are close to having a reliable live test though.

 

[yoopshoot]

The disease is absolutely real, however I feel there is a political component. Here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan , a single doe tested positive 4 years ago. Since then , swift and questionable “management strategies” have been put in place. More testing, liberal bag limits , no APRs in areas that previously had them.

Ironically, this positive deer came from a crop damage hunt in late summer/ early fall . More interesting, the doe came from the family farm of our local MI congressman who has experienced severe crop damage. Since then not a single deer has tested positive, with thousands tested in the immediate area.

Coincidence ?


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[TTownBoz]

Don’t hear much about it in Oklahoma where I hunt but seems like it controls itself since it’s fatal.

 

[jayhawk]

Of course there's political maneuvering of it all. Heck curing cancer is politically influenced. It's just the world we live in.

 

[cuerro viejo]

Gonna make a risky thread here….but I just can’t get behind the risk of CWD and how it maybe political generated.

It’s December and a good time to debate stuff….

CWD = scrapies

Any where in the US that has had sheep has the potential to have a Scrapies outbreak in deer. It’s that simple. Just like sheep eventually resistant DNA shows up, and survival of fittest continues on. Already seeing resistant in elk and WT’s.

When southern states with mild winters and virtually zero winter kills start having massive population declines(not based off hunters/DNR hands) then I’ll listen some more

https://academic.oup.com/jid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/infdis/jiac443/6809058

Until then happy hunting.

 

[cuerro viejo]

No, it’s completely real. Weird how hunters like to use science as an argument for hunting until it isn’t convenient

What science do you want to use?

100 plus year of scrapies research
50 plus years of CWD research
100 years of vCJD/CJD research
or
100 years of deer population studies in regards to anthrax and EHD/Blue tongue?

I can tell you the biggest population swings or declines come from anthrax and EHD not scrapies/cwd

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