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It was just a matter of time!!

7K views 97 replies 32 participants last post by  outofstater 
#1 ·
Shut the stinking disease vectors down now!


CWD Disease Management Area To Expand Into Elk Range

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Category: Pennsylvania Wildlife
Diseased animal detected at captive deer farm in Clearfield County will require DMA 3 expansion.
A captive deer that has tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) will require Disease Management Area 3 (DMA 3) to expand into
Pennsylvania’s elk range.
The exact adjusted boundary of DMA 3 and all other DMAs that could expand due to newly detected CWD-positive deer will be announced in coming weeks, after all samples collected from 2018 hunter-harvested deer are tested. About 3,000 of 6,309 samples from hunter-harvested deer remain to be tested.
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture last week announced a buck on a hunting preserve near Curwensville in Clearfield County tested positive for CWD.
The CWD-positive buck had been brought to the Clearfield County hunting preserve from a Fulton County captive-deer facility, where it was born and raised. The state Department of Agriculture placed the Clearfield County hunting preserve and the Fulton County captive-deer facility under quarantine and they are to remain under quarantine for five years.


While the new DMA 3 boundary will be announced after all sampling of hunter-harvested deer is final, the CWD-positive captive deer would expand DMA 3 to the northeast, where it would encompass at least some Elk Hunt Zones, said Game Commission Wildlife Management Director Matthew Schnupp.
Within DMAs, specific regulations apply to help prevent the spread of CWD. The intentional feeding of deer is prohibited within DMAs, as is the field possession by hunters of urine-based deer attractants. Hunters harvesting deer and – in the case of an expanded DMA 3 – elk within DMAs are prohibited from exporting the entire carcasses or high-risk parts from those animals outside the DMA.
High-risk parts where the CWD prion (causative agent) concentrates are: the head (including brain, tonsils, eyes, and lymph nodes); spinal cord/backbone (vertebra); spleen; skull plate with attached antlers, if visible brain or spinal cord material is present; cape, if visible brain or spinal cord material is present; upper canine teeth, if root structure or other soft material is present; any object or article containing visible brain or spinal cord material; and brain-tanned hide.
Hunters within DMAs can help prevent the spread of CWD by limiting the movement of high-risk parts and properly disposing of high-risk parts in lined-landfills or in Game Commission provided dumpsters.
Currently, state Department of Agriculture coordinates a mandatory surveillance program for 874 captive cervid facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania. Since 1998, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has tested over 39,000 captive deer, of those, 96 have tested positive. For more information on the mandatory surveillance program or CWD in captive facilities, please visit https://www.agriculture.pa.gov/Pages/default.aspx.

CWD in Pennsylvania
CWD was first detected in Pennsylvania in 2012, in a captive cervid facility in Adams County. Shortly after, three wild positive deer were detected in Bedford and Blair counties. In response to these positives, DMAs 1 and 2 were established. DMA 1 was dissolved in 2017, after no CWD positives were detected for 5 consecutive years. DMA 2 has since expanded covering parts of Adams, Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Cumberland, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Perry, and Somerset counties.
DMA 3 was established in 2014, after CWD was detected in a captive cervid facility in Jefferson County. In 2017, DMA 3 expanded when three wild CWD positives were detected in Jefferson and Clearfield counties.
DMA 4 was established in 2018, after a CWD was detected in a captive cervid facility in Lancaster County. DMA 4 covers parts Berks, Lancaster, and Lebanon county. To date, CWD has not been detected in the wild population in DMA 4.
CWD is a fatal disease that affects deer and elk. CWD can be transmitted directly through animal-to-animal contact or indirectly through contaminated environments. Prions or misfolded proteins can be shed onto the environment through bodily fluids and once there can remain infectious for several years. Currently, there is no vaccine or cure for CWD.
For more information on CWD, please refer to the Game Commission website at www.pgc.pa.gov.
 
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#4 ·
Now its here and still it is spreading, these farms have destroyed our future deer hunting in PA.

Exactly. And still the deer farms are in operation. And why? So somebody can shoot a captive raised buck with big antlers? I can not figure what the Dept of Agriculture is thinking.
 
#5 ·
They are not thinking and they just don't care. It is going to take every hunter in the state to call or write their Representatives and Senators and tll them to shut the Cervid farms down ASAP. Tell your friends and relatives to contact them also. If we don't try, we aren't a whole lot better than the Dept of Ag and the idiots who gave them the oversight. We all have a stake in this.
 
