CWD spreading

[JCDEERMAN]

Imagine it already is, the right deer just haven't been tested yet.

Yep

 

[chris1976]

If that's the case then honestly in a few years the baiting bill will be worthless. In many counties. Suits me fine shouldn't have passed in the first place.

They will allow baiting in CWD counties before doing away with baiting. It's now the law of the land.

 

[deerhunter10]

They will allow baiting in CWD counties before doing away with baiting. It's now the law of the land.

At some point its got to get back about the wildlife. Seems very counter productive to be worried about a 50 dollar permit instead of the wildlife. You're probably right. But none of that makes any sense.

 

[DoubleRidge]

I don't believe this will be the case for the early on RANDOM CWD positive(s), which is likely the worst case for next 5-10 years. Now, if in 20-30 years, CWD prevalence rates spike and CWD become "environmental" in your area, then yes, the disease and the over reaction from the public may be detrimental to the local herd. I just don't see that happening in the near term (5-10 years). Time will tell.

Agree....and while we cant control CWD, we can control how we react to it.

 

[Creek bottoms]

Unfortunately just a matter of (not much) time for Hickman and Humphreys counties

We did a thermal scan of my farm yesterday with a drone, 451 acres. The drone picked up turkeys just fine. We did the farm in a grid to make sure we covered it all. We saw a total of 4 deer! I have 80 acres of creek bottoms in wheat, same as last year. The hills and hollers are mostly mature white oaks, full of acorns this year but not last year. Last year, we would count 100 deer in those 3 wheat fields an hour before dark. Something dramatic has happened. Less than a mile away the way the crow flies, a similar scan was done on 1,000 acres. They detected 18 deer! You can talk acorns and early rut all you want, but something is amiss big time.

 

[CBU93]

@Creek bottoms what county?

Have you seen a gradual decline up until this year you either couldn't fully explain or even could justify? Sounds very familiar to a property I know in the epicenter….

 

[Creek bottoms]

@Creek bottoms what county?

Have you seen a gradual decline up until this year you either couldn't fully explain or even could justify? Sounds very familiar to a property I know in the epicenter….

I'm in the north end of Humphreys County on Big Richland Creek. We just fell off a cliff. I found 7 that I assumed were EHD fatalities late summer and early fall. Deer sightings a year ago were amazing.

 

[Andy S.]

@Creek bottoms - that would peak my interest too, and not in a good way.

 

[MickThompson]

I'm in the north end of Humphreys County on Big Richland Creek. We just fell off a cliff. I found 7 that I assumed were EHD fatalities late summer and early fall. Deer sightings a year ago were amazing.

The cliff sounds much more like EHD than the progression of CWD

 

[Creek bottoms]

@Creek bottoms - that would peak my interest too, and not in a good way.

I'm stumped. A lot of folks around here are too.

 

[Andy S.]

The cliff sounds much more like EHD than the progression of CWD

For sure.

 

[megalomaniac]

Agree....and while we cant control CWD, we can control how we react to it.

Actually, its more like we cant control TWRAs response to CWD.

If they continue to take the position of eradication of deer in cwd zones, then that is what the majority of hunters will do... target practice on does to earn multiple extra buck tags. Can't manage age structure when there are virtually unlimited buck tags.

 

[DoubleRidge]

Once there is a positive deer in your area what really is accomplished by further testing? Its there and its not going anywhere? Whats really the point? And please dont say "to slow the spread"
So were back to kill all the deer so CWD doesnt kill all the deer? I've been communicating with neighboring land owners today since this news broke.
We've seen the ineffectivness of eradication efforts and have no interest in such a program. Were not gonna shoot CWD off the landscape. Thats been tried and it doesnt work. Nature will take its course and we'll hunt the most mature bucks in the area. Whatever age class that happens to be.

 

[DoubleRidge]

Actually, its more like we cant control TWRAs response to CWD.

Ok....We cant control TWRAs response to CWD...but we can control our response to CWD.

 

[fairchaser]

I just got this notice this morning. I pray you never get one. Even though it's happens more often than not. It's still a gut punch reminder.

 

[mike243]

Those states that took the kill em all route are still not positive in all of there county's looking at maps, so I suspect that did slow down the spread but as deer number come back up does it start over again and it starts spreading or maybe the deer percentages of infected stay low? set back do nothing or be proactive? keep eating infected deer without any thoughts as to the risks while proclaiming it's a none issue. Don't blame any of the States wildlife folks from trying to help/limit the spread. It's not helping anything spreading BS by any of us. Folks hear what they want and speculate on the rest, before you know it forty-seven new stories are out there without any proof.

