Cwd...?

[HIcountryman]

So I called cpw and asked about high prevalence of cwd in front range unit, whether or not it would be preferable to shoot a younger buck to reduce my chance of harvesting cwd- positive deer. I know to stay away from brain and spinal column/fluids... but I like to eat ribs and shanks. Anybody have reservations about eating marrow or bone-in cuts on a potentially cwd- positive deer? I ask bc my buddy had seemingly healthy 4 year old-ish buck last year test positive in neighboring unit to where I ll be hunting . He said he did not want to feed it to his grandkids so he ended up trashing all of it.

$25 fee to voluntarily test but they said results aren't available til 4 to 5 weeks after submission of sample. Some kind of reimbursement for self-processing ( which I will be doing).

So would you intentionally shoot smaller buck to lessen chances of positive result? Would you wait 4 to 5 weeks to eat any of it? Would you not eat any if test results are positive? Would u eat muscle but not ribs or shanks? Thanks guys.

 

[lif]

If you’re worried about it , don’t hunt in an area that has it prevalent. If you’re not worried about it, don’t worry about it. Not being a smartass, but I think of it similar to Covid, if you’re worried about it, stay away from people. If I was concerned about eating it, I wouldn’t feel safer keeping the brain and spinal column separate from it. I just wouldn’t eat it.

 

[MountainSqwabler]

There has never been a transfer of the disease since they have started testing, nor will you hear of anything being transfered from animals to humans like that. I can almost guarantee of you've been eating wild game for along time you have consumed it. I would throw CWD out of your vocabulary as far as worry or eating.

 

[HIcountryman]

If you’re worried about it , don’t hunt in an area that has it prevalent. If you’re not worried about it, don’t worry about it. Not being a smartass, but I think of it similar to Covid, if you’re worried about it, stay away from people. If I was concerned about eating it, I wouldn’t feel safer keeping the brain and spinal column separate from it. I just wouldn’t eat it.

Fourth choice from the draw. I would love to hunt elsewhere... just got this tag bc I used to live there and have knowledge and access. It is prevalent in many areas. I am worried about it because it has a high prevalence rate and my friend's deer from last yr tested positive. I know this subject brings up strong opinions and people think cwd is "fake news" or overblown... I agree on some points.

I am just asking if a younger deer is less likely to test positive or specifically if anyone refrains from eating marrow or bone-in cuts as a precaution. Thanks for your input. I know there is no known transmission to humans yet, just seeking advice.

 

[lif]

Fourth choice from the draw. I would love to hunt elsewhere... just got this tag bc I used to live there and have knowledge and access. It is prevalent in many areas. I am worried about it because it has a high prevalence rate and my friend's deer from last yr tested positive. I know this subject brings up strong opinions and people think cwd is "fake news" or overblown... I agree on some points.

I am just asking if a younger deer is less likely to test positive or specifically if anyone refrains from eating marrow or bone-in cuts as a precaution. Thanks for your input. I know there is no known transmission to humans yet, just seeking advice.

Unfortunately the science around the answers to your questions is iffy at this point. That’s the biggest problem, most of our info on CWD is opinion based. To help with your question, I think young healthy looking deer can test positive just as easy as the older deer. The older deer seem to show physical symptoms more often.

 

[coloradoman]

So I called cpw and asked about high prevalence of cwd in front range unit, whether or not it would be preferable to shoot a younger buck to reduce my chance of harvesting cwd- positive deer. I know to stay away from brain and spinal column/fluids... but I like to eat ribs and shanks. Anybody have reservations about eating marrow or bone-in cuts on a potentially cwd- positive deer? I ask bc my buddy had seemingly healthy 4 year old-ish buck last year test positive in neighboring unit to where I ll be hunting . He said he did not want to feed it to his grandkids so he ended up trashing all of it.

$25 fee to voluntarily test but they said results aren't available til 4 to 5 weeks after submission of sample. Some kind of reimbursement for self-processing ( which I will be doing).

So would you intentionally shoot smaller buck to lessen chances of positive result? Would you wait 4 to 5 weeks to eat any of it? Would you not eat any if test results are positive? Would u eat muscle but not ribs or shanks? Thanks guys.

No I won’t wont hesitate to any of it. It’s been around for decades.

 

[Focoelkman]

If you’re worried about it, pick up a fishing rod. Don’t hunt and don’t shoot and quit wasting it?

 

[HIcountryman]

If you’re worried about it, pick up a fishing rod. Don’t hunt and don’t shoot and quit wasting it?

