New ways of detecting CWD

[BSK]

From the National Deer Association (NDA - formerly QDMA). Fascinating research into ways of detecting CWD in the area without testing dead deer.

3 Promising New Ways to Detect CWD, Dead Deer Not Required

A series of new tools could give us the ability to detect chronic wasting disease in deer populations without relying on deer harvest.

deerassociation.com

 

[Popcorn]

Several interesting points made that warrant further discussion at least.
I wonder if there is any info to be gained in looking at parasites in and on the deer and the effects on them or presence of them. With the evidence of increased presence in saliva I am particularly curious about bot fly larvae and ehd midge larvae .
Is the deer less or more hospitable to these as well as intestinal parasites? Do the parasites contribute to the spread? Why or why not?
Soooo many questions…

 

[TheLBLman]

While these new detection abilities are good, at the same time I fear they will accelerate the designation of borderline CWD counties into TWRA's CWD "Zone" counties ---- effectively ending any serious older buck deer "management".

Odds seem even lower now for the counties along the Western Highland Rim (East Side of TN River) escaping this "zone" designation. Will it happen this year? Next year?

Which is worse? Having CWD in your county,
or being designated a CWD county by TWRA?

 

[Ski]

Interesting article. Every journey begins with a step. I'm a fan of positive news!

 

[DoubleRidge]

Fascinating research and I wasn't one bit surprised to see MSU Deer Lab involved in some way. Interesting stuff. Thanks for sharing.

 

[DoubleRidge]

Which is worse? Having CWD in your county,
or being designated a CWD county by TWRA?

While I wish CWD wasn't in TN....I'll go with being designated a CWD county is worse than CWD itself....while I do understand the concept of "slowing the spread"... slaughtering the herd to protect the herd doesn't exactly make sense... especially for those who have hunted western states where CWD has been present for decades and they have huntable populations of deer with reasonable odds of taking a buck that meets most people's goals.... destroying the age structure of the herd with the "kill them all" mentality just seems worse than the loses the herd will experience from CWD itself.

 

[TheLBLman]

.... destroying the age structure of the herd with the "kill them all" mentality just seems worse than the loses the herd will experience from CWD itself.

Exactly, but for most QDM-type deer hunter-managers, it's even worse than you stated.
That "kill them all" mentality is most heavily targeting bucks.
Essentially no limit on bucks, rifles allowed during former archery seasons.

Since bucks regularly roam several linear miles during the rut, as well as seasonally range shift often a couple miles or more, even those few hunter-managers with thousands of contiguous acres will suffer similar losses to those with only a few acres.

Not to say that CWD isn't a huge blow to deer management just of and by itself, since it tends to take out more 3 1/2 & older bucks vs younger deer. Maybe a part of TWRA's thinking is any buck living to 3 1/2 might otherwise just be "wasted" if a hunter doesn't kill it before it dies of CWD?

But what may ultimate be even worse is the regional blow to the future of deer hunting and the ideals of quality deer management? Many the avid deer hunters may just go to other states (or other counties) to deer hunt?

 

[DoubleRidge]

Exactly, but for most QDM-type deer hunter-managers, it's even worse than you stated.
That "kill them all" mentality is most heavily targeting bucks.
Essentially no limit on bucks, rifles allowed during former archery seasons.

Since bucks regularly roam several linear miles during the rut, as well as seasonally range shift often a couple miles or more, even those few hunter-managers with thousands of contiguous acres will suffer similar losses to those with only a few acres.

Not to say that CWD isn't a huge blow to deer management just of and by itself, since it tends to take out more 3 1/2 & older bucks vs younger deer. Maybe a part of TWRA's thinking is any buck living to 3 1/2 might otherwise just be "wasted" if a hunter doesn't kill it before it dies of CWD?

But what may ultimate be even worse is the regional blow to the future of deer hunting and the ideals of quality deer management? Many the avid deer hunters may just go to other states (or other counties) to deer hunt?

You make several interesting points.

For me it's similar to the conversation about letting a nice 2½ or 3½ year old buck walk....Some argue that he may go to another property and get shot....which is true....but he also may live another year.
Same with CWD.... every 3½ year old buck isn't going to die of CWD...but once you pull the trigger he's dead.

We are not going to shoot CWD off the landscape....So we manage the habitat and manage for a healthy herd.

 

[tellico4x4]

Same with CWD.... every 3½ year old buck isn't going to die of CWD...but once you pull the trigger he's dead.

We are not going to shoot CWD off the landscape....So we manage the habitat and manage for a healthy herd.

My place is on Wayne/Hardin line & I don't see us changing our management program whenever we get in the hotzone

 

[backyardtndeer]

Tests are ongoing. How long until small landowners can send in soil samples? The tests will only confirm if cwd is present, it won't tell you if a specific deer has it though.

 

[Antler Daddy]

My place is in Wayne/Hardin line & I don't see us changing our management program when whenever we get in the hotzone

My place is on Wayne/Hardin line & I don't see us changing our management program whenever we get in the hotzone

Wayne county is already in the management zone.

 

[AlabamaSwamper]

Sorta

Wayne is just currently in the "we are fixing to ruin your hunting" zone, not in the "we've already" started to ruin it zone.

Is coming I'm sure and no way to stop the insanity that lies in Nashville.

 

[TheLBLman]

My place is on Wayne/Hardin line & I don't see us changing our management program whenever we get in the hotzone

I don't plan to change anything either, but, the results we achieve may be only a tiny percentage what they had been?

Imagine going back to pre-1998 when TN had an 11-buck limit.
This is actually much worse than that (at least in terms of trying to produce older bucks).

For those who have a few thousand acres to manage, take a look at how the 18,000-acre Ames Plantation has fared. Seeing them do so poorly with CWD is very disheartening.

 

[TNCharlie]

While I wish CWD wasn't in TN....I'll go with being designated a CWD county is worse than CWD itself....

Agreed. And with more/better testing CWD will be found everywhere. That's my guess/prediction. It may sound odd, but it would really be easier for hunters if the whole state was declared a CWD hot zone. Then you could carry home your deer bagged in a county outside where you live. It sounds a bit outlandish, but then would there be any need for the "kill'em all" approach?

 

[DoubleRidge]

Agreed. And with more/better testing CWD will be found everywhere. That's my guess/prediction. It may sound odd, but it would really be easier for hunters if the whole state was declared a CWD hot zone. Then you could carry home your deer bagged in a county outside where you live. It sounds a bit outlandish, but then would there be any need for the "kill'em all" approach?

Not outlandish at all....and I believe that's where many folks out west and in the midwest have gotten too...in certain areas you don't even hear them mention CWD anymore....it's there...it's been there...nobody likes it...but it is what it is.