The North American Deer Summit

© By Othmar Vohringer

Over the last decade, the ones believed to be an indestructible world of whitetail deer has taken a beating. What are the reasons for the overall decline of the deer populations? Scientist from the QDMA (Quality Deer Management Association) found out that the decline of the deer herds can be attributed to:

• Growing predator populations, seriously impacting fawn survival rates.
• Urban sprawl is the cause for rapid wildlife habitat loss.
• Disease, such as the quick and devastating spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) and more recently the spread of the Bluetongue Virus and “Deer Warts” (Cutaneous fibromas), has taken a huge toll on the deer herds in some areas of North America.
• Government “Deer Management” should be renamed as “Political Management” or “Hunter Management”. It is my contention for years now that government wildlife services in the past have been more concerned with keeping hunter happy than with sound science based deer management/conservation programs. I am glad, that finally, scientists have come to that conclusion too.

Personally I also find that over the years all the hoopla about killing large numbers does has contributed to the decline of deer herds too. While killing does can be a good management tool to reduce deer herds quickly it also can quickly backfire. Especially then when predator populations are not kept in check or some deadly disease or harsh winter conditions adversely affects deer herds.

It is my opinion that if things don’t change quickly we will have some serious deer conservation problems in the next few years. It is a very likely scenario that we will see some drastic measures being taken to protect deer, and that might very well mean a total ban on deer hunting in some of the most adverse affected areas, or at the very least a very limited number of deer tags being made available.

It is for this reasons why concerned deer hunters have established the National Deer Alliance (NDA) last year. The aim of the NDA to be a unified voice for deer hunters and work toward science based solutions for the many challenges our North American whitetail deer populations face. Part of the NDA mission is the creation of the North American Deer Summit. This is the second Summit of this kind and is to be held on May 6 to 8, 2015, The Galt House in Louisville, Kentucky.

The first summit, held in 2014, had the goal of identifying the various challenges facing the deer populations. This years summit will establish a priority plan of what issues need to be addressed immediately and to begin developing a plan of action to be taken.

This is a very important event, involving all stakeholders in the deer hunting and deer conservation community. This is something you, me and all fellow deer hunters should make a priority to get involved with and actively participate. The summit is open to the public, meaning everybody can, and should, take part in it.

As passionate deer hunters is should be all our duty to make sure that future generations of deer hunters have the possibility to enjoy what we do today, and maybe for too long have also taken for granted.

For more information visit the link of the North American Deer Summit.

Visit the North American Deer Summit registration page.

Become a member and supporter (it’s free) of the National Deer Alliance.

Here are some articles on the subject that might interest you:

EHD and CWD: What’s the Difference?

Have We Killed Too Many Does?

10 Reasons You Don’t Want CWD in Your Woods

Alberta : Testing Completed for Chronic Wasting Disease Winter Program

Alberta’s chronic wasting disease control program has identified nine additional infected deer out of more than 1,400 collected from the final winter target area in east-central Alberta.

Between March 15 and 27, 600 mule deer and 801 white-tailed deer were collected from high-risk areas east of Wainwright, near Edgerton and Chauvin. The disease was confirmed in eight mule deer and one white-tailed deer. These new cases are in addition to the three positive deer confirmed near the Empress area from 449 deer collected earlier in March. This brings the total of positive cases of chronic wasting disease in wild deer to 29 since the first documented case in September 2005.

Because Edgerton is the most westerly point at which the disease has been found, reduction of deer populations near Edgerton is an important control measure. With the Canadian Forces Base and the Wainwright Dunes Ecological Reserve in close proximity, large numbers of deer and elk are at risk if the disease becomes established.

Surveillance for this disease largely involves testing of hunter-killed deer in disease-control areas during the fall hunting season. During the 2006-2007 hunting season, 3,000 deer were tested, and four mule deer tested positive. These positive cases led to the additional disease control response this winter. Staff from Sustainable Resource Development worked with the department of Agriculture and Food to test the wild deer.

Chronic wasting disease affects the nervous system, causing infected animals to lose weight and slowly waste away. There is no scientific evidence to suggest the disease can affect humans. As a precaution, the World Health Organization advises against allowing products from animals known to be infected with any prion (abnormal protein) disease, such as chronic wasting disease and BSE, into the human food system.

