Why we don’t find dead deer from CWD

[tellico4x4]

Well, I've read the article twice and believe the most important statement ( or at least the one that resonates with me) was:

"Holding infection rates low means maintaining deer populations that can support hunter harvest for as long as CWD management activities continue."

 

[Bone Collector]

I don't understand this. Someone please explain… if deer are dying from cars, coyotes and gunshot wounds, how can we reasonably blame CWD?

Isn't that like counting someone who dies in a car crash as a Covid death if they were positive at the time of the crash?

Because they test them and they are positive, so CWD is the culprit. In many ways the joke made at the beginning about CWD being Covid for deer is funny, because it is true. so to answer your question, yes kinda the same thing, except the deer would have eventually died from CWD.

The issue is all these people claiming it can jump from a deer to a person with no proof and that it will eventually wipe deer out, even though its been around for nearly 60 years and deer, mule deer, and elk are still doing just fine right where it started. Also if it can jump from deer to human, then why not to coyotes and buzzards? if the prions last for years on the grass where the deer fell, why not to cows and goats that eat the grass? No one has an legitimate answer to these questions other than speculation that it does, but we don't know it does...

My take is this. Too many folks want to be scared of something and there is WAY too much info out there to discern what is real and what is not (think Covid vaccine info or Covid info in general). They grapple with the "should I hunt or should I quit, because if I feed my family an infected deer, and they get sick, I will not be able to live with myslef" dilemma. Obviously something to think about, but with no real proof other than "Scientific" speculation (meaning a scientist speculated it) I can't see worrying about it too much. I guess they feel if they are going to quit something they love out of fear, may as well bring as many with them as possible as misery loves company.

It is clear they have no viable answer for it. Eradication hasn't worked. Deboning deer hasn't worked. At this point I think you just accept it and test deer. If it is positive you decide to dump it or eat it. I do think they need more testing sites to make it easier. The fact that they do not after 60 years tells me everything I need to know.

 

[Bone Collector]

Like you, I seen less deer than I have in several seasons, but I'm nowhere near the current cwd zone. I won't say we don't have it, but there's no testing going on that I'm aware of.

You think maybe the acorns had something to do with it?? I live in Rutherford county. Hunt Wilson and Rutherford. Sightings were down, but it was due to acorns. Once I found the acorns they were eating (wasn't the normal trees) I saw tons of deer, but up until then horrible hunting. Also, the acorns lasted into December this year, so they had food for a good long while. By the time the acorns were gone, it was 75 degrees and sunny in December, then season was over.

It was an odd season, for sure. I highly doubt CWD was the culprit.

 

[Jcalder]

You think maybe the acorns had something to do with it?? I live in Rutherford county. Hunt Wilson and Rutherford. Sightings were down, but it was due to acorns. Once I found the acorns they were eating (wasn't the normal trees) I saw tons of deer, but up until then horrible hunting. Also, the acorns lasted into December this year, so they had food for a good long while. By the time the acorns were gone, it was 75 degrees and sunny in December, then season was over.

It was an odd season, for sure. I highly doubt CWD was the culprit.

The acorns most likely are the cause. My place isn't big enough to move around and I don't have many oaks. Not compared to my neighbors. I also hunt the least killing county in the state so it's already a struggle lol. Last year I had as good a season as I've ever had as far as seeing deer. This time it started off pretty good and got worse fast. Mostly because of acorns. I also feel a neighbor or two may be doing something that's changed their patterns some. I haven't figured it out but I do know there's some construction going on and another place looked to be going to auction, so they've kinda cleaned it up, but nothing they've done would interfere with the deer, other than their presence. My food plot is still dead which I wouldn't have expected. No, I do not think cwd is even in the top 100 reasons for the lack of sightings.

 

[BSK]

Well, I've read the article twice and believe the most important statement ( or at least the one that resonates with me) was:

"Holding infection rates low means maintaining deer populations that can support hunter harvest for as long as CWD management activities continue."

Problem is, their CWD "remedy" is to knock deer herd density down below what many hunters will find acceptable. Whether hunter views on what is "acceptable" are right or wrong is immaterial. If hunters stop hunting there will be no one to actually manage the deer herd.

 

[BSK]

If so, I wonder if it coincides with the discovery of CWD in TN? Meaning, did people start fearing the human consumption of deer?
Or is this just a state wide trend not fully related to CWD?

I'm not sure it's a statewide trend, but in the areas where I collect data, deer harvests are down due to a combination of factors: 1) Lower hunter density; 2) Fewer does being harvested than 10 years ago; and 3) Hunters becoming more picky about which bucks they kill and how many.

 

[AlabamaSwamper]

Same here BSK. With the new rules, regs or whatever you call it, lots of deer are surviving than 10 years ago.

I almost thinkpeople are figuring ways around telecheck also since they can't move them around the area like before.

Plus we whacked does when unit L was created and now everyone is tired of that also.

 

[7mmWSM]

I'm not saying CWD isn't here. I believe it is and has been for many years before it was brought to our attention. When TWRA first said CWD is here I know in Fayette county they told everyone it was gloom and doom. But I think us hunters have figured out after a year or two it ain't that bad. I hunt like I've always done pre CWD. Now GW's in Fayette and Hardeman are giving out permits to hunt up into March. It doesn't take rocket science to see if you shoot does up until March they're already bred and won't be putting out any fawns. There's no way to build your herds back up with asinine processses like this and then let farmers shoot deer all Summer. A poor fawn don't stand a chance anymore around our area with these management practices.
It's not CWD is going to wipe out our deer in 41 years it's TWRA that's going to do it for us before then.

 

[Dirtcop]

I read the article. It was written by Lindsay Thomas Jr., editor of the QDMA's (now NDA's) magazine "Quality Whitetails." I like Lindsay and have worked with him often in the past. I respect his views. However, his organization, along with many others, have adopted positions and policies I find troubling. And those policies can be boiled down to "The Hand of Man - even a fist - is the only answer." In essence, they always seem to hold the view that only intervention by Man, even the most heavy-handed extreme intervention, is the only answer to any biological problem. I disagree with this. And I disagree with it strongest when we are talking about something occurring in Nature. History is flush with problems we humans made much, much worse because we felt we had the answers and implemented a risky solution. In my personal opinion, hubris and arrogance are dangerous traits in science.

Human intervention!! Look at kudzu.

 

[BSK]

Human intervention!! Look at kudzu.

And I could name a dozen other interventions that have turned out worse.

 

[catman529]

If so, I wonder if it coincides with the discovery of CWD in TN? Meaning, did people start fearing the human consumption of deer?
Or is this just a state wide trend not fully related to CWD?

I remember several posts on this forum where people were considering giving up deer hunting since CWD was discovered in the state. Wouldn't surprise me if hunter numbers are down. Covid definitely accounts for the big spike in the 2020-21 season harvest. It's crazy how many people were outdoors in 2020. Hunting, fishing, hiking....Percy priest lake was insane. Fishermen all the way around the bank, people hunting everywhere, boating, hiking, etc.

 

[PossumSlayer]

We are past the rut but I'm seeing more dead deer on the side of the the road the last week or so… weather playing a part?

 

[Ski]

We are past the rut but I'm seeing more dead deer on the side of the the road the last week or so… weather playing a part?

Salt on roads I'd guess.

 

[PossumSlayer]

Salt on roads I'd guess.

Hmmm, hadn't thought of that

 

[BSK]

Salt on roads I'd guess.

Hadn't thought of that either. Great call Ski.