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Natural Deer Urine Attractants Illegal in Virginia

Effective July 1, 2015, it will be illegal to possess or use deer scents/lures that contain natural deer urine or other bodily fluids while taking, attempting to take, attracting, or scouting wildlife in Virginia.

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) poses a significant risk to the long-term health and stability of the Virginia white-tailed deer populations. Since it was first found east of the Mississippi in Wisconsin in 2002, CWD has been found in a total of eight eastern states, including Virginia. To date, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) has spent over one million dollars on CWD monitoring and management efforts. Importation bans on whole carcass and certain carcass parts (i.e., brain and spinal cord) from high-risk CWD areas (including areas or states infected with CWD or any North American enclosure intended to confine deer) are already in place in Virginia, along with a ban on interstate movement of captive deer and elk. Reducing the use of natural deer urine attractants by prohibiting the possession or use while afield for the purposes of taking or attempting to take, attracting, or scouting will further minimize the risk of introducing CWD into a new area of Virginia.

Why is the use of deer urine attractants risky?
The infectious proteins (i.e., prions) known to transmit CWD have been found in the urine, feces, and saliva of infected individuals.
To make these commercial scents, urine from captive elk and/or deer kept outside of Virginia is collected over a grate system that does not prevent contamination from either feces or saliva. The “urine” product is not treated chemically or with heat to kill the infectious proteins because these treatments would also secondarily destroy the desired scent characteristics. The infectious proteins causing CWD are extremely resistant to degradation and may persist in the environment for years in contaminated soil, thereby posing a disease transmission risk to deer for extended lengths of time. Additionally, many of the facilities are located in areas or states with CWD. Deer in Virginia that taste or sniff these products may actually be exposing themselves to CWD harbored by deer living hundreds of miles away that were used to collect the infected urine.

Why did the Department decide to ban these urine-based products?
The VDGIF is taking a pro-active approach on this issue and has banned possession and use until it is proven that prions are not spread in commercial deer urine products, rather than continue to risk introducing CWD to new areas until it is confirmed that urine attractants do spread prions. VDGIF’s intent with this regulation is to protect our deer hunting heritage by ensuring that future generations have the same opportunities to deer hunt as are available to Virginians today and to protect the long-term health and stability of the Virginia deer herd. Both of these goals can be achieved, in part, by trying to minimize the areas in Virginia infected with CWD.

What does “possess or use” a natural deer urine attractant mean?
It will still be legal for products that contain natural deer urine or other bodily fluids to be purchased and sold in Virginia. However, it will not be legal for individuals to have these products in their possession or on their person while afield for the purposes of taking or attempting to take, attracting, or scouting any wild animal in Virginia.

Can I collect and use urine and/or tarsal glands from deer I kill in Virginia?
You cannot use these fluids afield anywhere in Virginia. Possession or use of any natural deer urine, feces, blood, gland oil, or other bodily fluid while afield for the purposes of taking or attempting to take, attracting, or scouting any wild animal becomes illegal in Virginia starting July 1, 2015.

Are there any legal alternatives to natural deer urine lures?
Yes, there are synthetic products that can be used to attract or lure deer but do not pose any secondary risks for CWD transmission to Virginia white-tailed deer. These products are readily available at sporting goods stores and online retailers.

Why should I worry about CWD in Virginia?
Population models predict that CWD will lead to significant declines in deer populations over time. Current research in Wyoming suggests that white-tailed deer numbers are significantly lower in diseased areas than in areas where CWD has not yet been diagnosed, and CWD infection prevalence has risen to nearly 25 percent in adult bucks in some areas of Wisconsin since the initial discovery of CWD in 2002.

Not only are deer an important part of Virginia’s natural heritage, they are also important to the economy. Deer hunting in Virginia generates over $600 million in economic activity, according to data from the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2011 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation for Virginia. Over 20,000 jobs were related to hunting in Virginia in 2011, according to a report by the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

This prohibition on the possession or use of deer urine attractants while afield was enacted in order to protect Virginia’s deer populations and our Virginia deer hunting heritage by ensuring that future generations have the same opportunities to deer hunt as are available to Virginians today. For more information on CWD, visit our website at: http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/diseases/cwd/ .