 

[DoubleRidge]

I would never claim CWD is a "none issue" nor would I blame the state agency for trying to do something...its just killing a bunch of deer to stop CWD from killing a bunch of deer just doesnt make sense...all while were told once its in the soil its not going anywhere.
For example, with a low prevalence rate we should all just slaughter the herd and begin the experience of low deer numbers now. Or do we let nature take its natural course and experience a slower transition into a different age structure? The following statement is from the state agency and it says:

"CWD is a slowly progressing disease and is harbored in an infected animal long before the animal shows signs. Signs typically are not seen until 12-18 months post-infection and may take as long as 3 years or more."

So it may take 3 years or more? So a 1½ year old infected buck may live to 4½...or a 2½ year old infected buck may live to 5½...or an infected fawn may live till 3½.

I hate CWD wish it wasnt here...but I also hate of idea of slaughtering deer that could realistically live till 3½ to 5½ year old.....its been proven were not gonna shoot CWD off the landscape.

Now I gotta figure out how to cover up or prevent deer from congregating at historical mineral/salt lick sites.

 

[bowhunterfanatic]

Dont worry about me, your neighbors will do the same. There wont be any point in managing for mature bucks between the state management plan and the disease itself. And I'll switch to another protein to consume.

As someone who is hunting in a county that's been positive for a while now, I think you'll be surprised. The first year or two there might have been a small uptick in numbers of bucks killed, but the past few years has been back to normal. Unless every single one of your neighbors is a brown and downer, the future isn't as bleak as you make it out to be.

 

[backyardtndeer]

Now I gotta figure out how to cover up or prevent deer from congregating at historical mineral/salt lick sites.

Yeah, it sucks. It might take a dump truck load of dirt to fill in some. What was a great way to get an idea of the deer in your area isn't allowed in cwd zone. With them allowing baiting in the rest of the state, sure would be nice if they would change their stance on minerals.

 

[kentuckylakebuck1]

what a joke!

 

[Smo]

I'm in the north end of Humphreys County on Big Richland Creek. We just fell off a cliff. I found 7 that I assumed were EHD fatalities late summer and early fall. Deer sightings a year ago were amazing.

Creek, I found another deer skull by one of my creeks a couple days ago.

That makes 4 I've found since back in the Summer..on 80 acres.

I'm seeing deer almost every trip, however I think it's the same family groups.
I did see 4 young bucks running together just after m/l season closed.
At least there's a few still standing.

For those that don't know I'm in North Humphreys Co a few miles West of Creek bottoms place.

Overall deer sightings in my neck of the woods is down drastically as well.

I started noticing the decline last season, but looking back it probably was much earlier.

It's had too determine with the sketchy weather & acorn crops that we've had or the lack of acorns completely for several years clustered together.

 

[Antler Daddy]

You find it when you look for it more....waiting on LBL to find it but they didn't run any check stations this year...at least during the shutdown in KY.

 

[Antler Daddy]

Might make it easier to get hunting access.....Ms. landowner, have you heard about this "zombie" disease in our area? They are encouraging us to kill more deer...especially older bucks. Have you seen any? :)

 

[Andy S.]

This letter was received recently by a landowner near Ames Plantation, basically the epicenter of CWD in TN. Remember, CWD was first "detected" in this area December 2018, and had likely been on the landscape and in the herd for a decade. I highly suspect myself and many other hunters consumed A LOT of CWD infected venison during this time period (2008 - 2018).

 

[hammer33]

Very eye opening. IF true, CWD might be overhyped and may not even be an issue.
Much of the narrative is based on false information and supposition.
If true.

 

[backyardtndeer]

This letter was received recently by a landowner near Ames Plantation, basically the epicenter of CWD in TN. Remember, CWD was first "detected" in this area December 2018, and had likely been on the landscape and in the herd for a decade. I highly suspect myself and many other hunters consumed A LOT of CWD infected venison during this time period (2008 - 2018).

View attachment 306979

That's been going on for at least a couple years. Iirc there was an article with the same information either in Tennessee wildlife publication or maybe it was in a hunting guide, asking for participation from willing landowners.

 

[chris1976]

Hey Fayette and Hardeman county hunters, CWD is not wiping out your deer herd, .gov and your neighbors are.

 

[ROUGH COUNTRY HUNTER]

Where are the deer that CWD kills, every test is from a deer a weapon killed

 

[Ski]

Very eye opening. IF true, CWD might be overhyped and may not even be an issue.
Much of the narrative is based on false information and supposition.
If true.

If true then I agree. They brought up some compelling points. I too would like to see an actual picture of an isolated prion. That should be quite easy to provide but I can't recall ever seeing it.

It's also interesting that the CWD epicenter in WI shows significant growth in herd numbers post detection.

My overall impression is that the guest speaker is over the top biased, so I'm skeptical about anything he says. I need proof to accompany the claims in order to believe them. But on the same coin I need to see proof that debunks the claims. There's truth somewhere and truth shouldn't be hard to prove.

 

[backyardtndeer]

Where are the deer that CWD kills, every test is from a deer a weapon killed

I believe they test some roadkill deer. Imagine most that die in the wild are quickly scavenged.