Chronic Wasting Disease - what do you know about it?

[Bachflock]

I had heard of it. Knew it was a bad bug and can desimate a deer population. However, it wasn't in my state - until last week. What do you know about it? Is your state affected, yet? It is here to stay. Here's a link to my other thread originally posted for Michigan hunters. I have put some links there that are worth reading if you are interested.

CWD in Michigan thread.

[wtnhunt]

I know Tennessee has been testing for some time, no cases here.

[turningcustomcalls]

I will tell you what little bit I know...last year it effected the deer in Kentucky pretty good. From my understanding the slang term is "blue toungue". The disease is transmitted by a nat and is carried from animal to animal. It can also effect cattle herds but where we lived it hit only the deer population.

Once the deer was bit by the nat, it begins to run a high fever. Therefore it seeks water to try and bring down there body temp. It also effects the nervous system and causes erract behavior. What usually kills the animal is the swelling of the tongue and the airway becomes closed off, hence "blue tongue". This usally occurs in a 24-36 hour period. Where we lived I had farmers tell me they were finding anywhere from 4-10 deer at a time on the creek banks of there property. One guy found 4 piled up while bush hogging. They never made it to the creek and died in a corner of a hayfield.

That's what little bit I know about it. I now live in North Carolina and have not heard people around here talk about it. Hope this helps.

[Randyman]

I will tell you what little bit I know...last year it effected the deer in Kentucky pretty good. From my understanding the slang term is "blue toungue". The disease is transmitted by a nat and is carried from animal to animal. It can also effect cattle herds but where we lived it hit only the deer population.

Once the deer was bit by the nat, it begins to run a high fever. Therefore it seeks water to try and bring down there body temp. It also effects the nervous system and causes erract behavior. What usually kills the animal is the swelling of the tongue and the airway becomes closed off, hence "blue tongue". This usally occurs in a 24-36 hour period. Where we lived I had farmers tell me they were finding anywhere from 4-10 deer at a time on the creek banks of there property. One guy found 4 piled up while bush hogging. They never made it to the creek and died in a corner of a hayfield.

That's what little bit I know about it. I now live in North Carolina and have not heard people around here talk about it. Hope this helps.

Actually, "blue tongue" and Chronic Wasting Disease are 2 different diseases. We have both here in Illinois. As you stated, Blue tongue or EHD (epizootic hemorrahgic disease) is spread through insect bites and CWD is spread from animal to animal. I won't bore everyone with details, but Google both terms to research the differences in the 2 diseases.

[Texan_Til_I_Die]

What do I know about CWD? Well, I know it's mostly fueled by hype and over reaction on the part of several state's DNR.

There are far more serious problems facing the nation's deer herd, like loss of habitat and improper management strategies.

[HuntnMa]

we test regularly for it....If any of y'all actually get the opportunity to collect the brain sample, do it......it's great, it's gross, it's something you'll never forget....and i agree with Texan til i die......loss of habitat and improper management stragies are much more serious issues.....

[Bachflock]

What do I know about CWD? Well, I know it's mostly fueled by hype and over reaction on the part of several state's DNR.

There are far more serious problems facing the nation's deer herd, like loss of habitat and improper management strategies.

A good short and to the point statement but what do you base your arguement on? We're on slightly different trains here - the locals here are yelling that the Michgian DNR is trying to kill the Michigan economy by banning baiting. I will not deny the short term economic impacts but what would be the long term impact if the DNR choose to ignore CWD and the disease thinned the herd even more. I concur, there should be F-A-R better herd management and the State should stop bleeding habitat away to commercial interests and private and pseudo-public groups. However, it won't matter if you kill off all your deer by not managing to minimize something like CWD.

