CWD Follow-Up

[BenA]

In northwest Arkansas, CWD reduced deer density from roughly 147 deer per square mile to about 5, with an average age of just 1.5 years.

@356 Where is that published?

 

[356]

@356 Where is that published?

I do not know if it is published or not. The source was the University of Georgia, based on my notes.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

I hate being like this, but I discount the whole article when I see a claim like this.

CWD is Ravaging My Family’s Land, But It’s Not Too Late for You

Wisconsin hunter Paul Annear shares his personal story of how CWD has affected his deer hunting experiences and what can happen if hunters ignore CWD.

deerassociation.com

“In 2020, I had nearly 30 bucks on trail-camera I estimated to be 3½ years old or older. In 2024, I felt confident we had only seven or eight deer in that age class. A stark decrease. I also ran about 20 more trail cameras on this 115-acre property”

 

[Brian662]

This is from the article written by Paul Annear linked above. It perfectly sums up my feelings on CWD and what I expect on my land in SW WI moving forward.

 

[BenA]

I do not know if it is published or not. The source was the University of Georgia, based on my notes.

That figure doesn't match up with what the University of Georgia just published a month ago. You may want to recheck that.

 

[356]

That figure doesn't match up with what the University of Georgia just published a month ago. You may want to recheck that.

BenA, I have emailed the presenter to provide me with the source data. Once I have the answer, I will post it on this thread.

 

[SwampCat]

Cwd was detected in WI and IL the same year. IL took a much more aggressive sharpshooting, lowering deer density approach than WI - and the infection rates show the results

 

[Bill]

I hate being like this, but I discount the whole article when I see a claim like this.

CWD is Ravaging My Family’s Land, But It’s Not Too Late for You

Wisconsin hunter Paul Annear shares his personal story of how CWD has affected his deer hunting experiences and what can happen if hunters ignore CWD.

deerassociation.com

“In 2020, I had nearly 30 bucks on trail-camera I estimated to be 3½ years old or older. In 2024, I felt confident we had only seven or eight deer in that age class. A stark decrease. I also ran about 20 more trail cameras on this 115-acre property”


View attachment 90184

Yeah that's quite the claim. On nearly 4X the land I have never recorded 30 mature bucks. Maybe he really sucks at guessing the age of a deer...

 

[gunther89]

I grew up hunting in Sauk County and would routinely go for drives over in Richland County to look at fields covered in deer. It wouldn't be out of the ordinary to see fields of over 100 deer in them including seeing a dozen or more bucks that looked huge. Now you are lucky to see a field with 20 deer in it.

Heck even on our 125 acre farm, we have noticed the number of 3.5+ yr old bucks declining. We have also shot 4 bucks that have tested positive and seen or found plenty of sick looking bucks and does.

It really makes me question why I spend all the money I do on food plots and tree planting to see the buck quality declining at the rate it is.

 

[SwampCat]

This is from the article written by Paul Annear linked above. It perfectly sums up my feelings on CWD and what I expect on my land in SW WI moving forward.

View attachment 90185

I dont believe that is a realistic expectation for everywhere. WI maybe so - AR, probably not. In the AR CWD study, the deer density actually declined to 1 dpsm - that is an unhuntable population

 

[356]

I hate being like this, but I discount the whole article when I see a claim like this.

CWD is Ravaging My Family’s Land, But It’s Not Too Late for You

Wisconsin hunter Paul Annear shares his personal story of how CWD has affected his deer hunting experiences and what can happen if hunters ignore CWD.

deerassociation.com

“In 2020, I had nearly 30 bucks on trail-camera I estimated to be 3½ years old or older. In 2024, I felt confident we had only seven or eight deer in that age class. A stark decrease. I also ran about 20 more trail cameras on this 115-acre property”

Your point is well taken. Over the top claims and headlines hurt, not help.

