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What should we do about the disease?

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What should we do about the disease?

1. Ban the use of mineral, salt blocks and supplemental feeding/baiting.

2. Start testing deer in probable areas asap.

3. If tests are positive eradicate the herd in that immeadiate area.

4. Continue testing statewide for an extended period. Removing deer in areas that test positive when needed.

No expert here, just my thoughts.
 
It's a good thing they aren't eradicating the elk in Colorado due the CWD. Else they wouldn't have the highest elk population in the nation!
Any disease sucks, but is enough even known about this disease to come up with a rational plan to deal with it? Maybe deer have a better chance of beating the disease if they are healthlier by filling their bellies at food plots.
Has it even been proven just how it is transmitted through saliva? Meaing how long does the virus 'live' once out in the elements?
I for sure don't know, therefore can't comment on what should be done.
 
From what I have read.... Its from "prions"???? in the dirt that is being released. So if one dies in the woods, is it in the dirt there forever? And like stated, how is it transmitted through saliva if its a brain and spinal cord disease? Lots of questions, very few answers. Shooting first and then finding out more later is not the answer. Taking mineral licks away, food plots away, all of that, isnt going to help if its "in the dirt"
 
Fishbonker;460884 [FONT=Calibri said:
Yes, diseases will still spread, but at a reduced/slower rate. There is one study I know of from Michigan where they tracked the spread of a disease. It spread much faster in the areas with a higher concentration of mineral sites. There are plenty of arguments you can make against the studies’ conclusions as I don’t remember the methodology or the journal the study was published in but I am 100% sure it wasn’t published in a magazine that shills minerals. [/FONT]
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This is interesting seeing that as of 2011 Michigan has never had a recorded case of CWD in wild whitetail deer. The one case that was discovered was on August 25th 2008 in a captive doe in a breeding facility.

It comes down to the fact that NO ONE has the answer to the cause or transmission of CWD. In many of the cases out west mineral sites and supplemental feeding had absolutley nothing to do with the areas or animals that have tested positive. It is, at best a educated guess on how it's transmitted and new studies show that it is very possible that it could be a bacteria and not a prion. My point is, we are all just guessing at what could be the cause or solution to this problem. I think alot of people are basing their opinions on their own motives or feelings on food plots, minerals, management practices, etc. The common denominators in most cases seem to be captive animals or the transfer inter or intra state between herds. If anything maybe we should concentrate our efforts on monitoring captive animals more closely.

If it truly is a bad as some people think than don't you think the transfer or spread in some of the infected states would be much greater? I'm not saying it shouldn't be taken seriously, but I also think some people are getting way to worked up about something that is way to unknown for the most part. After all, I think Branstad is way more detrimental to our herd than CWD ever will be. Why don't we concentrate our efforts on something we do know about and can possibly control? JMO
 
dedgeez said:
My point is, we are all just guessing at what could be the cause or solution to this problem. I think alot of people are basing their opinions on their own motives or feelings on food plots, minerals, management practices, etc. The common denominators in most cases seem to be captive animals or the transfer inter or intra state between herds. If anything maybe we should concentrate our efforts on monitoring captive animals more closely.
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You are right, it is guessing at this point. I just feel that until we know what the route of transmission is, the most responsible thing to do for our herds would be to eliminate the things we do that very possibly could have a negative affect on them. I personally have no grudge against plots or minerals...now baiting is another story. :grin: I just hate to think that at some point we will regret not doing some simple things that could have made a difference.
 
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In all honesty.....where were all the mineral licks, salt blocks, food plots and corn piles 20 years ago? We were able to kill deer with out them, why do we really need them now? MPO, eliminate all bating. Keeps your neighbor from attracting more deer to his farm then yours and the two of you battling for the deer with who has the food for the year.... Just my 2 cents.

We have taken the sport out of hunting anymore with all the attactants. Is that how you want your children to know how to hunt? Over a food plot, corn pile, salt lick, etc? I am not sure about you, but I want my kid to know everything there is to a whitetail, how it uses the woods and food sorces that are natural rather than lureing them into a pile to shoot at point blank.
 
River1 said:
No, I read it in a news report a number of years back when Wisconsin had their first positive. I'm sure it's still out there.

Bonker, I agree with you on the minerals. They are bad news concerning disease spread. I also feel baiting and feeding follow as a close second.
Food plots, I personally believe offer a slightly higher percentage of transmission than natural food sources. Just for the fact that certain plots will draw deer for longer periods of time. From what I've seen, there are some plots that attract deer nearly year round and I don't feel that is true of most other food sources.
I just feel that if there is absolutely anything we can do to limit a higher exposure rate, we should do it.
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There is no proof that the hunters ever died from CWD. That Jacob's desease has been the cause of deaths elsewhere. It is just a coincidence that it happened to three people who participated in the same area game feed. It has never been linked to CWD. THere is a closer link from the Jacob desease (cant think of the name of it) to Mad Cow than CWD.
 
What is CWD?