[fly]

I have studied this extensively. I eat a lot of deer meat as well as my family. Currently there are no reported CWD cases in Southern IL. Northern IL has several reported cases. IL has a special CWD deer season in Jan. Check out the link below for IL reports from 03-06:

http://dnr.state.il.us/cwd/index.htm

There is a lot about CWD that we don't know. In humans it is called creutzfeldt jakob disease, in cows (mad cow disease), and in sheep (scrappy). It's 100% fatal when acquired.

Currently the evidence does not suggest that people can acquire it from eating infected animals. However, I wouldn't want to take that chance. The primary place of infection is the nervous system. This disease is characterized by the presence of prions. Prions are not bacteria, they are not a virus, or any kind of bug at all, but a mis-shaped protein that causes other proteins to become mis-shaped. Prions cause the nerve cells to die. As nerve cells die the symptoms get worse. In deer it might start to wander and walk in circles. Lose it's fear of man and run into trees.

Although some recent reports have found trace amounts of the prions in the muscle tissue of infected deer there is no documentation on contracting the disease by eating the meat. For safety reasons I try to keep the nervous tissue (brain/spinal cord) out of the grinder. I also wrap the nervous tissue in plastic before throwing away.

I'm also more carful not to get brain tissue all over when cutting antlers off.

[turningcustomcalls]

Randyman,

You are exactly right! I'm sorry for jumping ahead of myself. Thanks for setting me straight;) Anyone wants to know what "blue tongue" is, there you go!

[nhbowhunter]

I am not one to promote overreaction to any so-called "crisis" but a lot of the concern surrounding CWD is due to a number of factors:

1. It is highly infectious.

2. It does not have a cure.

3. The exact incubation and "life cycle" of the disease is not fully understood in wild populations but once infected death usually occurs within 24 months.

4. In populations that have suffered from CWD massive die offs have occurred.

The reality is that under the right conditions CWD could in fact cause localized "extinctions" of wild deer populations. I do not condone over dramatizing an issue but this disease could have a profound impact on the state of deer herds.

CWD is only one of the many factors stressing our nation’s deer populations. Habitat loss and poor management being two others. If I were in charge of setting priorities I would focus on habitat first, CWD second and changing management strategies third. After all if you do not preserve the habitat and prevent the spread of lethal disease you would not have anything to manage.

[Bachflock]

CWD is only one of the many factors stressing our nation’s deer populations. Habitat loss and poor management being two others. If I were in charge of setting priorities I would focus on habitat first, CWD second and changing management strategies third. After all if you do not preserve the habitat and prevent the spread of lethal disease you would not have anything to manage.

I agree 100%.

[craig mack]

I dont know much about the disease but I do know that the Michigan DNR found one deer in a enclosure in Kent county and decided to ban baiting in the lower penisula. You can go to Michigan-Sportsman.com and read 100's of post talking about it, but alot of the post are just people bashing people who bait. So you might not want to waste your time. I just hope that they can contain this problem so it doesnt spread and cause more problems.

[Randy]

Check out this page...

Wisconsin has a bunch of it.....

http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/whealth/issues/CWD

[Flintlock1776]

Isn't CWD that started in MI?

[Bachflock]

Isn't CWD that started in MI?

No... they just found the first case of it here this week.

[Michiganbowhunter_SQ2]

I dont know much about the disease but I do know that the Michigan DNR found one deer in a enclosure in Kent county and decided to ban baiting in the lower penisula. You can go to Michigan-Sportsman.com and read 100's of post talking about it, but alot of the post are just people bashing people who bait. So you might not want to waste your time. I just hope that they can contain this problem so it doesnt spread and cause more problems.

That site is a JOKE. I am a member there and occasionally read. But it very is poorly ran. Someone asking a simple question gets ripped to shreads for absolutly no reason at all, no matter if it is hunting related or not. Then god forbid topics like this come up. Instead of contributing logical, informative posts, a hand full of people turn into little school girls and start bickering about "my way is better" or "doing this or that is wrong".

Ok, I'm done :D

[craig mack]

I'm starting to get tired of all the ELITIST hunters on that site as well.

