CWD Again

[megasupermagnum]

What I mean is CWD is only bad in certain areas. Southern Wisconsin for example. Why it hasn't spread more to MN and MI is hard to say. It obviously has spread to those states, but not in very big numbers. Minnesota still has more pending results, but so far they have only found 8 positive tests, 9 suspect (unclear what that means) in the state out of thousands. MN had mandatory testing in certain areas, and you could have yours tested for free no matter where you were. I hunted 273 for example, which was not a mandatory testing area, but I dropped the head off anyway. I'm not going to add them all up, but it appears MN did over 10,000 tests this year, and found 8 positive. They don't even say if those are wild deer, or farm deer.

Will CWD grow in MN? Probably, but it sure isn't spreading fast. It seems the same story in most places. It is a 100% lethal disease, but it also takes years to take a toll so it isn't harming population size. So far there is very little us as hunters can do other than having deer tested. I'm not aware of any test that is accurate on live deer. There's all kinds of studies that say it's spread one way or another. None of it is concrete evidence. Common sense says the more deer in a small area will spread diseases faster. I understand why people would want to ban baiting, but at the same time most people still have food plots. Ethics aside, I fail to see how a corn pile is much different from a 1/4 acre food plot as far as congregating deer. Minnesota did ban deer urine and other scents or baits with deer fluids in a big portion of the state, but that doesn't mean a whole lot. It would make more sense to require removal of carcasses and gut piles, which is not a practical idea at all.

https://www.bowhunting.com/blog/2018...ne-spread-cwd/

[Thundarstick]

We have it rite here in West Tennessee as well! It really appears population density is a huge factor in the spread. I raised my kids on deer, but think it very unwise to consume untested whitetail deer meat. I have stopped hunting them and for all the damage they cause to crops and automobiles wish something would wipe them all out! Then we could go back to small game management in the time before everyone had a deer lease, an ATV on a trailer. Best thing they have done here is allow farmers to shoot them all summer long for crop destruction! Deer introduction is the worst thing that's happened to hunting in my life time!

[trebor44]

Sheep to Deer and Elk, gotta luv that "research" facility in Colorado that 'sourced' it for science! Might want to check on it prevalence in the human population even though it goes by a less fearful name.

[MaryB]

What I mean is CWD is only bad in certain areas. Southern Wisconsin for example. Why it hasn't spread more to MN and MI is hard to say. It obviously has spread to those states, but not in very big numbers. Minnesota still has more pending results, but so far they have only found 8 positive tests, 9 suspect (unclear what that means) in the state out of thousands. MN had mandatory testing in certain areas, and you could have yours tested for free no matter where you were. I hunted 273 for example, which was not a mandatory testing area, but I dropped the head off anyway. I'm not going to add them all up, but it appears MN did over 10,000 tests this year, and found 8 positive. They don't even say if those are wild deer, or farm deer.

Will CWD grow in MN? Probably, but it sure isn't spreading fast. It seems the same story in most places. It is a 100% lethal disease, but it also takes years to take a toll so it isn't harming population size. So far there is very little us as hunters can do other than having deer tested. I'm not aware of any test that is accurate on live deer. There's all kinds of studies that say it's spread one way or another. None of it is concrete evidence. Common sense says the more deer in a small area will spread diseases faster. I understand why people would want to ban baiting, but at the same time most people still have food plots. Ethics aside, I fail to see how a corn pile is much different from a 1/4 acre food plot as far as congregating deer. Minnesota did ban deer urine and other scents or baits with deer fluids in a big portion of the state, but that doesn't mean a whole lot. It would make more sense to require removal of carcasses and gut piles, which is not a practical idea at all.

https://www.bowhunting.com/blog/2018...ne-spread-cwd/

The MN map I posted has one thing in common for the CWD areas... they are forested for the most part! Only the occasional farm carved out... SE MN where the bulk of the CWD has been is all hills and trees, impossible to farm but LOTS of dairy/beef cattle grazing the clearings. Get out on the flat prairie and no CWD... deer out here are VERY spread out most of the year and only herd up once heavy snow hits. When I deer hunted we hunted a 100 square mile area of abandoned farm sites, drainage ditches, creek and river bottoms. We did pretty well but had hunted that area for many years and knew where the deer would be plus we had exclusive access to a lot of the spots.