Why did the Department decide to ban these urine-based products?


The VDGIF is taking a pro-active approach on this issue and has banned possession and use until it is proven that prions are not spread in commercial deer urine products, rather than continue to risk introducing CWD to new areas until it is confirmed that urine attractants do spread prions. VDGIF’s intent with this regulation is to protect our deer hunting heritage by ensuring that future generations have the same opportunities to deer hunt as are available to Virginians today and to protect the long-term health and stability of the Virginia deer herd. Both of these goals can be achieved, in part, by trying to minimize the areas in Virginia infected with CWD.

Interesting.

Guess one will simply have to hunt into the wind.

If you use scents, I have a bunch of synthetics my kin in Michigan gave me.

I don't use them in my current terrain. Most of my areas have only one way in, so its not like I can play the wind on any given day.

Yeah, we are going to have to rethink the cover scent plan.

It useful to hear what synthetics are in use by the Campfire crowd, and what the results were.

I haven't used any scents since I was a kid and it hasn't hurt me.

I have a feeling the banned scents will still be available in stores and guys will continue to use them.

I got two complete sets of Buckfever scents - all synthetic.

4ager has a set spoken for.

You want the other?

Yeah, we are going to have to rethink the cover scent plan.

It useful to hear what synthetics are in use by the Campfire crowd, and what the results were.

I agree with 4ager, the state does a decent job of management from what I have seen over the last seven years.

I've been using red fox urine as my only cover/attractant for 30+yrs. I use the urine sold at trapper supply houses. I keep a quart bottle in a large plastic tote with my clothes,boots,and any gear used. A month before season I take the lid off the bottle. I also carry a small spray bottle with me when hunting. When I get set up I'll spray the foliage around me. Needless to say after all this time my gear is well saturated with scent. Too many positive incidents to mention but I've had deer trail me to stands or get spooked away by vehicles or hunters and return to me sometimes bringing other deer with them. No bad experiences. Seems there is some kind of relationship between deer and red fox I've noticed over the years. Many years ago when I did a lot of groundhog hunting it was not unusual at all to see a fox within or around a group of deer feeding in fields at evening. Only time I use a deer scent attractant is when making and hunting a mock scrape. I just started hunting Va. the year before last. Couldn't hunt at all last season due back surgery. So I guess I'll quit using the deer scent. I hunt Shenandoah Co. which is a CWD restricted county. But like you and 4ager I do agree with what VDNR is doing.

Was at Walmart this eve in front royal, and they just put out a bunch of the banned scents. I am sure they will sell many.

There's going to be some serious wailing and gnashing of teeth over this in VA.

vdgif has done nothing but screw up our deer herd in the mountains of va. they have allowed hunters to take so many does that our deer populations have dropped way off.you guys that think they have done a good job must live in or near the cities or in eastern va.cities are full of deer ,eastern va. where i hunt is just starting to see some drop in the deer herd. to many coyotes and a fast growing bear population(bear population will really grow with the new bear tag we much buy this year),and bad mass crops have thinned the deer herd to where there are hardly any hunters on the national forest these days.

I hunt St. Mary's, Ramsey's Draft, Three Ridges, the Priest, Mt. Pleasant, and a lot of the surrounding areas. I couldn't disagree more; deer numbers there have never been huge. A total mast crop failure fall before last combined with outbreaks of blue tongue and EHD over the past two to three years (area dependent) did more to the deer populations than anything else and VDGIF had nothing to do with those (nor did bears, coyotes, doe tags, or anything else).

I've hunted that area twice in the last several years. Used to hunt it a lot back in the 80s when I lived there. Don't know about the causes but I saw the least amount of deer and deer sign (almost non-existent) and more bears than in the past.

At least you can hunt on Sundays.