[Bachflock]

I'm starting to get tired of all the ELITIST hunters on that site as well.

Instead of contributing logical, informative posts, a hand full of people turn into little school girls and start bickering about "my way is better" or "doing this or that is wrong".

You guys speak an unfortunate truth. I just try to see what argument they are making. If they have fact to back up what they are saying then I give the argument consideration. Like anywhere, however, you'll get a lot of people spouting off simply because they can.

On that - I've read a few things on different sites. There is some validity, I'm finding, in the arguments that an over reaction to CWD, or other diseases for that matter, are no better than no reaction at all. A ban on baiting being an over reaction? I haven't decided yet. I've said before I've seen piles of bait so large in the woods they begin to rot before they can be eaten by the deer and other animals. It is no wonder the DNR has needed to step in to control such things. I'm not against baiting but you've got enough people who don't use good discretion and judgment as to not create a problem for everyone. I do not believe CWD has been made worse by overbaiting but I do believe the potential is there. However, the argument that deer will yard up in a farmers field even if the bait piles aren't around is also a valid argument. I say a temporary ban on baiting is a fine short term idea but won't solve the problem.

My point in all this is we need to educate ourselves as hunters and conservationist. CWD is only ONE of the many diseases that effect wildlife so it'd be worth spending some time learning even more about them and applying that to population management.

[Flintlock1776]

No... they just found the first case of it here this week.

Nope, we were both wrong:

http://www.cwd-info.org/

Lots of into there.

[Eddie234]

Joe Manchin III, Governor Frank Jezioro, Director News Release : December 17, 2007 Hoy Murphy, Public Information Officer (304) 558-3381 [email protected] Contact: Paul Johansen, Wildlife Resources Section (304) 558-2771 [email protected] Preliminary test results have detected the Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) agent in five hunter-harvested deer collected in Hampshire County during the 2007 deer firearms hunting season. “As part of our agency’s ongoing and intensive CWD surveillance effort, samples were collected from 1,285 hunter-harvested deer brought to game checking stations in Hampshire County,” noted Frank Jezioro, Director for the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (DNR). The five CWD positive deer included one 2.5 year-old doe, two 2.5 year-old bucks, one 3.5 year-old buck, and one 4.5 year-old buck. Four of the five deer were harvested within the Hampshire County CWD Containment Area (i.e., that portion of Hampshire County located North of U.S. Route 50). The fifth deer was also harvested in Hampshire County, but it was killed outside the CWD Containment Area near Yellow Springs, West Virginia. CWD has now been detected in a total of 19 deer in Hampshire County (i.e., one road-killed deer confirmed in 2005, four deer collected by the DNR in 2005, five deer collected by the DNR in 2006, one hunter-harvest deer taken during the 2006 deer season, three deer collected by the DNR in 2007 and five hunter-harvested deer taken during the 2007 deer season). Operating within guidelines established by its CWD – Incident Response Plan, the DNR has taken the steps necessary to implement appropriate management actions designed to control the spread of this disease, prevent further introduction of the disease, and possibly eliminate the disease from the state. The following disease management actions have been implemented by the DNR within Hampshire County. Continue CWD surveillance efforts designed to determine the prevalence and distribution of the disease. Lower deer population level to reduce the risk of spreading the disease from deer to deer by implementing appropriate antlerless deer hunting regulations designed to increase hunter opportunity to harvest female deer; Establish reasonable, responsible and appropriate deer carcass transport restrictions designed to lower the risk of moving the disease to other locations; Establish reasonable, responsible and appropriate regulations relating to the feeding and baiting of deer within the affected area to reduce the risk of spreading of the disease from deer to deer. “Landowner and hunter cooperation throughout this entire CWD surveillance effort in Hampshire County has been fantastic,” Jezioro noted. “As we strive to meet this wildlife disease challenge and implement appropriate management strategies, the continued support and involvement of landowners and hunters will be essential. The DNR remains committed to keeping the public informed and involved in these wildlife disease management actions.” CWD is a neurological disease found in deer and elk, and it belongs to a family of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. The disease is thought to be caused by abnormal, proteinaceous particles called prions that slowly attack the brain of infected deer and elk, causing the animals to progressively become emaciated, display abnormal behavior and invariably results in the death of the infected animal. There is no known treatment for CWD, and it is fatal for the infected deer or elk. It is important to note that currently there is no evidence to suggest CWD poses a risk for humans or domestic animals. “Our well trained and professional wildlife biologists, wildlife managers and conservation officers are working diligently to fully implement the DNR’s CWD – Incident Response Plan, which is designed to effectively address this wildlife disease threat,” said Jezioro. “Hunters, landowners and other members of the public should feel confident that we have some of the best wildlife biologists and veterinarians in the world, including those stationed at the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study in Athens, Georgia, working collaboratively on this situation.” **DNR** http://www.wvdnr.gov/2007news/07news174.shtm