#8 ·
Deer elk and exotics. Some are hundreds of acres and as small as 30, in PA. These puke deer farmers also sell to other high fence operations in other states. We got CWD in PA because of deer farmers bringing deer into the state from across the Mississippi where they had it for years.
 
#10 ·
A lot of the blame, some would say all, goes to the Dept. of Ag., but the PGC needs to shoulder some also.
The PGC said the only way to stop, or lease slow, the spread of CWD is too heavily cull the herd. If this is so why don't they issue more tags?
Implement a special over the counter unlimited antlerless tag to be used in DMA only, within a specific WMU, they could also issue a second buck tag for those areas and eliminate antler restriction. Granted it's not a cure all, private property owner could sill post their property, but should lower the deer population on plublic land, and help stop the spread, if culling really is the only cure, I don't know.
All money generated by the sale of these tags should be earmarked for CWD research.
 
#11 ·
They did for the county i live in just this week. They just released 2 more DMAP areas and 1730 more tags for Perry and part of Juniata just this week. I didnt check other counties but i am willing to bet more DMAP areas were added in other counties. Not sure if it will do any good when most of the new DMAP areas added is posted land in Perry. If those land owners dont allow hunters on their land and they themselves don't buy any of the DMAPs tags its almost useless unless the land owner participate and allow other hunters to particpate in culling the herd.
 
#16 ·
If you read my post, I believe I address that. Maybe not to the extent of unlimited doe tags, but it could be changed to unlimited any sex license.
 
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#20 ·
That happened this past winter in Southern Blair County. PGC was going to do the sharpshooter ordeal and locals went nutz. This area im speaking of his vast farm land and the owners said no along with sportsman clubs, etc. I have the same thing where my neighbor next to me as always believed in no doe hunting, he has 120 acres adjoining me. Too bad we have a double edge sword against the entire CWD thing. The Dept. Of Ag and many landowners don't want nothing killed. Im not bashing a landowner at all since I am a Pa. property owner and you have the right to choose what goes on in your property. But for example my neighbor I mentioned cries the loudest about the CWD issues and bashes the PGC for not doing anything about. My old retired WCO friend has told me many times, the sportsman actually does the management of reducing or let walk.
 
#27 ·
WW I understand what you said. It may not have been the PGC fault but the fact still remains the PGC is caving to the GA and the ball is now in their court. They’re suppose to be an independent agency, but sure aren’t acting like one. There are time for negotiations with the GA, but this isn’t one of them, it’s time to do what is right and needs to be done to try and stop CWD, with or without the GA,s blessing. What are they going to do, hold up a license increase, which may or may not be needed.
They may not be able to instigate a cull on private property without a court fight, which would take years, but they sure can on public land if that’s what needed.
 
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#33 ·
It kind of sounds like you don't understand how the legislative process works.

The Game Commission can't just grew a set and tell the State Legislature to go pond sand then do as they please. The State Legislature passes the laws that allow the various state agencies to have ANY authority to do anything.

The Game Commission has absolutely zero authority to regulate one darn thing as it deals with the cervid farm business or captive deer or elk because the State Legislature stripped that authority from the Game Commission and handed it off to the Department of Agriculture. They stripped that regulatory authority from the Game Commission because they WERE not only making the deer and elk farmers stay within compliance of the existing laws and regulations but introducing even more stringent regulations to stay ahead of the CWD concerns starting to surface in surrounding states. The deer and elk farmers didn't want to have any oversight so they went to the State Legislature demanding that they turn cervid farming over to the Department of Ag.

Now we have CWD that is pretty much out of control within the cervid farming industry and rapidly expanding in the wild deer populations.

No one knows if CWD would have been avoided if the State Legislature hadn't shifted the cervid farming regulations to the Department of Ag. But, we do know that the Department of Ag. has been way to lax and unresponsive in developing and enforcing effective cervid farming regulations from the beginning and all the way to the present time.