I don't like fish... never mind. Should have known this would be the response. Never wasted any game meat, except when evacuated gor fire and electricity turned off for days. Thanks for your thoughtful response

 

[Focoelkman]

Sorry sir - been hunting up here for almost 30 years. Never tested anything.
I’ve not seen a sick animal either.
Also, I have not / do not eat bone in cuts. Shame on me I guess, but have often thought about bringing back the ribs to bbq, but stick to pork or beef ribs.

 

[MountainSqwabler]

Why ask a question that you can predict the answer to?? Especially about something that's proven to not effect humans? People get sooooo set rhat just because uncle sam said that you shouldn't eat it...then you don't....if uncle Sam told you to pay more taxes do you just say "yeah that's a great idea".

 

[Weiserbucks]

I hunted a mandatory testing unit a few years ago. Went to the F&G Office and submitted the sample. YEARS later I still haven't received results, must be a really big deal?

 

[jims]

Yep, a younger buck has been on Earth a shorter time than an older buck so there is less chance a younger buck would have CWD. With that said, a younger buck could come in contact with CWD prions the day he is born. It's pretty hard to predict which buck could possibly come into contact with CWD prions.

The Fort Collins area is where CWD disease first was discovered in wild deer in Colo and the entire Western US. CWD has been on the Front Range since the early 1980's. Hunters have been eating deer from this area since the 1980's.

If you are super concerned about CWD I would suggest turning your tag in. If you do go hunting you may want to use caution.....you may step on a few CWD prions while hiking the hills?

 

[HntHrdr]

Shot an older 5/6 year old buck last year in one of these units… he tested negative.

 

[Sako76]

In 2018 I shot a nice 4x4 in Unit 12 near Meeker, mandatory testing area. Deer tested positive for CWD and DOW told me the deer had to go to the landfill, which is where it ended up. They reimbursed me the cost if a basic deer butcher (no speciality cuts) and I had to produce the receipt. This was the second deer shot off that ranch in third combined that had the disease. It took about 20 days to get the test results. I did not eat any of the deer before I got the rest results.

 

[Bluehair]

The impact on human behavior is a poor way to judge the effects of CWD. There has been a severe and demonstrable decline in local human intelligence over the last 40 years.

 

[HIcountryman]

Thanks. I will prob shoot whatever I see first, take the normal precautions while butchering (gloves, avoid brains and spinal fluid), submit for testing, and eat some while waiting for results. Not sure what I ll do if results are positive

 

[elkmo41]

Shot an older 5/6 year old buck last year in one of these units… he tested negative.

How were you able to determine its age?Does cpw age the deer when they take a sample?

 

[HntHrdr]

I brought the complete head in and the biologist who was helping take samples, looked at the teeth commented it was likely a 5/6 year old

 

[Bookhead]

Thanks. I will prob shoot whatever I see first, take the normal precautions while butchering (gloves, avoid brains and spinal fluid), submit for testing, and eat some while waiting for results. Not sure what I ll do if results are positive

Idk what you're worried about its been stated over and over and proven that humans cannot get the disease from deer.

 

[kscowboy01]

Has anyone fed positive meat and bones to lab monkeys and dogs? I’m serious. It would be pretty easy to test this in a controlled setting.

You don’t see coyotes, birds, or other consumers of carrion running around with CWD.

It’s been around forever and will be around forever. It’s pathetic how much it’s now impacting the conservation efforts in some units.

 

[Bookhead]

Has anyone fed positive meat and bones to lab moneys and dogs? I’m serious. It would be pretty easy to test this in a controlled setting.

You don’t see coyotes, birds, or other consumers of carrion running around with CWD.

It’s been around forever and will be around forever. It’s pathetic how much it’s now impacting the conservation efforts in some units.

Yes they have fed it to monkeys the only way they could get monkeys to contract the disease was to inject it straight into their brain

 

[txhunter58]

I think they were able to infect “squirrel monkeys” orally. But they are not very closely related to us. And initially, reports were that macaques contracted CWD by being fed meat orally. However, that has not been duplicated and it was found out that they were fed CWD infected macaque meat!

If lions, wolves, coyotes, or bears could be infected, I think we would know that by now. They eat the bones and probably spinal cord tissue as well.

 

[txhunter58]

Has anyone fed positive meat and bones to lab monkeys and dogs? I’m serious. It would be pretty easy to test this in a controlled setting.

You don’t see coyotes, birds, or other consumers of carrion running around with CWD.

It’s been around forever and will be around forever. It’s pathetic how much it’s now impacting the conservation efforts in some units.

