CWD Found in MT

[belly-deep]

If this has already been posted I apologize.

Bad, bad news.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.greatfallstribune.com/amp/845184001

 

[pdq_wizzard]

well that sucks,

 

[Hunting Wife]

Unfortunately not a surprise, but it sucks.

 

[MT_elk]

Very sad news.

 

[tphelps45]

Most are probably already aware, but FWP's CWD Management Plan is currently open for public comment. Deadline for comment is December 8th.

 

[6mm Remington]

That really sucks.

 

[shootbrownelk]

Before too long it'll be found nationwide. It's in Canada too.

 

[double_a85]

Another one found "suspect" in the same district as the first one. Definitely not good news for MT. I filled my mule deer B tag in 590, and will be submitting it for sampling.

 

[katqanna]

Latest batch of samples negative for CWD

 

[duncan5275]

My group killed 3 bucks in unit 510 last week. Tests pending.

 

[HSi-ESi]

FWP is considering a special hunt in the unit for additional sampling:

http://montanauntamed.com/hunting/article_bfbfccea-4e8d-5c77-87be-4c1667471e6b.html

 

[Eric Albus]

CWD is a bad deal for sure, but I have to believe that it has been around for a very long time. I hope FWP does not over-react and wipe an area out deer on account of this. Our accessible lands have been depleted of mule deer enough already from what I saw happening here in Reg. 6&7 this fall. Appalling.

 

[TBass]

CWD is a bad deal for sure, but I have to believe that it has been around for a very long time. I hope FWP does not over-react and wipe an area out deer on account of this. Our accessible lands have been depleted of mule deer enough already from what I saw happening here in Reg. 6&7 this fall. Appalling.

"Very long time" could be quite a range of years. Some interpret it as forever. If that were the case, I would think prevalence rates would already be high and leveled off rather than the up, up, up trend post detection. I wouldn't be surprised, though, that you've already had contact with CWD positive deer in those areas you mentioned. Especially because older mule deer bucks seem to be the canary animals.

 

[Hunting Wife]

CWD is a bad deal for sure, but I have to believe that it has been around for a very long time. I hope FWP does not over-react and wipe an area out deer on account of this. Our accessible lands have been depleted of mule deer enough already from what I saw happening here in Reg. 6&7 this fall. Appalling.

Your belief the disease has been around for a long time is based on what evidence, exactly? To have multiple detections right now, the disease has been present for at least a few years but there is no evidence that it has been there for what most would consider a “very long time”.

Why would you hope that FWP does not try to contain the disease? The only known way to do that is create a zone across which transmission is greatly reduced, which means reducing densities within some radius of the affected area.

It is incongruous that you would bemoan depletion of mule deer, while asking that FWP not attempt to control a disease that models and mounting data suggest will significantly reduce or extirpate affected populations if not addressed. Won’t be in our lifetime though, so why should we care, right? The grandkids will be able to shoot all kinds of big bucks in virtual reality by then.

 

[Schaaf]

Build the wall along the Wyoming border.

 

[Gr8bawana]

CWD is a bad deal for sure, but I have to believe that it has been around for a very long time. I hope FWP does not over-react and wipe an area out deer on account of this. Our accessible lands have been depleted of mule deer enough already from what I saw happening here in Reg. 6&7 this fall. Appalling.

If this disease had been around for a very long time it would have been found long ago in other animals such as elk and cattle.
Even if it was possible to wipe out the deer herd in a given area on public land with CWD how would they wipe out all the deer on private property as well?
If they determine that enough samples are positive and something needs to be done, what do you suggest they do given the fact that you still want to have whatever numbers of huntable deer to keep you happy?

 

[onpoint]

Remember, Hunting Wife.....
Evidence, Data, and things of that nature are all left to interpretation by the interpreter. What could be an enlightening conversation usually doesn't turn out that way very often.

By the way, Eric, what exactly happened this fall in Regions 6 and 7 - seriously?

 

[MTGomer]

Our game ‘managers’ sold thousands of OTC B tags for mule deer.

 

[onpoint]

That's what I was looking for, thanks.

 

[belly-deep]

CWD is a bad deal for sure, but I have to believe that it has been around for a very long time. I hope FWP does not over-react and wipe an area out deer on account of this. Our accessible lands have been depleted of mule deer enough already from what I saw happening here in Reg. 6&7 this fall. Appalling.

Eric,

If you want to get some good info on CWD, there is a Steven Rinella podcast on the topic where he interviews a researcher on it. I’d heard the theory that it has been around for a long time too, and it made sense to me until I listened to the podcast. Long story short, because it is clearly traceable in transmission and because there is virtually no natural resistance, it appears that it is not something naturally occurring. It likely jumped from domestic livestock to wild game at some point in the recent future.