Dick Bodenhorn
 
#29 · (Edited)
Politics! With over 1000 deer farms in Pa. generating tons of $ The " higher ups " on both sides don't want to rock the boat! We all know this boat needs sunk. Not one word from Dr. Brightbill a Veterinarian who works for Dept of Ag., CWD coordinator Jared Oyster for the Game Commission ,Biologist and special assistant Wayne Laroche also from Game Commission never once spoke about closing deer farms down! Only to expand the area's to kill more deer, Research for a "vaccine" totally agree! and to educate us hunters on CWD. There's a lot more behind the curtain I don't know. People like WW,RSB, would know more. That's what they did for a living .
 
#31 ·
Politics! With over 1000 deer farms in Pa. generating tons of $ The " higher ups " on both sides don't want to rock the boat! We all know this boat needs sunk. Not one word from Dr. Brightbill a Veterinarian who works for Dept of Ag., CWD coordinator Jared Oyster for the Game Commission ,Biologist and special assistant Wayne Laroche also from Game Commission never once spoke about closing deer farms down! Only to expand the area's to kill more deer, Research for a "vaccine" totally agree! and to educate us hunters on CWD. There's a lot more behind the curtain I don't know. People like WW,RSB, could be more? That do.
Me and Dr. Brightbill have had our conversations lol he avoids me now when i see him. He cant avoid me to much since we live in the same area.
 
#32 ·
Unfortunately with CWD, your danged if you do, danged if you don’t. They’ve tried massive culling or herds in western states and it didn’t really help and just ticked off hunters and landowners alike. And if they don’t do anything to “address” it, people complain about them “not doing anything” about the issue...

The sad part is, the only thing that can really be done is to let it run it’s course. The animals that are immune to it will survive and pass their genes on, while those that are not will die off and not pass on theirs. These prions that cause the disease are said to be able to live in the soil for YEARS, and if any deer susceptible to contracting it licks that dirt or consumes it somehow, they can be infected.

It stinks, but railing on and on and pointing fingers wont solve the issue.
 
#46 ·
Lol, and I'm not sure we even know which way to point our fingers. I've been reading all I can on CWD since they found it in Colorado and then when it was a big issue in Wisconsin. One thing I know for sure....I don't know that much and what's worse, I can't seem to find a group of researchers, biologists or game managers that have the answers.


I just read where Dr. Kroll disagrees (at least somewhat) with the PGC CWD plan. What's a fellow (very concerned sportsman) to believe. We want to get behind any effort to halt or greatly diminish this disease......HELP!!!!
 
#44 ·
It seems that you think you know a lot more about the operations of sate agencies than you actually know. You cannot possibly be that naive, or can you. Recently, withing a couple of weeks WCO's, ie Game Wardens now finally got the ability to retire after 20 years of service without incurring a penalty on their pensions. Several years before I retired after 33 years a bill was working it's way through the General Assembly that would have given the 20 years without penalty to both Fish and Game, just like all other law enforcement officers in the state. While this was going on, then Gov. Ed Rendell called then Executive director Vern Ross to his office. When Vern arrived and was shown to Rendell's office, he encountered a terse Rendell who proceeded to tell him that he was going to hire a friend of the Governor to the open position of Bureau Director in the Bureau of Administration. Vern politely told the Governor that he already had decided on a person to fill the slot. Rendell then got surly and told Vern that he must have a hearing problem because he told him he would hire his friend. To Vern's credit he told the Governor that he would not hire his friend and the hiring of PGC personal was not under the Governor's control. Rendell then threw Vern out of his office with the admonition that he would regret his decision. A while later the bill to allow the Fish officers to retire after 20 years without penalty passed and was signed by Rendell with the Game officers being conspicuously absent on the bill. I would not have retired after 20 years but there were some game officers that would have. Since Rendell could not hurt Vern he hurt his employees. That said, I admired what Vern did by not caving. Being in state government is a balancing act, you have to know when to hold them and know when to fold them and for an outsider who has never seen or participated this dance of power to criticize those who have to deal with it on a daily basis and make decisions that will cause the least amount of damage the way you just have shows a degree of ignorance and self importance that is pitiful. I did that dance for over 18 years and the above is just one example of what goes on workig for a state agency that is not, I repeat not independent but self funding and I can tell you for an absolute certainly, you don't know squat!
 
#45 ·
I did that dance for over 18 years and the above is just one example of what goes on workig for a state agency that is not, I repeat not independent but self funding and I can tell you for an absolute certainly, you don't know squat!
Nobody knows squat in your world, WW, despite you being proven wrong on many occasions. BTW, you completely missed the point in your haste to correct everybody. My point was is the dance, that I acknowledged occurs, worth continuing on certain issues like CWD for wildlife and the sport of hunting? It has certainly come with consequences hasn't it..................
 
