Is CWD the Imminent Doom for Hunting?

[MuleyFever]

That’s for the entire state.

If you were to look at the endemic areas, the scale would look much different.

No it wouldn't, the most affected areas are the southern areas, where the most population increase is happening. Also, CWD is in 60 of the states 72 counties. The majority of the area not yet infected, that they know of, is the far north where populations are lowest.

 

[spike camp]

Google it if you don't believe me. You asked someone to name a single person so I did. He actively funds CWD and is/was a huge proponent of getting vaccinated for COVID.

Not so sure why it's so hard to believe.

I asked Mike to name someone he knows, not you.

 

[MuleyFever]

Here is Dane. Iowa, Richland and Sauk counties.

 

[spike camp]

Here is Dane. Iowa, Richland and Sauk counties.

View attachment 633982

View attachment 633980
View attachment 633985

View attachment 633987View attachment 633988

It’s been a number of years since I looked at WI statistics.
I hunted McHenry County IL for 12 years.
That’s when I was interested in those states CWD numbers.

Interesting, anyway.
I’d imagine there’s no decline due to the sheer number of harvests

 

[Musky]

I asked Mike to name someone he knows, not you.

Right, OK understood, you have no idea, 10-4

 

[LuvsFixedBlades]

I've been hunting deer and elk in Colorado my whole life and have eaten a ridiculous amount of game meat. It was first found here in wild deer in 1981.

There is little to no way I haven't consumed critters with the disease. We were not careful with how we broke down animals or cleaning knives in the early days to not have had some contamination at some point. The only reason I test my heads now is because I feed the meat to my kids, and we eat a lot of it.

In my opinion, unless CWD legitimately jumps to humans, it wont affect hunting except via tag quotas in affected areas. If it did jump, we would have a much bigger problem at hand, so much so that hunting wouldn't matter anymore anyway.

 

[NCTrees]

The one thing no one talks about is are lockers contaminated with cwd? I would guess they are. I know I toured one this year and they don’t test and they mix deer for some products. Since the prions don’t get destroyed by heat and cleaning, if they are in the locker or it’s equipment there is a good chance all meat processed is contaminated.

This is generally the conclusion I’m coming to. If we’re dealing with something that cannot be effectively destroyed. Something that’s in the meat, and sheds into ice chests, game bags, saws, knives, truck beds…and you won’t know if (maybe) that meat is infected till days afterwords. Furthermore, sounds like it’s even in the soil, could be found in the mud caked to the wheel wells of your truck. Well, isn’t the only logical conclusion one can reach is that you’re gonna be exposed one way or another? No value judgment here on eating the meat or not, but for me I’m just accepting that exposure comes with participation.

Doom of hunting? No, I don’t buy it but am certainly sensitive that it’s a problem in more ways than one.

 

[spike camp]

Right, OK understood, you have no idea, 10-4

That almost makes sense, try a little harder, you might get there.

 

[Musky]

That almost makes sense, try a little harder, you might get there.

Just using your grammar from page 5...

 

[Hnthrdr]

I live and hunt near the epicenter of CWD in Colorado. Even after the attempted eradication of deer in this area, the deer herd here is still plentiful enough, that those I know and hunt with still fill tags on a regular basis.

In fact, I have a hunting buddy that’s been shooting and eating deer from this area for 15-20 years. During the culling years, when the then DOW was killing as many as possible, he’d kill and consume 2-3 deer per year.

The fawn recruitment and survival rate are sufficient enough to sustain a near 50% harvest rate in unit 191 for all rifle seasons combined (CPW 2022).

Per the CPW 2022-2023 CWD harvest/testing data; the infection rate in the units 9,19,191,7,8 (DAU 4) hovers around 5%. These are the units initially impacted by CWD. Thusly, they have been impacted the longest. What I don’t see in these units are large herds of deer. There are enough distributed water sources and feeding areas that the deer don’t congregate in large numbers which probably helps with limiting transmission. The population in this area is estimated at 15,000.

Go east of I25 to units 87,88,89,90,95 (DAU 5) with a population estimate of 2,500 and the deer herd is suffering an infection rate of around 30%. These animals in the AG and prairie lands tend to congregate around fewer water sources. As I understand it, this is considered a leading contributor to higher infection rates.

I’m familiar with a particular group of guys that took several deer on a ranch in DAU 5 and all deer (bucks and doe’s) tested positive for CWD. One appeared very sick at the time of harvest.

Many theories abound related to CWD infection/transmission rates and their causes. Anecdotally, it seems managing population rates relative to resource frequency and distribution may be the most significant tool in limiting infection rates.

