Wisconsin Chronic Wasting Disease Update

Written By - Alan Crossley (WDNR) - 10/18/2007

Link to Original Article here

The discovery of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in southern Wisconsin represents a significant threat to the state's white-tailed deer population and the culture of deer hunting in the state. Wisconsin has more than 700,000 deer hunters who have harvested an average of 460,000 deer annually during the past decade. Deer hunting contributes more than 7 million days of recreation each year. Deer hunting annually generates more than $500 million dollars in retail sales and nearly $1 billion in total impact to the state’s economy. An extensive CWD surveillance program has been conducted in Wisconsin since 2002. Through June 2007, nearly 130,000 deer have been tested from across the state. Sample intensity has been sufficient in the majority of the state to have a high degree of confidence that CWD would have been detected if it exists at 1 percent prevalence. A total of 856 free-ranging deer have tested positive for CWD. Of these, 801 were from the Disease Eradication Zones (DEZ) and 55 were from the Herd Reduction Zone (HRZ). No CWD-positive free-ranging deer have been found outside of the CWD Zones. Analysis of the sex and age composition of positive deer has shown that disease prevalence increases with age and the rate of increase is faster in males than in females. Only 2 to 3 percent of yearling females and males from the core area have tested positive for CWD. This increased to roughly 5 percent of females and 10 percent of males for deer 2 years old and older. Prevalence in the core among adult does, 2002-2006 and prevalence among adult bucks, 2002-2006 has not changed significantly between years for each sex. In 2006, in response to hunter concerns, we shortened the early gun season in the DEZ to 9 days and moved the season start date ahead of the rut to mid-October. We also shortened the late gun season in the DEZ and the HRZ to end on Dec. 10. And in response to concerns about the earn-a-buck regulation, we went to an either-sex season throughout the fall. The response to these regulation changes was an increase in the buck harvest of 1,500 over the previous year, and an 8,000 deer decline in the antlerless harvest. Not surprisingly, our helicopter surveys produced stable to increasing deer population estimates in the Western DEZ, Eastern DEZ, and deer management unit 70A. Thus, in 2007, we are returning to Earn-a-buck rules throughout all seasons in both the HRZ and DEZ. The season dates will remain similar to last year. Zone boundaries remain unchanged. Hunters who shot an antlerless deer last fall in one of the CWD Zones will pre-qualify for a buck sticker and will receive those in the mail, prior to the opening of the bow season. Landowners not required to buy deer hunting license Landowners in the DEZ and hunters they designate will again be able to hunt the DEZ without buying a regular deer hunting license by requesting a DEZ landowner’s permit. These permits will be available from any license vendor before the beginning of the deer season. Beginning in the summer of 2007, the Department is embarking on an extensive public involvement effort to include the public in helping us establish the next phase of CWD management in Wisconsin. The dialogue will engage the multiple and diverse interests potentially affected by the department’s disease and deer herd management decisions. The goal of the CWD dialogue is for the public and the DNR to reach decisions on how to manage chronic wasting disease to minimize the impact of the disease on Wisconsin’s free-ranging deer population, the habitats and biological systems that include deer, the economy, hunters, landowners and others that benefit from a healthy deer herd. The goal of the Department’s CWD management strategy is a healthy deer herd. We recognize that goal is not attainable without the cooperation of landowners and hunters. We hope we can count on your continued support. CWD testing for hunter-killed deer Current legislative budget actions will reduce the department’s 2007 CWD management budget by $1.72 million starting immediately ($1 million in state Joint Finance Committee mandated cuts; $700,000 in federal legislative cuts). The magnitude of these reductions require the department to suspend important disease control activities and direct remaining funding into limited testing of hunter-killed deer for disease surveillance. Even more federal cuts are possible. Current funding levels will only allow us to test a total of 10,000 deer statewide, less than half of the average number of deer tested in the last 4 years. Testing will be prioritized to those areas where hunters are most likely to encounter CWD-positive deer. Additionally, to stay within available budgets, we will have to reduce the number of CWD testing sites and hours of operation. Details on the location of CWD sampling sites and hours of operation will be available by late August. We are still working out the details but in short, free testing of hunter-killed deer will be limited to known high disease prevalence areas within the eastern and western disease eradication zones and known or suspected disease ‘sparks’ we’ve discovered around Devil’s Lake State Park and in northern Rock and Walworth counties. CWD Zone Food Pantry Program: Another result of the budget cuts is the food pantry program within the CWD zones. In a choice between funding this program over testing of hunter killed deer, disease management and hunter confidence won out. More than 2,250 deer were contributed to the CWD zone food pantry in 2006. However, each deer donated to the food pantry program costs twice the amount of a deer kept by hunters because of the cost of meat processing and storage until the testing results are returned. Agency sharpshooting: We will not do any sharpshooting within CWD hotspots and new spark areas this winter unless outside funding is provided. We will use existing funds to maximize testing of hunter-killed deer. In winter 2006, DNR personnel removed 978 deer, 26 of which were CWD positive, after the normal hunting seasons were closed. CWD research: We will not fund any new research efforts this year.