CWD could kill the deer herd in 41 years!

fairchaser

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2011
Messages
8,852
Location
TN, USA
Interesting article showing the mortality of a mule deer herd from CWD at 19% and could cause it to become extinct in 41 years, but there's also hope of a genetic resistant genome.

 

fairchaser

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2011
Messages
8,852
Location
TN, USA
You're reaching out there now….
Possibly and hopefully. The encouraging part is the herd will survive in some form and with the resistant genome could bring the herd back eventually stronger than ever.

The other aspect is whether it's smart to continue shrinking the herd to slow the spread now that we are hundreds of miles from the epicenter!
 

AT Hiker

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2011
Messages
12,916
Location
Clarksville, Tennessee
Mule deer have it rough, everything from weather, predators and loss of habitat is trying to kill them…it's a delicate resource and CWD makes it that more dire.

The good news;
CWD doesn't seem to impact females getting pregnant and fawning, allowing the possible resistant gene to evolve throughout the herd.
Whitetail are not mule deer (which most cited studies seem to be on mule deer). Whitetail seem to be crafty little critters that can survive in some wild situations, unlike sensitive muleys.
 

BSK

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 11, 1999
Messages
80,883
Location
Nashville, TN
Hmmm, a whole lot of critical information not in the article (although it might be in the candidate's dissertation). What is the total adult annual mortality rate? What are all of the causes? How much is hunting increasing mortality? What are the fawn production and survival rates (fawn recruitment rate)? How much immigration and emigration occurs annually?

This is a study of a fairly isolated pocket population. Most whitetail populations don't have that problem. In addition, as AT Hiker pointed out, Mule Deer are a very touchy species. Their populations are nowhere near as robust as whitetails and are highly susceptible to changes in mortality. On the other hand, whitetails are one of the most robust large mammal species known. They're like cockroaches: once you have them, they're virtually impossible to get rid of. They survive well in nearly any environment they are relocated into.

One other critical factor for whitetails is genetic diversity. I've posted many times about how genetically diverse whitetail populations are. They may be the most genetically diverse mammal known. It is my belief their social structure and breeding process creates this genetic diversity and is why they are such a successful species. Place a group of whitetails in any environment and just by shear random chance (due to extreme genetic diversity) some of those individuals will be genetically adapted to the environment. In the posted article they discussed the different gene allele sequences. They said there were 3 in the local mule deer population, and three in a studied elk population. Last I read, there are actually 6 known for all elk, with one potentially immune to CWD. And of my last reading of the data, because whitetails are so genetically diverse, researchers had found 83 variations of that allele in whitetails! Out of 83 variations, some will be immune. That's the way genetic diversity and Natural Selection works.
 

Headhunter

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 14, 2000
Messages
6,971
Location
Tennessee
Copying a post I just made. Seriously, does anyone have a clue if the articles are valid at all? It does make me wonder.

I believe it has been around since the 1960's and apparently has not bothered humans, I don't want to be the "first" case though.

But do the articles below have zero validity? I have no clue who the guy is, one of my friends shared it with me, some of his family is from the area the articles come from.


If link doesn't work, it can be found in November newspaper articles at www.larrydablemont.com.


and
 

JCDEERMAN

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 19, 2008
Messages
17,482
Location
NASHVILLE, TN
In the posted article they discussed the different gene allele sequences. They said there were 3 in the local mule deer population, and three in a studied elk population. Last I read, there are actually 6 known for all elk, with one potentially immune to CWD. And of my last reading of the data, because whitetails are so genetically diverse, researchers had found 83 variations of that allele in whitetails! Out of 83 variations, some will be immune. That's the way genetic diversity and Natural Selection works.
WHAT?? Now, this is encouraging and what the emphasis needs to be on. I want to learn more about THIS!
 

BSK

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 11, 1999
Messages
80,883
Location
Nashville, TN
The biggest problem with Natural Selection doing away with CWD is how slowly CWD kills. Some mature deer are found that are positive but showing no clinical signs of the disease (not getting sick). Natural Selection works best when a disease kills quickly, only leaving the immune to reproduce and pass on their genetic immunity. If an animal can live a long life while being infected and infecting others, Natural Selection has nothing to select for.
 

AT Hiker

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2011
Messages
12,916
Location
Clarksville, Tennessee
WHAT?? Now, this is encouraging and what the emphasis needs to be on. I want to learn more about THIS!
Wyoming has some fantastic resources for CWD research.

"….Furthermore, fawns produced by CWD-negative deer, which more likely possessed the more resistant genotype compared to CWD-positive deer in our study, potentially contributed to the increase of the F allele in the population….."

 

AT Hiker

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2011
Messages
12,916
Location
Clarksville, Tennessee
The biggest problem with Natural Selection doing away with CWD is how slowly CWD kills. Some mature deer are found that are positive but showing no clinical signs of the disease (not getting sick). Natural Selection works best when a disease kills quickly, only leaving the immune to reproduce and pass on their genetic immunity. If an animal can live a long life while being infected and infecting others, Natural Selection has nothing to select for.
I've read a theory that predators (hunters included) naturally select CWD positive animals.
 

TheLBLman

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2002
Messages
37,854
Location
Knoxville-Dover-Union City, TN
Was just thinking about an observation that may be related to the spread of CWD.

Over the past couple years, I've seen more more bald eagles feeding on deer carcasses than in the preceding multiple decades! Eagles "hunt" over a very large area (much larger than coyotes), and are also migratory.

From what I understand, eagles (as well as buzzards, hawks, any bird eating the carcass) then "poop" out the prions wherever the poop. This has got to be a significant method of CWD spreading?
 

Lost Lake

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 17, 2012
Messages
5,045
Location
Middle Tn
Was just thinking about an observation that may be related to the spread of CWD.

Over the past couple years, I've seen more more bald eagles feeding on deer carcasses than in the preceding multiple decades! Eagles "hunt" over a very large area (much larger than coyotes), and are also migratory.

From what I understand, eagles (as well as buzzards, hawks, any bird eating the carcass) then "poop" out the prions wherever the poop. This has got to be a significant method of CWD spreading?
I've noticed more eagles for sure, but what I've noticed even more is the smaller, more aggressive black buzzards that seem to have migrated into our area in the last 15-20 years.

They're on a carcass in no time, and can wreak havoc on cow/ calf operations. They're way more aggressive than our regular Turkey Buzzards.
 

fairchaser

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2011
Messages
8,852
Location
TN, USA
What is the logic for continuing to reduce populations after a long period of time? Slowing the spread has happened already and now populations are being reduced by the disease itself. Seems like the strategy should have a time limit.
 

Latest posts

Top