Clarification on transport restrictions within CWD zone

[fairchaser]

I had been confused about transportation rules for deer carcasses within the new CWD zone. After digging down into the regs I found this section. This clearly states the rules regarding transportation of a carcass from one county to another within the zone or outside the zone.

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[Boll Weevil]

I predict these rules will unfortunately be broken countless times going forward.

 

[TNGunsmoke]

So if I read that right, if I kill a deer in Madison Co(positive), I may only use a processor in Madison, Hardeman, or McNairy Counties? And not my regular processor in Chester(high risk).

 

[fairchaser]

So if I read that right, if I kill a deer in Madison Co(positive), I may only use a processor in Madison, Hardeman, or McNairy Counties? And not my regular processor in Chester(high risk).

You can transport into a positive county but not out unless it's going to another positive county and not through another non positive county to get there. I don't believe McNairy is positive yet. Only Hardeman, Fayette and Madison are positive.

 

[Andy S.]

I predict these rules will unfortunately be broken countless times going forward.

Me too, unfortunately. The transportation between positive and high risk counties is not well understood among those "in the know" more serious hunters, much less those that pick up a H&T Guide in July and go hunting. Hopefully, the CWD Section, and the guidance to hunters will be very clear in the 2019 H&T Guide.

Here is the link to the actual document for those who want to read it:

https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/twra/ ... S-7037.pdf

 

[Andy S.]

 

[TNGunsmoke]

So if I read that right, if I kill a deer in Madison Co(positive), I may only use a processor in Madison, Hardeman, or McNairy Counties? And not my regular processor in Chester(high risk).

You can transport into a positive county but not out unless it's going to another positive county and not through another non positive county to get there. I don't believe McNairy is positive yet. Only Hardeman, Fayette and Madison are positive.

Yeah, it's Fayette I was thinking of.

 

[BULL MOOSE]

Im willing to bet those little red dots are going to also be found in Shelby, McNairy,, and Haywood County very soon.

Does the early buck hunt apply to all the counties or just the 3 confirmed?

 

[fairchaser]

Im willing to bet those little red dots are going to also be found in Shelby, McNairy,, and Haywood County very soon.

Does the early buck hunt apply to all the counties or just the 3 confirmed?

Yes, the new seasons and new rules for the August buck hunt apply to the entire 8 county zone.

 

[TheLBLman]

Yes, the new seasons and new rules for the August buck hunt apply to the entire 8 county zone.

Does that mean these new "regs" will then apply to Natchez Trace WMA (Natchez Trace State Park) deer hunting?

 

[Andy S.]

Yes, the new seasons and new rules for the August buck hunt apply to the entire 8 county zone.

Does that mean these new "regs" will then apply to Natchez Trace WMA (Natchez Trace State Park) deer hunting?

I don't think so as it is in Henderson, Carroll and Benton counties, none of which are in the CWD Unit.

 

[BULL MOOSE]

Anyone know what MS is doing down south?

 

[Andy S.]

Anyone know what MS is doing down south?

https://www.clarionledger.com/story/spo ... 126793001/

 

[Mike Belt]

I'm wondering how much testing will be done in the non positive counties surrounding the positive counties. Without confirmed cases of CWD in those surrounding counties hunters may not be so inclined to have them tested. That could potentially slow down the "red" dots in them.

 

[BULL MOOSE]

I'm wondering how much testing will be done in the non positive counties surrounding the positive counties. Without confirmed cases of CWD in those surrounding counties hunters may not be so inclined to have them tested. That could potentially slow down the "red" dots in them.

Mike, I think I saw in a video that there will be some mandatory testing days in the border counties and that will not be the case in Fayette and Hardeman. In other words, why waste resources at ground zero.

 

[fairchaser]

I'm wondering how much testing will be done in the non positive counties surrounding the positive counties. Without confirmed cases of CWD in those surrounding counties hunters may not be so inclined to have them tested. That could potentially slow down the "red" dots in them.

I think they will do quite a bit of testing because they are wanting to confirm the leading edges of the outbreak.

 

[Mike Belt]

Are they going to immediately add those other counties to the CWD area as they find CWD in them or will they wait until the end of the season?

 

[fairchaser]

Are they going to immediately add those other counties to the CWD area as they find CWD in them or will they wait until the end of the season?

Not certain, but last year they added as they discovered them so I suspect they will follow suit.

 

[Andy S.]

From TWRA Facebook page:

"Can Transport:
You can transport whole form high-risk county to high-risk county and from high-risk county to positive counties, but you must debone, etc if you wanted to take an animal through a positive county from one high-risk to another (e.g. McNairy to Shelby) since you pass through positive counties and it would be difficult to determine the origin of the animal if stopped.

Cannot Transport:
You cannot transport whole from positive counties to high-risk counties, from positive counties to outside Unit CWD or from high-risk to outside of Unit CWD without following the carcass export requirements."

Public lands opened to the August 3-day hunt:
Meeman-Shelby State Park and State Natural Area
Eagle Lake Refuge
Wolf River Wildlife Management Area and Ghost River State Natural Area
Chickasaw State Forest Wildlife Management Area
Gray's Creek Wildlife Management Area
Oak Dain
Big Hill Pond State Park
Tull Bottom Wildlife Management Area
South Fork Refuge
Spring Creek Wildlife Management Area
Colonial Forest V Durand Wildlife Management Area
Fort Ridge Wildlife Management Area
Lower Hatcher National Wildlife Refuge (Tipton Co.portion only)

Earn-A-Buck
– TN's antlered deer bag limit (2) did not change; therefore it still applies to hunters hunting Unit CWD as
well as the rest of the state.
– Hunters, regardless of where they are hunting in the state, are able to harvest two antler deer during the
2019-2020 season without having to earn them.
– Only hunters hunting in Unit CWD counties may earn additional bucks for harvest.
– Unit CWD hunters may earn up to two bucks (i.e., antlered deer) for harvest, in addition to the statewide
antler deer bag limit of two.
– Earned bucks are received by harvesting two Unit CWD antlerless deer, checking them in, submitting
them for CWD testing, and being notified by TWRA.
– Earn-A-Buck will increase the number of deer (does and bucks) harvested and the numbers of deer tested
for CWD. Increased testing will give TWRA a more complete understanding of CWD in TN.

