Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Tennessee Hunters Asked To Help Prevent Spread Of Disease To Local Deer Herds
With deer hunting seasons just a few short weeks away, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) is asking hunters who hunt in other states to help protect the state’s deer herd from a serious disease.
For some time, Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has been a topic of concern for both wildlife managers and hunters. CWD belongs to a class of neurological diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) and is known to infect white-tailed deer, mule deer, and elk.
Several states and Canadian provinces have documented the presence of CWD. Currently the list includes: Alberta, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
The new additions to this list since last year are: Illinois (the portion south of I-80), Missouri, North Dakota, and Virginia.
Hunters should be aware that if they plan on bringing any cervids (mule deer, whitetail deer, moose or elk) from any of the listed areas, the carcass must be properly prepared before transporting it into Tennessee.
Carcasses and other parts from these areas that may be brought into or possessed in Tennessee include: meat that has bones removed, antlers, antlers attached to cleaned skull plates or cleaned skulls (where no meat or tissues are attached to the skull), cleaned teeth, finished taxidermy and antler products, hides and tanned products.
Failure to comply with the above regulations will result in confiscation of the animal or parts, and a citation being issued.
For several years, TWRA has been conducting extensive testing of hunter-harvested deer across Tennessee. CWD has not been found in Tennessee or most of the other states in the southeast. Missouri and Virginia are both states of concern due to the proximity to Tennessee and TWRA asks hunters who hunt in these or other areas listed, to do everything possible to protect Tennessee’s deer.
While the possibility of human infection remains a concern, it is important to note there have been no verified cases of humans contracting CWD.
For more information about CWD, refer to the 2010 Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Guide, the TWRA web page at www.tnwildlife.org, or call the Region 2 Office at 1-800-624-7406.
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