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a fatal disease that attacks the brain and spinal cord of deer and elk, specifically white-tailed deer, moose, mule deer, and Rocky Mountain elk. While the exact cause is not known, it is believed to be a prion disease. A prion is an altered protein that causes other normal proteins to change and cause sponge-like holes in the brain. The origin of these prions is currently unknown. CWD is related to, but different from, scrapie in sheep and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE or mad cow disease) in cattle and Creutzfelt-Jacob Disease (CJD) in humans. These diseases also attack the brain and cause deterioration and eventual death. CWD was first identified in the 1960s in a Colorado research facility and since that time has been found in a variety of states and Canadian provinces. It is unknown whether sika deer are susceptible to CWD

Here is a link to the Disease.

http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/communicable/factsheets/creutzfeldt.htm
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This is my point. And although I agree with you River1, we don't know what avenues to even begin to aproach when it comes to preventing transmission. It is also well known that at each facility where CWD was present there was/is a parasitic mite present as well. Grain mites have also been blamed for the spread of CWD through spiroplasma bacteria. There are many people that believe that mites are the common vector for CWD. So if that is the possible cause then maybe a insecticide of some sorts is the answer. And these would be needed on ALL crop fields, not just food plots. I just think it needs to be narrowed down before we can go pointing fingers. Mineral licks, food plots, corn piles, water sources, feces, urine, semen, soil, have all been considered as modes of transportation, but none have been proven. If we were to start eliminating possible vectors or hosts for the disease, where would it start and where would it end? Bottling of urine for attractants would have to be eliminated, other glandular scents and lures, food plots, farming practices in general, digging of ponds, bait piles, mineral licks, breeding, and grooming amongst animals, yada yada yada. All would have to be controlled or eliminated! You get my point. It has also been found in the velvet on antlers, so how do we keep deer from shedding?

I know these all sound rediculous, but these are the measures we would have to take to truly elimanate the spread or possible outbreak. I just think that until we have concrete evidence as to the spread or vector we need to relax a bit and quit pointing fingers at one another.

Hell, let's just introduce wolves into the state and let them go to work :grin:
 
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dedgeez said:
deer from shedding?
I know these all sound rediculous, but these are the measures we would have to take to truly elimanate the spread or possible outbreak. I just think that until we have concrete evidence as to the spread or vector we need to relax a bit and quit pointing fingers at one another.
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Have to agree with that statement.

I would rather have concrete evidence and then start eliminating the cause.
The thing that concerns me is are there going to be stricter measures on the tame deer and elk breeders also? If not we still have a problem even though we take all this other into account for eliminating it on our end. JMHO.
 
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dedgeez, Couldn't agree more with your posts but don't give the DNR any ideas about wolves. ;) Seriously, nothing the DNR could ban is gonna slow the spread of CWD in Iowa other than possibly banning commercial deer and elk breeders because most of the outbreaks seem to originate or can be traced to these types of facilities. As far as mineral sites, I get more pictures of different deer licking the same primary scrape branch in October and November than I will get of different deer licking a specific mineral site all year. So unless someone can figure out how to keep deer from contacting each other this thread is pretty much as worthless as any bans would be for slowing the spread of CWD.
 
You guys are so hung up on banning, eradication of hot spots, and testing, when in reality, there is nothing that is going to stop, slow down, or eliminate CWD in any deer herd nation wide. Check out Wisconsin, man, they really did some good.
 
iowaqdm said:
dedgeez, Couldn't agree more with your posts but don't give the DNR any ideas about wolves. ;) Seriously, nothing the DNR could ban is gonna slow the spread of CWD in Iowa other than possibly banning commercial deer and elk breeders because most of the outbreaks seem to originate or can be traced to these types of facilities. As far as mineral sites, I get more pictures of different deer licking the same primary scrape branch in October and November than I will get of different deer licking a specific mineral site all year. So unless someone can figure out how to keep deer from contacting each other this thread is pretty much as worthless as any bans would be for slowing the spread of CWD.
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Saying a licking branch is no different than a mineral lick is speculation also. Can you say there is definitely more body fluids left at a scrape than a mineral site? I doubt it, but who knows for sure. True, we can't stop social animals from contact, but like I said before, we can stop the things we do that could possibly promote disease spread at a faster rate. Also, if anyone reading this thread has learned anything (I have), it isn't worthless. I really don't think I pissed down your leg, so stay off mine.:way:
 
When a kid gets a very contagious flu bug and goes to school, is it going to matter much if another kid drinks out of the same glass as him? Uh, no; It's going to spread regardless.

Banning mineral sites, bait stations for cameras, supplemental feeding sites, food plots, etc., because of fear that the disease will spread is pointless. If those of you who want these bans really think that it will stop the spread, then you really need to get a grip on reality.
 
sureshot1 said:
When a kid gets a very contagious flu bug and goes to school, is it going to matter much if another kid drinks out of the same glass as him? Uh, no; It's going to spread regardless.

Banning mineral sites, bait stations for cameras, supplemental feeding sites, food plots, etc., because of fear that the disease will spread is pointless. If those of you who want these bans really think that it will stop the spread, then you really need to get a grip on reality.
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Would you tell your kid to share the same glass? ;) Or would you tell him to wash his hands and be careful so he at least has a chance?
Also, who said "stop", anyone can rationally see there is no stopping it. The idea is to try doing something to slow it down and keep infection rates at a minimum.



Maybe there is one thing here we can all agree on? Putting the kabosh on these deer farms?
 
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River1 said:
Would you tell your kid to share the same glass? ;) Or would you tell him to wash his hands and be careful so he at least has a chance?
Also, who said "stop", anyone can rationally see there is no stopping it. The idea is to try doing something to slow it down and keep infection rates at a minimum.
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How do we know that it would slow it down? Any scientific evidence suggesting it does, or just your opinion? Also, how much does it slow it down? Would it be enough to justify the economic effects to businesses who make their livings producing and/or selling mineral, baits, etc?
 
sureshot1 said:
How do we know that it would slow it down? Any scientific evidence suggesting it does, or just your opinion? Also, how much does it slow it down? Would it be enough to justify the economic effects to businesses who make their livings producing and/or selling mineral, baits, etc?
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Come on man, would you tell your kid to drink out of the same glass or not?:D
 
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