Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting CWD deer

Probably saw my first one. A yearling spike emaciated to the hilt. He's been hanging out around the house with about 8-10 others. Going to set up a trail cam to try and get a pic. Just damn.

EZ -

I'd check w/Game & Fish Dept. They might want to collect that deer for testing. They might tell you to shoot it and call them. I'd at least notify them of your suspicions.

Sorry, we have CWD in a certain area of Ark so I sympathize w/you


Jerry

Jerry,
I did call. Talked to our district biologist who told me to let him know if I find it dead. They would rather it die naturally than to have someone put it down. The deer is in an area real close to the house and we have a flock of turkey buzzards hanging out so hopefully it won't be hard to locate.

Our county is under a no baiting/feeding ban right now but the two counties that adjoin us are containment areas. So I knew it was only a matter of time before it hit here.

So Sad

It's pretty much everywhere. We had it in N IL, and Southern WI, it is widedpread here in MO. 29 counties are now under mandatory testing for all deer killed. Not a matter of if you'll have it but when. Many times it's already there, it just has not been identified. When it is discovered, it's tough to watch DNR use methods that have always been illegal. They bait, shine at night, use night vision and thermal, and if you don't give them permission to shoot on your land, they fly over and shoot them out of helicopters. I just received my 5 free CWD tags for use on my land. If I use them, I can get all that I want. Been this way for 4 years. DNR will still gladly sell licenses to hunt what is not here.

I've been reading how bad it is out that way for awhile now. This year will be the first that for two days during season you must have your deer tested. As far as your DNR's methods go I know they are using some of them here to.
I've known the head wildlife biologist for 30+ years when he started at the bottom of the ladder. He,his wife,and kids are into all outdoor activities we here at the fire enjoy and count on the fish and wildlife as a food source. Let's just say he's far from being a political pawn unlike others I know. He's told me that as far as how too many local people here view the way DNR is handling this situation they're damned if they do and damned if they don't. I really feel for the guy. For too many years now instead doing the job of managing the wildlife trained for he spends most of his time handling wildlife damage complaints. But then you can't force someone to open their property to hunting so it is what it is. Rant over.

Guys I'm going from memory here so allow me a little leeway
As best I can remember our identified CWD is in 5 contiguous counties. AGFC is keeping a close eye on 5 other neighboring co s. In those 10 co s they have strict regs about animals not to be transported from those co.s.

I haven't heard HOW they 'collected' any animals that were not found dead. Time will tell. I'll have to refresh my memory as to the total animals that tested positive. Most are WT deer and I believe 7 Elk (?).

AGFC has not released any new info lately on CWD.

Jerry

Yes they are caught in a tough spot. The basic mode of operation here is to kill every deer possible. They bring in and sometimes pay "sharpshooters" using illegal methods which alienates many. The auto insurance lobby loves what they are doing. The anti-gun and anti-hunting people love what they are doing. When they kill every last deer, which I have been told they will do, who will buy hunting licenses, and they will be out of a job. IL was paying shooters and that state is so broke, they can't pay attention.

The golden age of deer hunting has come and gone. It has been destroyed by greed and politics.

The sad part is, when they go into a core area and do the things they do, they push the deer outward and help the disease spread. If they set up a perimeter, and worked their way in toward the center, they might have a slight chance of success.

DNR guy here told me he won't eat the deer, so it's killing just to kill. They take cube trucks full of dead deer to a local meat store in Macon MO for processing. I don't buy ANY meat there. I doubt if they have a separate facility for the diseased meat they process, and don't trust them to sanitize well enough. They feed the meat they won't eat to the poor people who cannot afford meat any other way.

If they want all the deer dead, why not just let the disease kill them all naturally?

Kind of what England did with mad cow disease which basically what CWD is if I understand it correctly. Another biologist I know told me CWD is already in many deer but is dormant. If it becomes active it will be bad. I've read where it could conceivably wipe out the mule deer population if that happened. I don't know how the anti's around here feel because at least for now they're the minority so keep silent. But I will say that too many farmers would be thrilled if the last deer around here died yesterday. I'd venture to say that we'll be in the same situation as both you guys states before to many years. I've been in WV for 40yrs. For the first 10+yrs it was like stepping back in time. Then the land market opened up to subdivisions and when it came to the almighty $$ the trees and wildlife be damned. Ironically the only thing that stopped it was the downfall of the economy. Still we lost close to 90% of our public hunting lands. Ten of thousands of acres which sit undeveloped but w/o access to hunting. Can't very well manage the wildlife in that situation.

They claim it's here in northern NY so they made it illegal to feed deer in the winter. What ya suppose to do when we have 3-4' of snow and deer come looking in the windows because they could always count on a meal. My opinion is that if cwd is here it is within the pended up deer not in the wild. I got a ticket a few years back for feeding during the hard winter,judge was very lenient and actually told me he does the same thing.

It's every where it is not a matter of if it is found but when.