Bait and Mineral sites can become contaminated with CWD

[sagittarius]

"The research does help confirm longstanding suspicions that prions can accumulate in the environment in areas such as mineral licks or feeding and baiting sites where deer congregate, and scientists believe environmental reservoirs of prions could serve as an additional transmission route of CWD, which also passes between deer through direct contact, "

http://www.outdoornews.com/2018/05/07/wisconsin-researchers-cwd-found-soil-near-mineral-licks/

 

[JFK52]

I have 27 mature apple trees on my land. When they drop their apples, the deer gather around them to eat the apples on the ground. The area around them is full of deer poop and I can only imagine that they pee there also. Does this make the ground around my apple trees a potential source of CWD?? You can substitute water holes, small food plots and even scrapes for apple trees.

 

[ksgobbler]

Yep

 

[Peplin Creek]

Yeah, any area where deer activity is condensed, it’s more of a risk. However, baiting and mineral licks, tend to be even more condensed than under Apple trees and food plots. Banning baiting won’t stop the spread, but it does seem like a completely obvious way to transmit illnesses with ease.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I wish they would get rid of baiting in my area again. They had stopped it for several years, then last year, opened it back up.

 

[Peplin Creek]

I wish they would get rid of baiting in my area again. They had stopped it for several years, then last year, opened it back up.

I agree. Deer seem to be on a much more normal pattern when there isn’t bait on the ground.

 

[sagittarius]

I wish they would get rid of baiting in my area again. They had stopped it for several years, then last year, opened it back up.

Yes, you can thank Rep. Adam Jarchow (R-Balsam Lake). 2017 ASSEMBLY BILL 61 was introduced by state Representatives Jarchow, Quinn, R. Brooks, Edming, Felzkowski, Gannon, Kleefisch, Mursau, Skowronski, Stafsholt, Tauchen, Zimmerman and Fields, cosponsored by Senators Moulton, Craig and Harsdorf. Apparently the voting public in your area wants to bait.
https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2017/related/proposals/ab61

 

[yoderjac]

I have 27 mature apple trees on my land. When they drop their apples, the deer gather around them to eat the apples on the ground. The area around them is full of deer poop and I can only imagine that they pee there also. Does this make the ground around my apple trees a potential source of CWD?? You substitute water holes, small food plots and even scrapes for apple trees.

Yes, but it is all relative. A 5 acre soybean field concentrates deer more than a minimally productive big woods does. A small orchard concentrates deer more than a 5 acre corn field. A bait pile concentrates deer even more. While CWD raises our concerns even higher because of the potential consequences, there are many other diseases that can be transmitted more effectively when deer have increased face to face contact. It is all about keeping the risks we take prudent and making sure the benefits are worth the potential consequences...

 

[NWWI]

Yes, you can thank Rep. Adam Jarchow (R-Balsam Lake). 2017 ASSEMBLY BILL 61 was introduced by state Representatives Jarchow, Quinn, R. Brooks, Edming, Felzkowski, Gannon, Kleefisch, Mursau, Skowronski, Stafsholt, Tauchen, Zimmerman and Fields, cosponsored by Senators Moulton, Craig and Harsdorf. Apparently the voting public in your area wants to bait.
https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2017/related/proposals/ab61

I don’t remember being asked for my input?!
It’s too bad these politicians, most of who could care less about hunting or fishing, do these things for the easy votes.
I know when baiting was banned I worked much harder for success, but we scouted and hunted sign. Now we are back to scouting other hunters and corn piles. Not to cut people off, but to locate the food source.

 

[sagittarius]

https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2017/related/proposals/sb68

Senate Bill 68, Ayes 60, Noes 37, almost split down party lines .... only 2 Republicans voted against deer baiting.

https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2017/related/votes/assembly/av0124

August 2, 2017 Walker signed into law http://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2017/related/acts/41

Any county with a positive CWD sample, if CWD is not detected in that county for next 3 years, baiting may resume. If no more CWD positive cases detected within 10 miles of adjacent county within 2 years, adjacent county may resume baiting.

Given, CWD testing budget has been slashed. Testing in most counties is less than 1% of estimated deer population. So chances of detecting a less than 1% CWD infection rate, by sampling less than 1% of the deer population... is slim to none. Decreased CWD testing = more baiting counties. This is what Wisconsin Republicans have voted for.