#49 ·
heres the thing for me. i plan on having my deer tested this year. i hunt 1B and only 1B for deer.


as soon as CWD reaches 1B, i am done deer hunting in this State. that means the only money the PGC gets from me would be for the general license and furtakers. they would lose income on bear, doe, archery and muzzle loader tags from me and my family. i am also sure it has happened in other parts of the State with hunters concerned about CWD infected deer.


i am sending an e-mail to Senator Laughlin regarding the deer farms...they need shut down NOW....actually they need shut down years ago.
 
#50 ·
sent this:


Senator Laughlin,

it has come to my Attention that a deer in a captive herd inside the Elk range has tested positive for Chronic wasting disease (cwd). the Pennsylvania Game Commission (pgc) has expanded CWD area 3 to include the Elk range. CWD can infect Elk. the captive deer farms in Pa and other States have been proven to be responsible for the spread of CWD into the wild herds. deer have been transferred from captiv herds in CWd positive States to other captive herds (deer farms) here in PA. that is how it got here.

if we are to save deer hunting in PA the first step is to close, shut down all deer farms in the State and eradicate every deer inside those fences. the only way to destroy CWD is by incineration. even the Center for Disease Control (cdc) says not to eat deer infected with CWD as they do not know if it is transferrable to humans.

we should all be praying to God that cwd never jumps that barrier as it has been found in plants in cwd areas. since it can be transferred to plants, which include crops such as corn and soybeans and wheat, cwd can find its way into our grocery stores and into our homes.

i am asking that the State acts quickly and enacts legislation to close these deer farms and stops the importation and exportation of deer from these farms in PA and other States. i believe New York and Ohio have already banned importation of deer into their State.

the PA department of Agriculture has jurisdiction over the deer farms but has failed to see the seriousness of this situation. if CWD gets into the PA Elk herd what happens then ?

Please close these farms.

respectfully Yours

i know i missed some things but he will get the point.
 
#51 ·
ALSO...this is from the OP on page 1:


The exact adjusted boundary of DMA 3 and all other DMAs that could expand due to newly detected CWD-positive deer will be announced in coming weeks, after all samples collected from 2018 hunter-harvested deer are tested. About 3,000 of 6,309 samples from hunter-harvested deer remain to be tested.

SO...since deer season has closed, 3,000 hunters are still waiting to find out if their deer is safe to eat...that is unacceptable, its slow, it stinks. anyone think those 3,000 people waited to eat their venison ?


I'm glad hospitals dont send samples to that place for testing.
 
#59 · (Edited)
like i already said...when it hits my area. i quit deer hunting. i will pay thousands to go out of State every year than risk getting a CWD deer in PA, especially when they(whoever they are) cant get those deer tested in a timely manner. 3,000 hunters still waiting for results and the next deer season opens in 2 months.


crap poor job.


I think the fastest way to get things done is to have a wild game dinner, invite those who are responsible for getting things done and then tell them the venison they just ate came from a CWD area and we dont have the results back yet, or just tell them the deer tested positive.


see how fast the farms get shut down and testing and control improves.
 
#63 ·
So after reading the last three pages of this topic I have come to to the following conclusion.
An independent agency is in name only, the general assembly still pulls the strings. So if you or I have a complaint, or want to air an option, our state representative and/or senator is who to contact.
The only wildlife biologist worth listening to are those that only work with wild herds, state or federal agencies, and think the same as the PGC biologists.
As long as the PA Department of Agriculture has control/ oversight of private independent deer farms there’s nothing anyone can do to stop the spread of CWD.
 
#66 ·
Here’s a new one. I just found out this evening that a new DMAP area was created in Juniata county in the immediate area surrounding where the infected deer was found a few weeks ago. Area # 3907 will have 530 tags and is entirely made up of private land. The hunting game is changing fast!
 
#69 ·
All i can say is good luck trying to gain access to those private grounds where DMAP tags have now been issued in the DMA extension. What i am saying is most of the DMA is our area is private so those tags wont really help if the locals dont buy them to use and dont allow anyone on their property. I am a local and i cant even get access to these properties and i have lived there all my life lol.
 
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