The herds are limited in dau 4 in large part to predation both 2 & 4 legged. The issue an insane amount of tags for just about every season for deer, some super nasty ragged country with loads of lions that are very very hard to get at if you go to west Loveland/ east boulder country you will see bigger herds congregating on private lands. I agree that the stock tanks as an only water source probably does account higher infection rates to the west, it would be nice to see if they stopped killing all the deer in dau 4 what might happen with the herd in there

 

[Lytro]

That’s for the entire state.

If you were to look at the endemic areas, the scale would look much different.

They reduced deer numbers by way of hunting in the endemic areas in response to CWD. Those deer didn't die off from disease. I remember a neighboring county where I grew up in WI issuing 3 or 4 gun season buck tags per hunter as their master plan to stop the spread.

 

[Hoove]

I’m far from a scientist. But about ten years ago we attended a class at a Missouri Conservation center. They said there were far more deer in the USA than since the country was formed. So just asking, is over population a concern/cause?
And if the antis got their way I’d suspect that would be bad for deer herds.

 

[svivian]

Right



Ok, understood.
You have no idea, 10-4

Why are you so personally invested in this more than others who share your opinion.

What is your background in CWD that leads you to believe you are the matter expert to be arguing with others rather than simply sharing factual data/opinion?

So far you have been proven wrong a few times...

 

[spike camp]

Why are you so personally invested in this more than others who share your opinion.

What is your background in CWD that leads you to believe you are the matter expert to be arguing with others rather than simply sharing factual data/opinion?

So far you have been proven wrong a few times...

I’m not an expert.
I’ve simply killed a pile of positive deer.
I live and work on the properties I speak of, and have seen the change.
I see what are likely CWD positive on a daily basis.

My main rub is with the people who claim CWD is some sort of conspiracy theory or whatever, at the same time, not knowing the first thing about the disease, ever seen a deer with a disease, ever killed a deer with a disease, and don’t live around a 50% positive population of deer.

 

[KurtR]

Name a single person that you know that fears CWD and also demanded people take experimental shots

you

 

[jmez]

I have no conspiracy theories. It is a disease of cervids, not humans. I has been present, that we know of, for nearly 60 years. In those 60 years there has never been a documented case in humans. There has never been a documented case of CWD in any animal other than cervids. Not in wolves or mtn lions that make a living eating deer. That eat a very large number of older, or sick, or incapacitated deer. Deer you might assume have CWD.

Sorry, diseases that don't affect humans don't scare me. Oh but the potential. Yes, keep clutching the pearls. If I were overly concerned about all the potential out there I'd never leave the house. If you are really that concerned about potential, you should not kill or eat any deer. Remember, there is no such thing as a negative deer, only not detected. So you are potentially eating prions in every one that you kill.

I'm not an expert on the disease. On the other hand I have a pretty good grasp of epidemiology, diseases, and animal health. CWD isn't all that concerning to me or the health of my family .

 

[spike camp]

you

Aww, aren’t you special.

 

[Gutshot007]

Tim Walz

Its Walzo

 

[Fordguy]

Look up deer numbers in WI. When exactly will CWD cause the herd shrinkage?

View attachment 633928

Simple. When prevalence is high enough that you eliminate most of the older age classes of deer.

 

[spike camp]

I have no conspiracy theories. It is a disease of cervids, not humans. I has been present, that we know of, for nearly 60 years. In those 60 years there has never been a documented case in humans. There has never been a documented case of CWD in any animal other than cervids. Not in wolves or mtn lions that make a living eating deer. That eat a very large number of older, or sick, or incapacitated deer. Deer you might assume have CWD.

Sorry, diseases that don't affect humans don't scare me. Oh but the potential. Yes, keep clutching the pearls. If I were overly concerned about all the potential out there I'd never leave the house. If you are really that concerned about potential, you should not kill or eat any deer. Remember, there is no such thing as a negative deer, only not detected. So you are potentially eating prions in every one that you kill.

I'm not an expert on the disease. On the other hand I have a pretty good grasp of epidemiology, diseases, and animal health. CWD isn't all that concerning to me or the health of my family .

Another chuckle…
Someone must fear, what they’ve experienced?

I don’t fear CWD, and it’s weird to assume so.

Maybe if I say it’s the work of antis, or a money grab, or dahl munching agenda ridden vegan left wing researchers, or Fauchi, or the insurance companies, you’ll assume I’m on the level and don’t fear CWD?