Mandatory physical check stations on November 2-3 and November 9-10 for Unit CWD counties except
Hardeman and Fayette.
– These check stations enable TWRA to test more deer for CWD.
– The increased testing will result in a more complete understanding of CWD in TN.
– Hardeman and Fayette counties are excluded from mandatory testing because we already have a lot of
data in those counties. Testing will be voluntary there and we will provide many ways that people can
have their deer tested regardless of where they are in Unit CWD.

Hardeman and Fayette counties are excluded from mandatory testing because we already have a lot of
data in those counties. Testing will be voluntary there and we will provide many ways that people can
have their deer tested regardless of where they are in Unit CWD.

 

[woodsman04]

I can understand the rules and what the words say, but some times I have to read it and make sure. I think it would be easier if they would word it better instead of the long winded and terminology they use.



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[cbhunter]

I can understand the rules and what the words say, but some times I have to read it and make sure. I think it would be easier if they would word it better instead of the long winded and terminology they use.



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YEP, its clear as mud unless you read it and re read it a few times.

 

[fairchaser]

I can understand the rules and what the words say, but some times I have to read it and make sure. I think it would be easier if they would word it better instead of the long winded and terminology they use.



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YEP, its clear as mud unless you read it and re read it a few times.

Seems like a lot of legalese like IRS regs but sometimes it has to be worded like that to eliminate loop holes.
You could just say don't remove a deer from a positive county until it's rendered safe.

 

[AT Hiker]

So this sounds like the early Aug hunt cannot be a earn a buck, correct?


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[fairchaser]

So this sounds like the early Aug hunt cannot be a earn a buck, correct?


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Correct, since does are off the table, but a positive buck will get you another buck tag.

 

[TNGunsmoke]

So this sounds like the early Aug hunt cannot be a earn a buck, correct?


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August hunt is antlered deer only.

 

[Bone Collector]

I predict these rules will unfortunately be broken countless times going forward.

that is an understatement......

 

[TheLBLman]

So this sounds like the early Aug hunt cannot be a earn a buck, correct?

As I understand it, one could simply kill 2 bucks during August.
Then he could kill a couple antlerless deer during early archery season.
He would then be given two (2) additional buck tags.

Or, if he doesn't want to archery hunt, the muzzleloader & rifle seasons will be opening earlier, allowing plenty of extra new opportunity to kill antlerless deer pre-rut.
This is basically a 4-buck limit for the more avid hunters, perhaps without their killing any more antlerless deer than they normally have done anyway.

Also, if the hunter doesn't want to participate in the August hunt, he can simply kill a couple antlerless deer (like a doe & a fawn) the first week of early archery, then have a 4-buck limit for the remaining months of "deer season".

So, rather than increasing the doe kill, this "earn-a-buck" scheme may potentially make the doe kill even less than it would have been without it!

Since so many people have been "scared" out of eating venison, many who would regularly kill "a" doe (or "a" buck) are no longer willing to kill "a" doe, and will only kill "a" buck for the antlers. And if they're still eating their venison, how many will need to kill more deer than just those 4 bucks?

My reference to "a" is because the majority of TN's deer hunters kill less than one (1) deer annually, whether that deer is a buck or a doe.
Thus, the majority will just stop shooting doe, as they've never been much interested in killing more than 1 or 2 deer annually, and that was when they were actually eating their venison!

With the most avid hunters (those who already kill multiple deer annually) now having easy access to 4 buck tags, I can certainly see the buck kill going up, but the doe kill is most likely going to plummet.

Then with a faster-growing deer density (from the reduced doe kill), CWD has an increase in carriers, half of which become the next year's dispersing bucks, dispersing greater distances than their older sires' rut ranges? Doesn't that help spread CWD even farther than rutting bucks might?

 

[TheLBLman]

I'll be the first to say there are 3 sides to every coin, and exactly where reality falls may be anywhere in between the worse-case & the best case scenarios. But, imo, in terms of CWD, the increased buck limits with the "earn-a-buck" will make little difference and may even be counter-productive. CWD issues aside, and just in terms of sound deer management, the increase in buck hunting is a disaster?

But flip the coin, there may be so many people simply quitting deer hunting (in these areas) within a 2 or 3 years, that these regs become totally irrelevant, and government sharp-shooters will have to be contracted to kill the antlerless deer hunters once did.

What if the number of deer hunters decreases over 90% in these areas?
After this year's slaughter of 2 1/2 & older bucks, people being afraid to eat venison, many will quit deer hunting, many will decide to deer hunt outside the CWD zone?
If I personally had been hunting in these CWD counties, this year would be my last, not because of CWD, but because of those regs.
Why do most deer hunters deer hunt?
The real hunting disaster won't begin until next year in 2020.

 

[TheLBLman]

I believe the transport restriction are very good.
But do agree these rules will be frequently broken both from ignorance and intentionally.

 

[fairchaser]

For clarification, it takes two does turned in for testing to earn one buck tag. Also, there will be some hunters on the margin that may give up deer hunting due to CWD and new rules. But with nothing really to replace it, after people get used to the new rules, it will soon be business as usual with a new normal. This is what's happened in other areas. Can any of us seriously see ourselves sitting in our living rooms on a beautiful fall day during the rut? I can't.