All true except “it has been around forever”. It originated at CSU in the 60s during experiments with scrapie in sheep. (Another prion disease). There were zero cases ever in Texas until it migrated from New Mexico and was transported farther into Texas in a trailer.

But “it will be here forever” is very true.

 

[txhunter58]

For those that say it’s been here forever and didn’t originate at CSU. That gun is SMOKING!

 

[Bluehair]

I read that it was detected in Yellowstone deer. If the cure is to kill all the mature bucks a la CO, then the NPS herd will assure it’s never eradicated.

So, do we still need to kill all the mature bucks?

 

[tailchasers]

Colorado unit 22 is a CWD unit. Unit 21 is not a CWD until.
Unit 3 & 11 are CWD units but unit 10 & 2 are not, even though unit 3 & 11 animals migrate into 10 & 2.

Unit 21 is managed for an older age structure for deer and higher buck to doe ratios. Similar to unit 10 & 2 but for elk & deer with no infected elk reported.

This is the COVID pandemic of deer.

 

[Bookhead]

All true except “it has been around forever”. It originated at CSU in the 60s during experiments with scrapie in sheep. (Another prion disease). There were zero cases ever in Texas until it migrated from New Mexico and was transported farther into Texas in a trailer.

But “it will be here forever” is very true.

There's no way of knowing that to be true. I believe it's been around forever and that's just the first time it was ever detected

 

[txhunter58]

Believe the deer farm hype if you want to, but if it’s been around forever where are the positives in Texas to back up your claims? We have tested thousands and thousands of deer in endemic areas and nonendemic areas. The ONLY positives are in west Texas and the panhandle, both area near areas with infected deer in NM. The only other positives are at and around deer farms. I have personally tested both whitetail and Sika deer from my personal ranch. All negative.

Believe what you want. Is what I am saying with 100% certainly. Nope. Prob not more than 99%. But what do I know. I am just a veterinarian who is certified to do CWD testing and tried to learn what I can that is backed up by science.

 

[Hunt_the_West]

Believe the deer farm hype if you want to, but if it’s been around forever where are the positives in Texas to back up your claims? We have tested thousands and thousands of deer in endemic areas and nonendemic areas. The ONLY positives are in west Texas and the panhandle, both area near areas with infected deer in NM. The only other positives are at and around deer farms. I have personally tested both whitetail and Sika deer from my personal ranch. All negative.

Believe what you want. Is what I am saying with 100% certainly. Nope. Prob not more than 99%. But what do I know. I am just a veterinarian who is certified to do CWD testing and tried to learn what I can that is backed up by science.

How was it transmitted to the deer inside the high fence farms?

 

[txhunter58]

In a stock/deer trailer. The farms make money by selling and transporting deer from farm to farm. And yes, deer have been brought here from out of state. It was routine to do that before CWD

 

[jims]

The original CWD escaped Colo deer that were in a high fence experimental area. Prions can move across high fence lines. Whether it was from nose to nose contact or what ever cwd crossed the high fence line and infected deer on the other side of the high fence. I’m pretty sure after that time colo required 2 high fences around private game preserves. One a ways outside the other to prevent animals inside contacting animals outside fences.

 

[HiMtnHntr]

Just imagine if all the money and resources spent on CWD went to habitat improvements, etc..

 

[jims]

As some agencies realize cwd is here to stay and there really isn’t much that can be done to prevent and reduce its spread, there is slowly but surely more attention given to projects that will actually improve habitat and increase critter numbers.

Many of these projects provide almost immediate improvements that will put more and healthier critters in the hills.

Trying to fight cwd by increasing tags, late rut season dates, culling projects, etc is a bunch of crap!

 

[MountainSqwabler]

Colorado unit 22 is a CWD unit. Unit 21 is not a CWD until.
Unit 3 & 11 are CWD units but unit 10 & 2 are not, even though unit 3 & 11 animals migrate into 10 & 2.

Unit 21 is managed for an older age structure for deer and higher buck to doe ratios. Similar to unit 10 & 2 but for elk & deer with no infected elk reported.

This is the COVID pandemic of deer.

You don't know what you're talking bout....put the tequila down for the evening!

 

[jims]

Deer and elk obviously move freely back and forth between all of the units you listed. It's also obvious that tag quotas for several of those units is extremely low so there are hardly any bucks tested.

My guess is that in units like 10 and other units that are managed for older age structure and higher buck to doe ratios may have a higher proportion of older bucks with resistant genes to CWD? I don't see catastrophic losses of the deer herds in those units managed for older aged bucks. The bad winters and predators in those units likely do a great job of culling the sick and weak deer?