[craig mack]

If banning baiting will help rid the herd of CWD than I'm all for it. But from what I understand the reason it is here is because of a deer that is in an enclosure and was not found in a free ranging deer yet. We will see what happens and how this will all play out. It just seems to me that alot of these diseases come from animals that are in enclosures and I think they need to take a good hard look on what should be done about that. Why allow some private entities to damage our herd which will cost this state and its tax payers lots of money.

[Bachflock]

It just seems to me that alot of these diseases come from animals that are in enclosures and I think they need to take a good hard look on what should be done about that. Why allow some private entities to damage our herd which will cost this state and its tax payers lots of money.

I agree.

A lot of info on CWD on that website Flintlock posted but I don't see a date any different, for Michigan, than 8/25/2008. There was something similar to CWD found in 2005 but its Horse Fever, or whatever its called, not CWD.

[rad_112176]

If banning baiting will help rid the herd of CWD than I'm all for it. But from what I understand the reason it is here is because of a deer that is in an enclosure and was not found in a free ranging deer yet. We will see what happens and how this will all play out. It just seems to me that alot of these diseases come from animals that are in enclosures and I think they need to take a good hard look on what should be done about that. Why allow some private entities to damage our herd which will cost this state and its tax payers lots of money.

I am with you there Craig. I do some hunting in MI and my parents live there. I have been up here working for the past couple of months and was surprised when we heard the news last week. It makes no sense to me why any public hunting is affected by a study done in a private enclosure. The no baiting thing does not bother me since i can't do it in IL where i hunt, but it opens the books to many other things that can be dictated by doing a study in a "pen". My father and i are interested to see what gas stations are going to do when late october comes along with other stores that sell bags of bait for deer. In all rights they should not have any out if nobody is allowed to bait, but we still see bags of "deer corn" and other such products being sold at some stores. Going to be interesting this year to say the least.

[craig mack]

I am with you there Craig. I do some hunting in MI and my parents live there. I have been up here working for the past couple of months and was surprised when we heard the news last week. It makes no sense to me why any public hunting is affected by a study done in a private enclosure. The no baiting thing does not bother me since i can't do it in IL where i hunt, but it opens the books to many other things that can be dictated by doing a study in a "pen". My father and i are interested to see what gas stations are going to do when late october comes along with other stores that sell bags of bait for deer. In all rights they should not have any out if nobody is allowed to bait, but we still see bags of "deer corn" and other such products being sold at some stores. Going to be interesting this year to say the least.

I talked to my Dad the other day, who lives on Burt lake, and he said that he has seen bait being sold around there. Regardless of how you feel on the topic you should still follow the rules and guidelines given by the DNR. I know alot of those places up there count on making the money on bait sales so I know that is putting them people in a tough spot.

[xOZx]

Note that prions are found in saliva and bodly fluids...not just the brain and CNS. Thus the ban on feeding deer and wild animals in Illinois.

I don't see the issue...but then again, I guess I do not live in a state that baiting is a method of hunting.