Yep, I can remember one year hunting up there, the acorns were so big and thick it was like walking on marbles. We'd jump lots of deer walking on the trails in the dark, and then not see any once the sun came up. They didn't have to move at all to feed.

No, I hunted there in 85 and killed my best whitetail but the year I was talking about was (I think) 94-95. Could have been 96.

I made the "fight back" remark over the new fee being charged for the bear tag, based on the premise that the hound men had gotten that implemented to reduce the incidental bear kill by deer hunters. Hound hunters of bear (and deer) seem to be well organized in VA and wield considerable clout. I have no evidence that bears are responsible for any reduction in the deer herd.

We had a localized outbreak of EHD a few years back in this area. I found about a dozen carcasses in the 150 acre park I walk my dog in. It looks scary, but there was no lasting impact on the deer numbers that I can see. I think the dry weather had concentrated the deer around the available water so the gnats were able to spread the infection. We have plenty of deer, but not many places to hunt.

I've got no patience with "sportsman" that want to limit others' activities so they can practice their "pure" version of the game. When I hunted in Virginia years ago, one of the attractions was the opportunity to take deer, bear, or turkey, whichever showed up. Made it seem like the good old days. I did shoot a jake one fall. I also passed on a monster gobbler because he was too far for me to make a head shot. I did enjoy watching him work his way across the slope above me.

Within reason, I just think folks should be able to fill their tags in whatever way floats their boat and leave it up to the game people to keep the harvest in line with good management.
But then, I'm a pretty bad person; I even eat bass.

However, the magnitude of the 2014 deer kill decline was greater than anticipated. There are several possible explanations. First and foremost are the liberal either-sex deer hunting regulations (doe days) the Department has had in place since 2008. These liberal regulations were expected to eventually result in a decline in the deer herd and the annual deer kill totals, even without the added impact from hemorrhagic disease (HD), which showed up in at least 28 counties in eastern Virginia this past fall prior to the opening of deer season. In the past, HD has caused 20-35% declines in the annual deer kill within counties in Virginia. Typically these HD-impacted deer herds recover after 2-3 years. In addition, acorns were plentiful during hunting season, reducing the need for deer to move long distances in search of food, making them less vulnerable to hunters. Without these other factors, liberal deer seasons would likely reduce the deer kill more gradually, over a number of years.

“I agree with (Matt) Knox (of VDGIF) that it’s probably not any one factor. When you combine heavy EHD die-offs with heavy antlerless deer harvests over a number of years, you’re not going to have as many deer,” Burke (president of Woodford Hunt Club in Caroline County) said.

“We’ve had some people wondering if we should stop hunting. I don’t think we should stop hunting, but we should probably make sure we don’t get greedy, and when people see three or four deer, encourage taking just one,” (Roger Summers of Top Secret Hunt Club) said.

Knox has consistently maintained much of the power to manage deer populations rests in the hands of the property owners or managers.

For those who fear deer populations have dipped too severely, he advises, “Just restrict your female deer kill.”

The mid-90s had some crazy mast crops, depending upon where you were in the state. There was another similar mast crop in central VA about 4-5 years ago, too. It's all cyclical, to a degree.

4ager,where i hunt we haven't seen any of those old does for 2 years now. i believe some of those older deer didn't survive the lack of mass 2 years ago.our club members talked about this last year and know one was seeing those herd does.everyone i know has complained about the lack of deer for atleast3-4 years now. a club that i hunt on some near richmond was down 50-60 deer last year. my club in nelson county was way down also.

Filling all your tags in Virginia is almost to easy if you like killing a bunch of does. During the two week season i never see less than 50 or 60 does.

I was checking out the new WV hunting regs last night and discovered that they've established a "No Feeding" buffer zone around the CWD area. A good idea that should go statewide.

If the CWD prions are present in saliva, then bait piles, salt licks, and all those sweet deer treats are potential vectors.