Source: Alberta Sustainable Resource Development

Tags: Alberta, Deer, Chronic Wasting Disease

West Virginia CWD

It's said that every cloud, black as it might be, has a silver lining. Hopefully, this applies to something as ominous as the report of four new cases of fatal chronic wasting disease CWD among whitetail deer in Hampshire County, W.Va., just across the Potomac from Maryland's popular Green Ridge State Forest. This brings the total to nine in that county.

That state's Division of Natural Resources, which acknowledges preliminary testing on the latest four deer indicated CWD was to blame, said the testing was done as part of an "ongoing intensive surveillance effort." CWD testing was conducted by the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study located at the University of Georgia's College of Veterinary Medicine.

How can there be a silver lining to such news? All nine afflicted deer were from the same small area near the small town of Slanesville, a popular hunting grounds for both residents and non-residents. This could well mean the outbreak remains contained in the area.

How did it reach Hampshire County? It could well have arrived in a pickup truck carrying a diseased whitetail taken by hunter or poacher from another area. Or, could it be a spontaneous outbreak that could have happened in some states hundreds of miles from where CWD was known to be present? So much remains unknown about the disease.

CWD, first recognized in 1967 in Colorado, has subsequently been found in captive deer and elk herds in nine states and two provinces of Canada - and in free-ranging herds in 11 states and two provinces. Until discovered in New York and West Virginia last year (September in West Virginia), CWD cases were pretty much confined to the West and Midwest.

When West Virginia deer first tested positive in late summer of last year, the DNR immediately implemented its CWD-Incident Response Plan - and has been engaged in intensive surveillance efforts designed to determine the spread and prevalence of the disease.

From September through the past April, 1,317 Hampshire County deer were tested. The samples consisted of 1,016 hunter-harvested deer bagged during the past season, 216 deer taken by DNR personnel in '05 and an additional 85 taken by the department in '06. CWD was not detected in any of the examined hunter-harvested deer the past fall.

All four of the latest cases came from the 85 taken by DNR this year. One of the deer that tested positive late last year was a road kill.
"Analysis of the CWD surveillance data indicates the disease appears to be found in a relatively small geographical area located near Slanesville less than 10 miles from the Maryland line." said DNR Director Frank Jezioro. "From a wildlife disease management perspective, we consider this to be encouraging news.

"Based upon these CWD surveillance findings, we are taking the steps necessary to implement appropriate management actions designed to control the spread of the disease, prevent introduction of the disease and possibly eliminate the disease from the state."

Jezioro declined to list what the actions would be, but we will probable see more DNR-taken deer there in the near future. Three management options outlined by the department for use within the afflicted area of Hampshire County include:

Lower deer population levels 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 the disease from deer to deer.

Source: Water and Woods News

CWD (Chronic Wasting Disease)

Here at Outdoors with Othmar Vohringer and Whitetail Deer Passion we recognizes the current threat that chronic wasting disease (CWD) poses for the deer, elk and perhaps other wildlife plus to the heritage of hunting big game in general that could occur if this illness should spread further. In several regions of North America this threat has become already a sad reality. This is why we here at Outdoors with Othmar Vohringer and Whitetail Deer Passion have compiled an informative resource of information so that the visitors to our website can learn more about this threat and what they can do to help in the prevention of the spread of CWD.

As hunters and conservationists we at Outdoors with Othmar Vohringer and Whitetail Deer Passion feel it is our duty to our fellow outdoor and hunting enthusiasts to provide the information available without the usual hype, rumours and hearsay. Instead we provide the facts, as they are known to us from reputable sources in an effort that you can take the necessary precautions and to learn what various state and province agencies in the USA and Canada are doing to combat this problem. For most hunters, especially those who hunt in areas where CWD has not been found do not be concerned about CWD and still can enjoy the upcoming hunting season. But we at Othmar Vohringer Outdoors would like to encourage all hunters who care about wildlife and conservation as much as we do, to get as much information and education about this illness as possible, to take all the necessary precautions and help their local wildlife management agencies in any way they see fit in preventing the spread of CWD in an effort to secure our priceless natural renewable resources for generations to come.. Thank you for being a true hunter and conservationist, we count on you and so do our children and future generation hunters.

Bellow we provide you with the answers to most CWD questions.

