seeth07
Well-known member
So then why does that chart show less predation in cwd positive deer than those without cwd? That was my questionIt's not specific to CWD. Stressed or compromised health deer are more easily ID'd and taken down by predators. The sick die at a higher rate.
Wish more hunters made that connection...when a predator kills something, there's a higher than average likelihood something was wrong with it that would have eventually killed it had the predator not been there first.
Despite asking for reports we don't get many of sick deer just before they die, but we know even if outwardly they look OK their behavior changes and they become less wary.
I also don't think its easy to ID a deer had CWD based on what's left at a predator kill site. The tissues used to ID it's presence by labs are usually places where it's more pronounced, like lymph nodes. Not much of them if any left at predator kill sites.