Wisconsin’s CWD Rate Hits Record High

Is that why the first cases were by a game farm near Madison? And now it is northern Wi. from a game farm that had CWD deer. After some deer got out the DNR paid something like 3,000.00 for each deer they had to kill. Which was all the deer on the farm. I don't know where CWD started but if the Wi. goverment had wanted to they could have kept it out buy having ALL game animals tested before allowing them in this state.

 

No. that is not factual. What you suppose is not true. There was no ante-mortem test going back pre-outbreak in WI. The only test back then was for dead animals and there is little value in captive operations importing dead animals. There still is no truly reliable ante-mortem test. This from the American Cervid Alliance website dated 2013 where they hoped to self pay for the creation of an ante-mortem test..

"During the December 2013 American Cervid Alliance council meeting, leaders discussed the possibility of a live test and the benefits it could bring to the industry. We have found a research facility that is developing a blood test to detect CWD in an infected animal and they are also conducting research to determine how soon after infection can they detect the disease with a blood test.

This research is well underway and is looking very promising, but more funds are needed to validate a blood test as a live test for CWD. The ACA is proposing that each cervid farmer in North America donate at least $5.00 per animal to further the live CWD research. In order for this fundraiser to be successful, we need everyone who raises cervids to donate to the cause whatever they can afford to donate."

Still in 2015 there is only discussion of a reliable ante-mortem test for CWD in captive cervids. See link.

State Animal Health Officials Discuss Live CWD Test | TDA

 

Another very real and potential cause and link to the spread of CWD is urine based deer lures. Now we see labeling on bottles of pee that states that it comes from "certified" CWD free farms. Recall there is no live test. The only thing "certified" farms can attest to is that they have not found a positive in post-portem testing. They could very well have CWD but not yet detected it and the urine they are selling could be coming from a CWD positive deer that has not gone clinical.

Once that potential prion disease urine is mixed with the soil by a hunter.............. Well, if you have been reading along, you know the rest of the story.

 

I did not mean to have a chilling affect on the conversation about CWD. Likewise I don't hope to sound like a know-it-all by inserting corrections when I notice incorrect statements being made either but to leave them uncorrected would be improper.

 

I don't think any one minds as long as what you're saying is backed up and there is no Mud Slinging. We're all here to learn. Thanks.

 

I look at it as does anyone really believe that CWD just popped up out of nowhere in I believe the year was 2002 and has only been an issue for the last 14 years? I am 99% sure that CWD has been around longer than that in WI yet nothing has happened.

 

As I was worried about, this is being reported incorrectly thought out the news outlets. They keep saying this means 9% of the entire state herd is infected which is false or at minimum is not what this report shows.

Why not report the numbers like this? 2013 there were 357 positive tests,2014 - 331 positive tests, in 2015 - 295 so according to those numbers there are fewer infected deer than there were in the past. All time, there have been a total of 13 deer tested positive outside of the Southern Farmland Zone.

 

Nobody believes or has suggested that. Its very common knowledge that it as first discovered I deer in 1967 and hundreds of years prior to that in sheep (Scrapies) Your assertion is not based on facts.

You can now be 100% certain.

 

I've not read where anybody has said 9% of the ENTIRE STATE IS INFECTED. Where are you getting that from?

If memory serves they are testing fewer deer so while the raw number of positives may be on the decline you have to meter it against the number tested before you can assume the %positives are in decline.

 

They are saying 9% not 95%. But even saying 9% is incorrect. It is simply 9% of the tested animals. Point being. Saying these results mean 9% of the entire herd is just as wrong as saying the spread is under control by saying fewer animals were tested positive.

I'll see if I can spread the sarcasm on a little thicker next time.

 

I failed to hold down the shift key so it looks like I posted 95 when I meant to type 9%.

Who is "they"? Where did "they" say what you are accusing them of saying? Link?

 

IO, thanks for posting your insights on this topic, this has been a fascinating discussion to read. I've been highly critical of deer farming operations as they seem to have been more responsible for spreading CWD throughout North America than any other source...it seems like every outbreak in new states are tracked back to deer farming operations that imported infective deer in.