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What is CWD?
CWD is a neurological (brain and nervous system) disease found in deer and elk in certain geographical locations in North America. The disease belongs to a family of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathises (TSE) or prion diseases.
This disease attacks the brain of the infected deer or elk and produces small lesions that result in the death of the animal. While CWD is similar to mad cow disease (BSE) in cattle and as scrapie in sheep, there is no known relationship between CWD and any other TSE of animals and, or people
.
How is it spread?
It’s not known exactly how CWD is spread. It is believed that the agent responsible for the disease may be spread both directly (animal to animal) and indirectly (soil or other surface to animal). It is thought that the most common mode of transmission from an infected animal is via saliva and feces.

Where has it been found?
CWD is known to infect wild deer and elk in north-eastern Colorado and southern Wyoming, and wild deer in western Colorado, western Nebraska, south-western South Dakota, south-central New Mexico and west-central Saskatchewan. It has been diagnosed in game ranches in Colorado, Nebraska, South Dakota, Montana, Oklahoma, Kansas, Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Is it dangerous to humans?
There is currently no convincing evidence that the agent of CWD affects humans. However, public health officials recommend that human exposure to CWD agent be avoided as they continue to research the disease.

What precautions should hunters take?
Health officials advise hunters not to consume meat from animals known to be infected with the disease. Boning out meat is recommended. In addition, they suggest that hunters take normal simple hygienic precautions when field dressing carcasses.

How can you tell if a deer has CWD?
Infected animals may not show any symptoms of the disease. In some stages of the disease, however, infected animals begin to lose bodily functions and display abnormal behaviour such as staggering, disorientation or standing with very pore posture. Animals may have an exaggerated wide posture, or may carry the head and ears lowered. Infected animals become very emaciated (thus wasting disease) and will appear in very poor body condition. Infected animals will also often stand near water. Drooling or excessive salivation may be apparent. Note that these symptoms may also be characteristic of diseases other than CWD.

What should I do if I see a deer with CWD?
Unless your state or province wildlife agency or other appropriate authority has issued other instructions and/or regulations, you should accurately document the location of the animal and immediately contact the nearest officer or employee of the State or Province Wildlife Agency. Do not attempt to contact, disturb, kill, or remove the animal.

Can I have a deer tested?
In general, the answer is no if you live in an area where CWD has not been documented. Testing is currently only available in areas where CWD has been detected in wild deer. Much effort is being devoted to increasing the laboratories that are certified to do the testing.

Is the meat safe to eat?
While the agent that produces chronic wasting disease in deer and elk has not been positively identifies, there is strong evidence to suggest that abnormally shape proteins, called prions, are responsible. Research completed to date indicate that the prions accumulate in certain parts of infected animals-the brain, eyes, spinal cord, lymph nodes, tonsils and spleen. Based on these findings, hunters are recommended to not eat meat from animals known to be infected with CWD. Hunters in CWD areas are also advice to bone out their meat and to not consume those parts where prions likely accumulate.

What's being done to combat CWD?
Efforts to address CWD are accelerating rapidly. In facilities with captive animals known to have or to have been exposed to CWD, management is concentrating on quarantining or killing of every animal and burning of all carcasses. In some cases around captive populations, double fencing is recommended to prevent direct contact between captive and wild animals.

In wild populations, the management option recommended is to reduce the density of animals in the infected area to slow the transmission of the disease. This is being done by selective culling of animals suspected to have been directly exposed to this disease. In Colorado, Nebraska and Wisconsin large numbers of animals are being killed to reduce density of animals and thus slow the transmission of the disease.

There is still a large need for research on the disease as many questions go unanswered. There s also a need for increased funding to support additional laboratories for testing animals for the disease. Just about every U.S. State and Canadian Province wildlife agency is now planning an increased effort at surveillance to detect if CWD is present.
Many state and province agencies have banned the importation of deer and elk into their state or province.

Some U.S. States and Canadian Provinces have also halted intra-state/province movement of deer and elk has banned supplemental feeding programs. Colorado has implemented regulations that allow only boned meat, quarters (without spinal column or head) or processed meat from deer or elk to be transported out of certain areas with CWD. Clean skull plates with the antlers attached can also be removed from an infected area. Check with a state/province wildlife agency in the state/province where you hunt to determine if they have enacted similar restrictions.

For more up-to-date information please visit:
The CWD.Org. Website
Chronic Wasting Disease is a joint project of the Boone and Crockett Club, the Mule Deer Foundation and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. These non-profit wildlife conservation organizations formed the Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance in January 2002 to address CWD. Other organizations have since joined the Alliance.

Updates about CWD on this Blog:

West Virginia CWD
Infectious Prions Found in Deer Meat