Doug Duren, whose land has been featured on Meateater for this work introducing new hunters to the sport, has also experienced a similar decline and concern. I heard Doug speak at the CWD symposium this summer, and his first hand account was powerful. Here is a link to an interview from early 2025 on the Blood Origins Podcast. The conversation on CWD on his farm starts at about 6:30 into the podcast.

 

[ksJoe]

Your point is well taken. Over the top claims and headlines hurt, not help.

(not intending to be critical of any individual, just general observation)

Over the top claims is what built the internet. Nearly the entire internet is funded by commerce, and specifically much of the internet is funded on advertising. Without 'click bait' headlines, there is no internet.

But to your point, over the top claims are the enemy of sober topics of scientific research.

To be heard on the net, research must take on a self defeating over the top tone. That's a tough position.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

(not intending to be critical of any individual, just general observation)

Over the top claims is what built the internet. Nearly the entire internet is funded by commerce, and specifically much of the internet is funded on advertising. Without 'click bait' headlines, there is no internet.

But to your point, over the top claims are the enemy of sober topics of scientific research.

To be heard on the net, research must take on a self defeating over the top tone. That's a tough position.

The problem I have i see something like that is i immediately invalidate the whole message. If you can be that off (im making an assumption here but im pretty sure im not wrong) about that major detail, how can I believe the rest. Judging from the pictures provided in the article there’s a whole bunch of “meh” bucks so I’m not confident in his land being the one ginormous outlier. Additionally, it makes me question NDA and their willingness to run with at least that part of the story. If I picked up in that in two seconds, surely in their infinite wisdom, they would have caught that as well.
Lastly, IF, and I should change that to 100 text size cause it’s such a longshot, he did have 30 mature bucks using his 115 acres, NDA, should use him to write the definitive book on how to have the single greatest small-ish property on planet earth.
Also…20 ADDITIONAL cams from years prior!!! 20 alone is one per 5.75 acres. So I’m assuming he’s running one cam every 2-3 acres or something like that. This article is cringy and laughable and the fact that the Cervid Program Supervisor for Missouri put enough stock in it to send it out and use it as a resource is a little odd to me.

 

[Bill]

The problem I have i see something like that is i immediately invalidate the whole message. If you can be that off (im making an assumption here but im pretty sure im not wrong) about that major detail, how can I believe the rest. Judging from the pictures provided in the article there’s a whole bunch of “meh” bucks so I’m not confident in his land being the one ginormous outlier. Additionally, it makes me question NDA and their willingness to run with at least that part of the story. If I picked up in that in two seconds, surely in their infinite wisdom, they would have caught that as well.
Lastly, IF, and I should change that to 100 text size cause it’s such a longshot, he did have 30 mature bucks using his 115 acres, NDA, should use him to write the definitive book on how to have the single greatest small-ish property on planet earth.
Also…20 ADDITIONAL cams from years prior!!! 20 alone is one per 5.75 acres. So I’m assuming he’s running one cam every 2-3 acres or something like that. This article is cringy and laughable and the fact that the Cervid Program Supervisor for Missouri put enough stock in it to send it out and use it as a resource is a little odd to me.

It is a shame they used that article. I guess for hunters who are not as involved as many of us that might slip by. But it does stick out more than one of Bartyla's turds in the punch bowl if you have a clue.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

It is a shame they used that article. I guess for hunters who are not as involved as many of us that might slip by. But it does stick out more than one of Bartyla's turds in the punch bowl if you have a clue.

Yeah, I’m definitely not a CWD denier but I think the weight of decisions and regulations are so consequential that I would rather do nothing until the science can 100% come to an agreement then to run with information like this.

 

[ksJoe]

The problem I have i see something like that is i immediately invalidate the whole message

I agree. I saw the headline and didn't bother to read the article.

 

[BC Buck]

Iv had farm in NE MO for over 30+ years for deer hunting. Population between 100 to 150 per square mile. If culled to 5 deer per square mile would have crap running down both legs. Would not even think about deer hunting.