North Dakota has long been an island, free of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in the deer herd.
Surrounding states and provinces have dealt with the problem to one degree or another.
|
Advertisement |
North Dakota is no longer CWD free. Last fall a deer hunter in unit 3F2 (west side of Missouri River, bordering South Dakota) killed a mule deer buck that appeared to be sick.
He reported it and test samples were taken of the deer and tested along with the state’s regular testing protocol that included 3,000 samples taken this year.
Last week, after testing only two thirds of those samples, the test result from that sick mule deer came up positive for CWD.
The rest of the samples will be tested over the next month.
So, how did CWD get here?
No one knows.
It probably came here in some manner from South Dakota which has an outbreak in their wild deer herd.
Much is unknown about CWD, like whether it can occur spontaneously or if it has to be transmitted from one cervid (deer and elk) to another.
We do know it’s highly contagious and it turns the infected animal’s brain into a sponge, to put it simply and bluntly.
This disease is always fatal.
It’s important to note there has never been any evidence that CWD can be transmitted to humans or livestock.
Cattle have their own variant of this disease to deal with.
It’s called bovine spongiform encepholopothy, commonly referred to as mad cow disease.
That disease is known to infect humans.
The cause of CWD is an oddity called a prion.
It’s not a virus or bacteria.
It’s much tougher and very difficult to eradicate.
In fact, in deer farms where CWD has occurred it has proven to be a long-term problem.
Entire herds have been killed off and the farm sanitized. When the farm was re-populated with healthy deer they also contracted CWD.
It’s thought the prions get in the soil and stay there, but again there is still much to learn about CWD, which adds to the complexity of the problem.
So, what will the reaction be to this development?
What will the North Dakota Game and Fish Department do?
One would hope there won’t be an over-reaction as there was when Wisconsin discovered CWD.
They immediately went into an eradication plan in what they call the CWD Zone, attempting to kill every deer in a scorched earth approach.
It hasn’t worked and the incidence of CWD continues to rise in that area.
As you might expect, this development will re-ignite the debate over baiting of big game.
Anyone who reads this column on a regular basis knows how I feel about baiting.
I’ve fought to end this practice for a decade and the pro-baiters have always scoffed at the idea that disease is but one of a dozen reasons to ban baiting.
Over the years, many hunters who don’t believe they can kill a deer without benefit of a pail of corn said the disease issue was a smokescreen.
“There is no disease in North Dakota,” they said.
Some even said we should wait until a disease outbreak occurs before we react.
Now, those same people who frequent some of the outdoor Web sites are now claiming the Game and Fish Department “planted” the positive test so they could ban baiting.
They’re also saying, “It’s only one deer so far. Doing anything would be an over-reaction.”
I’ve even seen email exchanges with one legislator who still denies the problem and refuses to concede that baiting could contribute to the severity of this problem.
It’s the same kind of logic and reasoning a drug addict uses to justify his habit.
Did baiting of big game bring CWD to North Dakota?
Not likely. No one I know of is claiming that it did. However, only a fool would believe that mule deer buck was the sole carrier of CWD in North Dakota.
What’s important is that CWD is here now.
If we hope to reduce the impact of this outbreak it’s only logical to eliminate anything that could make that goal more difficult to achieve.
What logic could possibly be used to justify baiting and feeding of deer at this stage?
We cannot afford to have animals in close contact at bait piles, swapping body fluids that could be infected with prions known to remain viable outside the body for long periods of time.
Will banning baiting solve the CWD problem?
Certainly not, but it is one thing we can do that will help control the spread of the disease. No one can argue that point with a straight face.
The time is now for the N.D. Game and Fish Department to be decisive.
They’ve already determined, through an internal study, that baiting should be banned for both scientific and sociological reasons.
The discovery of CWD alone is enough reason to make this move.
For the sake of the resource this practice should be immediately eliminated as a method-of-take.
No legislation is necessary, despite what some legislators (and even individuals inside the Game and Fish Department) might say.
If the Legislature wants to defy the science, and the expertise of the biologists at the Game and Fish Department and overturn the ban, they can make their move in the next session in January.
It’s time for the Game and Fish Department and more importantly, North Dakota’s big game hunters, to “man up” and do what is right for our valuable resource.
ICE REPORT
Every year we try to get to Lake of the Woods to fish the big northern pike staging at the mouth of the rivers in preparation for the spawning run.
Usually we can drive out on the ice and set up the tip-ups but this year is different.
For some reason the ice is not safe for truck travel and only ATVs are being allowed off the access at Warroad.
My son, Jason, was on the ice as I wrote this column on Saturday morning and he said the access is barricaded.
It’s really quite early for such conditions. They must have had some warmer weather than we did in this region.
We’ll go next weekend anyway, hoping to land a big northern. Some may consider this type of fishing as taking advantage of spawning females but we release all our northern pike.
We’re just there to have some fun and hopefully get a sunburn!
MN SAFETY
A firearms safety course will be conducted in Breckenridge starting on April 6.
The subsequent dates will be April 13, 20, 22, 27, 29 and finally May 4.
The classes will be held at the Breckenridge Fire Hall and the time is from 6:30-8:45 p.m.
The class is limited to 24 students who must be 12 years old by Nov. 1, 2010.
The cost is $10 and you must pre-register by sending the fee, your name, phone number and date of birth to Cindie Van Tassel, 812 S. 7th St., Breckenridge, MN, 56520.
ND SAFETY
A Hunter Education class will also be conducted in Wahpeton.
This class will begin on April 5 and will continue on the 6, 8, 12, 13 and 15.
It will be held at the Wahpeton High School cafeteria.
You can pre-register by calling the Wahpeton Parks and Rec. office at 642-2811.
LION SEASON
The hunting season for mountain lions in North Dakota’s Zone 2 will close on March 31.
So far this season, no lions have been taken in Zone 2, the majority of the state.
The season in Zone 1, the western fringe, closed on Dec. 11 when the quota of eight lions was filled.
Bonnie wrote on Mar 26, 2010 3:05 AM: