Hunters and Conservationists Unite in Response to Chronic Wasting Disease Finding in Captive Deer Herd

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 4, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Texans for Saving Our Hunting Heritage has joined with The Texas Wildlife Association, the Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society, the Boone & Crockett Club, Quality Deer Management Association, the National Wild Turkey Federation, Borderlands Research Institute, Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas State Rifle Association and Texas Wildlife and Fisheries Management Council to support implementation of prudent regulatory protocols in response to Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), which was first discovered in a captive deer breeding facility in Medina County in late June, 2015. The groups were all signatories to a recent resolution initiated by the Texas Wildlife Association.

"It is important to all of us that the conservation, hunting and land steward community is galvanized in response to the finding of CWD in Medina County," Jenny Sanders, executive director of Texans for Saving Our Hunting Heritage, said. "We need to ensure that our actions are guided by science, caution and a sense of utmost concern for our wild deer herds, hunting markets and rural economies."

CWD, an always-fatal, infectious brain disease that affects members of the deer family (Cervids, including white tailed and mule deer, elk, reindeer, red deer and sika) has been a known threat for many years, with documented cases in 21 states and 2 Canadian Provinces, including West Texas mule deer in 2012. Captive deer—purposefully confined in high concentrations, potentially shipped to and through multiple deer breeding facilities and then liberated to co-mingle with wild deer—could greatly amplify the speed, volume and geographic distribution of CWD.

Texas Mountain Ranch, where a diseased buck was first detected in June, has shipped 825 deer to 147 properties in the last five years, potentially exposing 66 Texas counties to this deadly disease.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials are now reporting that preliminary tests on two additional deer from this facility have come back positive for CWD. These samples have been sent to a national diagnostic laboratory in Ames, Iowa for confirmation.

As the investigation develops, and if other CWD-positive animals are discovered—primarily through post-mortem inspections of brain tissue—the impacts of CWD could grow exponentially.

"This issue transcends the captive deer breeding industry alone," David Yeates, CEO of the Texas Wildlife Association, said in a statement on July 16th to the TPWD Commission. "It is imperative that state agencies respond to this issue with decisiveness and transparency, establishing and preserving public faith in the health and safety of captive and native free-range deer herds in Texas."

Approximately 110,000 deer are currently held under permit from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in just over 1,300 captive deer breeding facilities in Texas. Alternately, there are more than 700,000 deer hunters; 3.9 million free-ranging deer in Texas; and hundreds of thousands of landowners across the state who rely on hunting to generate income.

Deer hunting in Texas represents $2.1 billion in economic impact, derived from license fees, excise taxes, funds raised by hunting and conservation groups, and hunters' spending. All of this is in addition to the indirect financial impacts that healthy and huntable wildlife populations have on real estate and other rural values.

"It is imperative that the response to this disease finding be focused on uncovering the source of infection and protecting the greater hunting markets and wild deer populations," Sanders said.

CWD is a member of the Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Family (TSE). TSEs such as Scrapie and BSE (Mad Cow Disease) have caused harm to livestock, livestock-related markets and in the case of BSE, human health.

The coalition supports equal or similar animal health practices and standards as have been applied to the livestock industry when dealing with diseases like CWD. Some of these practices include, but are not limited to, testing of CWD-susceptible wildlife, restrictions on movement of live CWD-susceptible wildlife, and the testing of hunter-harvested CWD-susceptible wildlife from high-risk areas. Additionally, the groups recommend that protocols err on the side of safety in protecting our state's wildlife resources, livestock and farming interests, and human health.

"This disease, if it spreads to the wild, could pose a threat to the biological, ecological and financial health of wildlife populations, broad wildlife-related economies in Texas, as well as to the working lands that supply a multitude of societal benefits to all Texas citizens," Yeates said.

In his testimony to the TPWD Commission on July 16, Dr. Roel Lopez, current President of the Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society, set the tone for how decisions should be made in regard to the management of this disease.

"The actions and measures implemented in the next few months will serve to shape the future of our native deer populations for generations to come," Lopez said. "We are at a critical crossroad, and how we move forward should not be short sighted."

About Texans for Saving Our Hunting Heritage
Launched in 2014, Texans for Saving Our Hunting Heritage is a coalition of sportsmen and women who value the rich tradition of hunting in Texas. The coalition seeks to promote the values and tradition of sustainable, fair chase hunting to all Texans, while exposing practices that threaten the future of the sport. Texans for Saving our Hunting Heritage is led by Executive Director Jenny Sanders, with members Ernest Angelo, Jr., Joseph B. C. Fitzsimons, Stephen J. "Tio" Kleberg, and Dr. Wallace Klussman. Hunt Real. Hunt Wild. Hunt Texas Proud.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Katherine Arnold or Katie McKee
512-472-9599
KArnold@EChristianPR.com or KMcKee@EChristianPR.com




SOURCE Texans for Saving Our Hunting Heritage


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Hypocritical worthless witch hunting folks who are definitely not concerned with understanding CWD.

What would be their motivation for witch hunting?and how are they being hypocritical?

Their charter is to get breeding and stocking outlawed, and as such they are ginning up the bogus hype (witch hunting) that CWD will destroy white tail hunting in Texas. Pretty much anyone with a 3rd grade education now knows that's ridiculous since many states have a decades old head start on us and there have been no wild herds decimated.

The hypocritical part is the fact that they have their improved deer behind a high fence and are desperately trying to destroy others who are trying to do the same.

We had CWD for a few years in West Texas but no body cared for the most part... No deer slaughters nothing just testing here and there.. Another test comes back positive out there and it's a..ok.. Becomes a fleeting announcement on the back page of some small town paper..

Now let a breeder get CWD and it's a damn Seal Team 6 accession!!!!! Interesting isn't it.


State is actually the original deer breeders and HF'ers but everyone is quick to forget

I really wonder about the title of this thread.

I'm a hunter. I'm not part of any of these groups.

And from what I do understand, Texans for Saving Our Hunting Heritage is just a anti-high fence hunting org.

I disagree with the title of this post. I'm a hunter and I don't support any group that attacks other hunters hunting game legally because they don't approve of the way they hunt. Not my idea of hunters uniting.

Perfect.

I would however correct you on one element. Texans for saving our hunting heritage (the guys who organized these witch hunters). are in fact high fenced ranch owners. The most hypocritical thing I've seen in years. They have their deer in place behind their high fence, and are trying to outlaw their competition.

Rancher. When you say their charter, which of the 8 or 10 organizations are you referring to?

When are these same groups going to support the kill of all the Mule Deer in the CWD infected areas of West Texas?

This man speaks the truth.

Don't have a dog in this fight. Just trying to understand the issues. Don't know much about the other organizations in this coalition. But the CKWRI, TSRA, and the TWA are credible, IMO.

Ok, here are peer reviewed studies and DNR sites that outline why CWD is horrible for Texas. $2 billion of hunting industry stands to lose if this disease becomes established. In the short term those that will likely profit from the long term disease are the breeders and stocker release industry, with mortality rates increased of upper age deer, only those younger populations stand to have quality deer to harvest. Since breeders breed for younger deer (2.5-3.5 y/o) for sale and hunting and are released 10 days prior to hunting season. It is logical that the deer breeder industry stands to gain immensely by this disease. During that time those "stockers" potentially infected and not showing clinical signs of the disease. Only mature populations of infected deer stand to slowly be reduced over time due to lower reproduction. So if you want to take a snapshot, look at your hunting population, just remove deer older than 4.5 y/o, see what you have left. Unless you buy more from a breeder.

Every site and journal cites the long term effects on populations. Here are a few that I Have collected. Note third party sites that snip and editorialize research or paraphrase are left off because those are unreliable sources of information on scientific data.

https://mdc.mo.gov/sites/default/files/resources/2013/08/cwdsetrecstrt_8-23-13.pdf

http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/programs/CWD/Documents/CWDManagementFactOrFiction.pdf

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167587713000743

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0019896

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0091043

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2695855/

https://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/Hunting/BigGame/CWD/PDF/ResearchArticles/CWD_mule_deer_JWM.pdf

http://dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Hunt_Trap/pdfs/md_annual_deer_report13-14.pdf

https://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/Baiting-FAQ_247215_7.pdf

https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/zoonoses/cwd.htm

https://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/Huntin..._of_CWD_JWD.pdf

http://www.cfr.msstate.edu/students/wfpages/wfd/wf3141/rhine.pdf

All these states and scientists come to the same conclusion that CWD is a potentially bad disease for Texas and that no matter how much it is downplayed that this disease is not a "big deal" you might want to think again.

I get suspicious anytime I see the term 'Fair Chase Hunting' that implies deciding what's fair chase. I'm going to please myself, if you don't approve, you can take your opinion and put it where the sun doesn't shine.

When is the state going to start the slaughter of all of the Mule Deer and Elk in those CWD positive counties in West Texas? It has only been 3 yrs since reported (6 years since they found it and hid it). Are they trying to give CWD a running head start or just waited till it was found inside a breeding herd to kill all those deer off first?

Specifically tfsohh, twa and the kleburgs. The others are just being duped by the drama.

I think you need to add Boone and Crockett to the list. I'm not sure of QDMA they seem to have a lot of anti high fence hardliners in their membership.

QDMA is anti HF

Just a little info. The dirty little secret that isn't mentioned much is that kleburg, twa, tfsohh are organizations who have a financial reason for opposing breeders. These orgs are dominated by either low fenced ranchers, or in the case of tfsohh, a high fenced rancher who already has high dollar deer and doesn't want to stock anymore

And y'all said it was only me and few other nuts on here.

Them dang communist anti-hunters! Trying to protect free-ranging animals.

I don't want a serious animal disease situation used to advance the anti HF agenda. I will please myself and set my own boundaries, if you disagree fine, please yourself just don't impose your values on me. There is enough room for everyone, as long as a hunt isn't misrepresented, we should be free to disagree.

So then are you going to be the flag bearer calling for the slaughter of all the mule deer and elk in the CWD area in West Texas? Everyone else seems to be occupied with slaughtering all breeder pen deer and stop breeders from operating. Those free-ranging animals are still moving around and spreading CWD to who knows where by now.

By your own words and actions it appears you would fit nicely into their organization. Maybe you could be their spokesman?

To give you an answer: Private Property rights on a free range herd (access), very different consequence on a permitted deer operation. Its that a permitted operation the permit allows the landowner to possess and manage that herd. If the situation is considered illegal or potentially harmful to wild deer populations then the permit can be pulled or herd eradicated. The landowner may manage the deer but does not own them. Contrary to current uninformed individuals.

Now if you have the intuition to analyze and explore deer movements and populations in far west Texas (MD) then you would come to the conclusion that those particular animals are isolated and the rate of migration is extremely low and slow. TPWD has admitted the CWD in the MD animals in Culberson and Hudspeth Co's may have been there for some time before detection without spreading to adjacent herds and feel confident that the spread and infection rate would take a considerable time say 20-50 years to expound beyond their current range. Most fear came from contaminated carcass hauled all over the state and deposited who knows where. Detection has been slow due low harvest and collection number and was only discovered after a precise collection effort.

Deer breeder moving deer is a different ball of wax and CWD movement across the state is capable in as little as one year. This scenario is the worst in terms of epidemiology control of a disease, through private property rights and access to possible infected herds and CWD gets statewide in a few years not decades or a half a century as in the case of Trans-Pecos MD. The Elk have the same issues concerning private property rights, no one can walk onto your property to remove those animals with a warrant to trespass, in deer breeders its that permit they agreed to gives the state management authority the trespass warrant to inspect and oversee the regulation of that particular herd.

Being a rancher and livestock owner you should review USDA quarantine/eradication procedures for highly contagious disease such as foot and mouth...... you lose everything.

Let me help ya out here sparky. Other states have breeders and stocking programs, and have also had CWD for DECADES. And CWD has proven to be statistically inconsequential in those states. Even in Wisconsin, where they tried to eradicate the wild deer population in order to contain CWD (the most unsuccessful control method ever btw), the wild populations are rebounding. Even after the combined efforts of the wisconsin DNR and CWD.

First, prove that CWD is in fact a legitimate threat to ANY deer population. And do it by showing us ONE wild deer that died of CWD.

I'm waiting.

You still didn't answer the question.

Because you don't know the answer. None of you so called experts do.

WE do have intuition, being a biologist doesn't make it exclusive. And my intuition tells me you don't know what the hell your talking about when it comes to understanding what causes this disease and how to control it. And neither does TPWD.

Why have the mule deer not all died by now? Even taking out the migration theory of keeping it contained. Why if it's so devastating to the entire deer population, hasn't it wiped out all the mule deer in Culberson and Hudspeth county?

Not enough data on the area in question, don't know..... Please go to those landowners impacted by CWD and ask for permission to allow a state university to study CWD effects on their property. We need the answers, but see if you get a warm reception. It's been tried... almost shut his lease hunting operation down, he's not a happy camper.

Let me help ya out here sparky. Other states have breeders and stocking programs, and have also had CWD for DECADES. And CWD has proven to be statistically inconsequential in those states. Even in Wisconsin, where they tried to eradicate the wild deer population in order to contain CWD (the most unsuccessful control method ever btw), the wild populations are rebounding. Even after the combined efforts of the wisconsin DNR and CWD.

First, prove that CWD is in fact a legitimate threat to ANY deer population. And do it by showing us ONE wild deer that died of CWD.

I'm waiting. [/quote]

I wont post it again but look and read the articles I posted in the 1st page of the thread, evedentually you didn't. That will answer your question on the threat.

Find and cite any credible sources that CWD is a good this for deer in Texas you can use other states data. I want to see your data on deer populations that are affected by CWD now or in the forecasted future. See what they say.

PICS: When you deal with a disease that is 100% lethal, that cannot be diagnosed besides in a lab, and scavengers, carcasses are hard to come by. Look on the internet plenty are there, show deer, elk with the disease in breeders and pens, plenty, not one in the wild just because you don't know if its a carrier.

I answered the question you just ignored it. If the state showed up at your ranch/lease and said they want to test your herd....you'd lawyer up faster than you could pull a trigger on a gun. Private Property rights Hello....

I wont post it again but look and read the articles I posted in the 1st page of the thread, evedentually you didn't. That will answer your question on the threat.

Find and cite any credible sources that CWD is a good this for deer in Texas you can use other states data. I want to see your data on deer populations that are affected by CWD now or in the forecasted future. See what they say.

PICS: When you deal with a disease that is 100% lethal, that cannot be diagnosed besides in a lab, and scavengers, carcasses are hard to come by. Look on the internet plenty are there, show deer, elk with the disease in breeders and pens, plenty, not one in the wild just because you don't know if its a carrier.
[/quote]



I read most of your articles. The ones I read only pointed to "fears that it 'might' decimate populations". Wisconsin has had known cases since 2002; Wyoming, Colorado and other western areas have had it for over 3 decades. It has yet to decimate a wild population anywhere.

You say it's "100%" fatal, but you can't show me one case of a deer found in the wild that is known to have died from CWD.

I find that incredible when I lost over 80% of my deer low fenced herd on a ranch to anthrax that is only 85+% fatal. Your carcass statement is obviously BS because we can prove that all of those deer that died from anthrax, died from anthrax.

Blow smoke up someone else's a$$.

CWD mortality is not apparent, you can test soil around the carcass site, there's data that supports that.

http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/chronic_wasting_disease/cwd_news.jsp

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3160281/

Really good group of compiled articles that you should read. It will answer a lot. Pay special attention to how CWD can mask or appear like other diseases except in late stages.

Oh and on your anthrax issue did you have all those deer tested? Guess its the same rancher perspective "that's what it must be!" And really 80% have the deer surveys pre and post anthrax to back it up? Most don't have a clue what they have.

No smoke here just facts pulled off the old interweb, not a whole lot of credibility on your behalf, by slamming facts that scientists have presented. Not one shred of evidence supports your statements you provided on this forum

CWD mortality is "not apparent"??

But I thought you could test for it. Are you saying all those deer they are diagnosing really don't have CWD? Of course you know better. Any dead deer that died of CWD can be tested for CWD. It just doesn't fit your narrative.

No, I didn't test any of the animals in 2001 on my ranches between del rio and Sonora. But, they were dead center of that years outbreak and it was documented well in that area. Hundreds of animal carcasses were tested positive, something that could be done with CWD carcasses if they could ever find one outside a pen.

Really? What happened in the piroplasmosis outbreak? What about a Scrapie's outbreak in fredricksberg?

I'll anwser that for you TAHC was involved and used sound judgement, not an over reaching slaughter them all TPWD political ideology.

You want to go over any other outbreaks in Texas in the last 20 years?

Being that foot and mouth hasnt been seen in America in what 90 plus years and now has a vaccination let's pick something else.