Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Ark. CWD -- Baiting Deer & Elk

I DON'T understand WHY this is LEGAL.
After all the discussion of 'baiting' and CWD, the AGFC printed this:


Sorry for the shadow, It's raining here and had to take pix in house.

From the 2018- 2019 Ark Hunting Regulation Handbook:



They have enlarged the CWD zone and divided into TWO categories:



The RED zone is the Core Area - where it was first discovered - Surrounding Newton Co. ( Jasper )

The Yellow zone is were animals have been diagnosed with CWD as it has spread.

W/O checking the updated stats -- MANY more deer have been diagnosed than Elk.
As 'they' and we have talked 'congregating' deer/elk SEEMS to speed up the spread --> --> WHY is it legal ANYWHERE ?


This is all new to me, just got the regulations this week. I haven't had time to digest ALL that's involved here.
I will post a BRIEF notice in the Elk hunting forum referring to this:

Its unfortunate but their management method is to kill off a large part of the population. They are allowing baiting from September 1st to I think December only for hunting purposes as they feel like this will increase the harvest rate. They have also removed all antler restrictions for deer in the CWD area. Really sucks because I hunt in a management area that is a long way from any confirmed CWD deer but still has a portion in a county that is adjacent to a confirmed case so they removed the antler restrictions. We have really seen an improvement in antler size over the years since people have been forced to let spikes and forked horns walk due to antler restrictions.

I hope this helps something because it will suck if they realize in a few years that decimating the deer herd has no effect on the spread rate of CWD throughout the state.

Another thing they did last year is that any elk outside of the elk zone could be killed without a permit during deer season. I had hoped that the elk would expand their range south into new areas, which they were doing. Not going to happen now.

I had no idea there were elk in Arkansas. I really hope someone figures out a way to get a handle on this CWD.

Matt

AGFC imported Elk several decades back (From Colorado). 1998 was our FIRST Elk season with maybe ? 20 ? tags drawn ?
This will be our 21st season and the number of tags to be drawn has increased noticeably.

Obviously, I have not been drawn to get an Elk hunt permit.... but I keep trying.

So FAR the best game plan (objective) is containment. Everywhere CWD has been....it STILL is there.

I’ve had a little time to digest some of this.

Deer & Elk May be baited IN the CWD Zone, Sept 1 — Dec 31.

It ‘seems’ they “might” want to spread cwd IN the zone to reduce herd numbers ? ? ? (My Speculation)
However I really don’t think that’s the rational.

I think it’s more likely IF they rule feed (bait) is ILLegal in the CWD zone then the Elk & Deer “farms” would be outta buzinezz ? ?

They, AFGC, have already said feeding (baiting) encourages congregating the animals and increases the odds of spreading the disease. ? ? ?

Is this a conundrum ? Is it Bureacrecy Intelligence ?

Dang Mr. Jerry...here it is I'm trying to unwind before turning in and I read this. After looking at all the R&R's in AR on this, my head is spinning and starting to hurt a little. Y'all just make sure it don't spread down here in LA!

It is pretty simple. They want lots of deer to be killed in the zone, and they feel the increase in kill rate that accompanies baiting will more than offset the increased transmission of CWD associated with baiting. They are probably wrong, but they are following the script they have written.

K

You may very well be right.

I do know this. There is NO singular right answer or approach. REGARDLESS of what methods/procedures have been tried or used.......
where EVER CWD has been it STILL is there.

From what I've READ.....containment - slowing/stopping the spread has had the best results.

G& F "intelligence". Military "intelligence".

AGFC = Ain't Got a F'ing Clue or Arkansas Goat F*** Club

Nothing they do will change it. Carrion birds like crows eat on every deer that is on the ground and as they migrate south they spread the prions. Congregating deer to stick their noses in the same corn pile is the surest way to spread it. The AGFC always handles things the wrong way.

H W

AND it's more than Crows, Buzzards, and we have Eagles too.

I 'THINK', don't know, they are allowing Feeding (Baiting) in the CWD zone because of the Deer & Elk farms. If it's outlawed THEY can't feed their 'livestock'.