Has anyone seen any response from the hunting industry to the VA ban or other similar restrictions?

there are way less deer everywhere i hunt,we have a camp in highland near headwaters that we stopped hunting 6-7 years ago because you can hunt high or low and you are lucky to see any deer on that part of shenandoah mtn.i hunt southeast of richmond,numbers are falling in those areas to.i have 2500 acres in nelson county everyone in that area has complained for the last 3-4 years about not seeing many deer.

last year was a great mass crop,the year before you were lucky to find a acorn. this year is good against the blue ridge and should be good in most of the state.i have a few small tracts that i hunt that are close to home. they are surrounded by farm land .plenty of corn and beans so they eat good every year. i usually manage to get a descent buck on one of them.i have a huge bear coming thru my yard this year. maybe he'll stick around.

Any of you guys hunting any in southwest VA? Smyth, Washington, Grayson or Tazewell?

Any of you guys hunting any in southwest VA? Smyth, Washington, Grayson or Tazewell?

You guys are pretty close. Most of my hunting is in Smyth. I hunt a little bit in Tazewell and Grayson, but not too often.

Clinch Mountain and Skulls Gap are where I'm usually at.

I hunted Grayson for many years and the country around Mount Rogers has lots of deer, but it is rugged mountain land and hard to find them . Getting them out is a long drag since no motor vehicles allowed, you don't see many bucks but when you do see one it is usually a good one. We always camped at the head of Middle Fork. You can also go in from White Top Mountain but it is a 5 miles walk just to get to the trails that take you to Mount Rogers . You can also start from Highland State Park, which parts are legal to hunt on during the Deer Season. My family used to own 1000 acres in Tazewell County and it was the best deer hunting place i have hunted in VA. I never hunted there i didn't kill a buck. The farm was sold when the family owners pasted away and i have cried every deer season since. The farm is now a Sub Division. Grayson around Mount Rogers is your best bet for a really nice buck, but be ready to suffer bad weather and lot of walking if you want to find one. I'm to old for this place any longer and afraid to hunt there now because i'm feared i might kill one and just can't drag these heavy deer for miles like i did when i was young

I'm to old for this place any longer and afraid to hunt there now because i'm feared i might kill one and just can't drag these heavy deer for miles like i did when i was young

You ever hunt any over around Sugar Grove, VA?

Yea, not as much as I used to, but I hunt there every year.

Dry Creek, Dickie's Creek and Slab Town to be specific.

Dickie's Creek isn't near what it used to be. One good buck from Dry Creek (that I'm aware of) in the past few years.

No one camps there anymore, a lot of bear hunters always in Dry Creek.

Slab Town has a ton of deer, and a ton of hunters.

Last good one I know of that came out of the area...

That's a hoss!

We used to hunt The Dry Run Wilderness area (even before it was a wilderness area) Killed 2 bucks there the same morning in 93. I thought i was going to die getting both of them out!

Given how rough some of that country is I have always been puzzled why VA will not allow a hunter to quarter and pack a deer out.

We can in NC.

We can, you just have to call it in first. I agree it's a stupid law.

According to 3 different wardens...

If I decide to take a deer apart to bring it out, if I haven't called it in and received a number, I MUST have EVERY piece of the deer other than the internal organs. Otherwise, I will be ticketed if caught.

This was told to me by 2 different wardens in person, and one on a phone call.

I know from experience, you can't beat these grey areas in court. It sucks to get misdemeanor charges for something that isn't "wrong" or even clearly illegal. But they will pin it on you every time.

My advice, either call it in if you plan on quartering/deboning...or start dragging.

Checking Bear, Deer, Elk, and Turkey

General Information

• It is unlawful to destroy the identity (sex) of any animal until it is checked. After the appropriate tag has been validated (notched), successful hunters are allowed to dismember the carcass to pack it out from the place of kill as long as they do not destroy the identity of the sex and all the parts of the carcass (excluding internal organs) are present when the animal is checked.

• All bear, deer, elk, and turkey must be checked by all hunters, including license-exempt hunters, upon vehicle transport of the carcass or at the conclusion of legal hunting hours, whichever occurs first and without unnecessary delay.