 

[john volkman]

if this concerns you make sure you are cutting and removing all the licking branches on the property as well since they will do the exact same thing.

 

[Bill]

if this concerns you make sure you are cutting and removing all the licking branches on the property as well since they will do the exact same thing.

That is true. I get lots of pics on a licking branch that gets hit by every buck that goes by in early fall.
Still I'd like to figure out how to make them stop using a mineral site. Stopped adding to it years ago when they made us a CWD zone. Short of pouring deisel on it they just keep coming.

 

[yoderjac]

if this concerns you make sure you are cutting and removing all the licking branches on the property as well since they will do the exact same thing.

Not even close. There always is and always will be some level of natural interaction between deer. This allows for a natural level of disease spread. The concern here is artificially concentrating deer which can considerably increase the spread of disease. We will never stop CWD, EHD, or a host of other diseases deer get, but we can keep from making foolish decisions that artificially and significantly increases the rate of disease spread beyond the natural rate.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Peplin Creek]

Scrapes in general are probably the cause for higher CWD rates among bucks than doe. Just given the interaction with them.

I do agree with what jack said though. Never gonna stop it, but we don’t need to add to it.

 

[john volkman]

Not even close. There always is and always will be some level of natural interaction between deer. This allows for a natural level of disease spread. The concern here is artificially concentrating deer which can considerably increase the spread of disease. We will never stop CWD, EHD, or a host of other diseases deer get, but we can keep from making foolish decisions that artificially and significantly increases the rate of disease spread beyond the natural rate.

Thanks,

Jack

i disagree, licking branches are used year round by all deer although as peplin creek said the higher prevalence in bucks most likely has something to do with their habits during the rut. Everything we do as habitat managers concentrates deer at some level, whether it be a food plot, artificial water hole, bait pile, mineral lick or habitat manipulation to put more deer in a particular area so we can hunt them. Pulling one tactic out and saying its foolish or putting the blame on it while actively utilizing other tactics that could have the same result at any other level is pandering to your own beliefs.
There is a contingent in the biologist community that believes there is a link to copper deficiency and CWD prevalence. ITs entire possible that supplementing deer with copper may actually lower the infection rate. The truth is.... nobody completely understands the disease , how it transmits and why its prevalence is higher in some areas and not in others.

 

[Telemark]

Deer farms seem to cause outbreaks. That happened with the Amish in Holmes County. We need way more oversight on deer farms.

 

[Peplin Creek]

Deer farms seem to cause outbreaks. That happened with the Amish in Holmes County. We need way more oversight on deer farms.

Too late now

 

[yoderjac]

Too late now

Too late for some but not others. Our state was pretty proactive instituting tighter restrictions on deer pens as well as eliminating feeding deer from Sep through Jan regardless if by hunters or others. Yes, CWD still made it into our state, but the spread has been pretty slow so far. I'm convinced the proactive stance our game department took was a significant factor in slowing CWD. Some would foolishly say that because we don't have a complete understanding of the disease we should ignore the science and weight habitat management on the same level as baiting. We rarely have complete information about any disease epidemic. Instead we take the best scientific information and avoid practices that the preponderance of the evidence suggest can promote disease spread and utilize the best practices that don't.

Clearly management of deer in the presence of CWD is a challenging and controversial topic. Responsible managers will use the best science available to make the most prudent decision rather than saying things like "nobody knows for sure so every practice is equal".

Thanks,

Jack

 

[buckdeer1]

I saw in Texas they still have anthrax where the buffalo wallows were and they find dead deer from it and thats from 150 years ago

 

[sagittarius]

Some would foolishly say that because we don't have a complete understanding of the disease we should ignore the science and weight habitat management on the same level as baiting. We rarely have complete information about any disease epidemic. Instead we take the best scientific information and avoid practices that the preponderance of the evidence suggest can promote disease spread and utilize the best practices that don't.
Clearly management of deer in the presence of CWD is a challenging and controversial topic. Responsible managers will use the best science available to make the most prudent decision rather than saying things like "nobody knows for sure so every practice is equal". Thanks, Jack

Hopefully yes. In Wisconsin every politician from the governor Walker on down is attempting to get credit for taking great strides in slowing the spread of CWD. However, every politician is also deliberately ignoring the biggest elephant in the room .... no politician will even hint at eliminating baiting statewide in Wisconsin. Can politicians be responsible deer and habitat managers?