Baiting...I've never been in favor of baiting personally however I have no issues with those who do where it is legal. It is interesting to see that food plots are just as likely to transmit, if not more so. The item that really piqued my interest is your comments about urine products. Virginia enacted a urine ban last year and it seems as though I was one of the few hunters in this state that was okay with it...after seeing the draconian measures that some states have taken in response to CWD, it seemed like a prudent precautionary measure. After reading your thoughts on it, I'm glad that VA took the step ban it.

Thanks again or sharing your knowledge on this topic!

 

Alaska, Arizona, Vermont and Virginia have already banned deer urine use, along with three Canadian provinces. In Pennsylvania such a ban is still pending. I expect the list of states to grow.

As to feed plots. There is no push to ban them or even have an honest discussion about their role in disease transmission. The group that dislikes baiting (actually they dislike the competition and they would rather have a monopoly on congregating and attracting deer with their feed to advantage them in seeing and killing deer) is not willing to engage in such a dialog. They are eager to talk about banning baiting citing disease transmission as a reason but they wont look internal at their own actions.

If a person is serious and sincere about spreading CWD and blasts baiting because of CWD transmission while growing feed plots, they are a straight up hypocrite.

 

Democratic lawmakers offer CWD recommendations to Gov. Walker

 

41 counties are listed as CWD affected. Of those 41, only 19 have ever had a positive test that leaves 22 counties being affected by never having a deer test positive. Of all the positive tests only 13 have been outside the southern farmland zone.

CWD is not spreading even close to what they want us to believe.

 

The 10 mile radius inflicts CWD management on a county just for being near a positive in another county even if no positives have ever been found in the effected county

 

I read the Paul Smith news story.

"At Wednesday's meeting, Danou and Milroy suggested the following steps:

- Require double-fencing of captive deer farms to prevent CWD from spreading to the wild deer population."

Feel good measure that will do little to nothing.A CWD free deer farmnear infected wild deer is more like to contract CWD from the wild than spread it.
- Study whether lures that contain deer urine or other bodily fluids or parts such as tarsal glands contain CWD prions. Other states have banned them.

Study all you want, its already known urine and feces contain infectious material. That why others states have already banned those lures. Farms escape this by claiming to be CWD free meaning no dead deer removed from the farm has tested positive. There is no live test. They may well have CWD producing the pee they sell and not know it YET

Analyze other states' policies regarding baiting and feeding of deer.

Already done to death. Baiting does not cause CWD. If you believe hunter placed feed contribute to the spread of CWD then also ban feed plots grown by hunters of you are doing nothing. Bating has been banned in the southern CWD hot zone for more than decade. Hows that working out? Did it cure, stop or slow the spread?

Consider intensive culls at sites where new infections have been discovered.


Good idea is on a farm. Impossible on privately held lands unless the land owner grants permission. Hunters that own land will not accept wholesale slaughter. Its been tried and was a miserable failure. They wont grant the DNR permission.

Restore the DNR Science Services Bureau positions that were eliminated in the 2015-17 state budget.


No harm in this.

Examine what the state of Illinois is doing to contain CWD and consider adopting those measures.


Already done. Its been examined 7 ways from Sunday. They have not stopped or cured CWD. Even if they "slow" the spread they are saying they expect and accept spread. When did IL become the model for doing CWD right?

Milroy said it is the legislators' sincere hope "that Governor Walker and DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp will strongly consider adopting the policies that we suggested as we work to halt the spread of CWD."


LOL at "Halt" the spread. Webster defines halt as "the stopping or ending of movement, progress, or action"

Not a chance. Its been explained why it cant be stopped in great detail here already. Mr. Milroy should study up on the folly of his suggestion.

Lets say Milroy gets 100% of what he is asking for. Look ahead 10 years and you will see no change. CWD will continue its steady progression across WI. Due to legislation, baiting will eventually be banned state wide and have zero effect on the spread. Humans are powerless here except for to monitor.

 

Understood, right now there is no choice because of what is written in law. But all that law really does is inflate the "Affected Counties" so politicians can make the CWD status appear worse than it is so they have something to point to if they decide to "DO" something. If we listened to how they portray the data, you would think every deer in the state is infected.

 

To them its harmless exaggeration to help advance their cause. Nothing new in the realm of politics. They would rather speak in those terms rather than list the actual counties were a wild positive has been discovered.

 

Don't do it you are being setup!