MN CWD Hunt

I've always been fascinated by DPSM. In Montana around Fort Peck, there is no visible grass anywyere. It's sage brush and clay. Farmers graze 1 cow/calf per 40 acres out there (I fished with a rancher who ran those cattle). The carrying capacity of a land with almost nothing to eat can sustain 16 cows and 16 calves per square mile. Consider they also go for months without rain. Now move to somewhere east of the Dakotas and you hear the land can't sustain more than 12 deer (guessing there) while surrounded by ag or a forest that receives four times the rain to 1/3 as many animals 1/8th the size with a far less picky diet.

Perhaps not apples to apples, but something to consider.
 
A study, seriously? Even if there was one by the DNR we would be talking about the incompetence of the staffs ability to add, count, cover up factual info to push their agenda through, or who knows what.

I never said that high DPSM causes CWD. It most certainly contributes to the SPREAD of it IF their is an infected animal in the heard.

I don't know where you people are getting the idea that I am some pro DNR libtard in favor of what the DNR's plan with CWD is. I like the let nature take its course (to a certain extent) style of management. I was simply stating an opinion that there are more than enough deer and that the harvest should be increased by hunters with the best intentions of trying to keep the deer herd as healthy as it can be. If landowners and hunters aren't willing to shoot a few more deer to keep the population in check don't bitch about the DNR TRYING to do something about it.

What is your EXPERT opinion on what is to many deer?

I have been in sales and have run a delivery/installation truck that has taken me all over the tri-state area so you dont have to tell me how many more deer there are in Buffalo County WI., the area surrounding New Albin Ia., the Wiscoy Valley of Mn., etc.,etc. That statement is not me trying to say that I'm an expert on deer anything. It is just me saying I have put on hundreds of thousands of miles traveling around the area (all seasons and time of day). I would be willing to bet that if you would walk through some of the farms with those high deer numbers you would notice one thing in common, high browse lines.

Sorry, not sorry about the spelling or punctuation.

I think we share similar ideas. However, just because I don't feel like culling the herd due to CWD doesn't mean I then have to be okay with the DNR attempting to do something about it.

I'm relatively okay with densities where I hunt. But I hunt other states with higher densities with identical habitat. We don't have too many deer.
 
New article in the Strib: http://www.startribune.com/missota-brings-in-shooters-in-its-fight-to-contain-cwd/414791184/

Minnesota brings in shooters in its fight to contain CWD
The state's bold use of sharpshooters applauded.
By tony kennedy Star Tribune
February 26, 2017 — 8:18am

From his office in Lena, Ill., 35 miles south of New Glarus, Wis., Doug Dufford of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources has watched chronic wasting disease (CWD) take its toll on wild deer herds in both states.

Wildlife officials on each side of the Illinois-Wisconsin border detected the always-fatal neurological disease in 2002, but a much more aggressive fight of the disease in Illinois has kept infection rates around 1 percent. In pockets of Wisconsin, where hunter resistance discouraged large-scale deer removals, one of every two mature bucks and one of every four adult females is now infected with the mad cow-like disease.

From afar, Dufford realizes Minnesota is trying to extinguish its second outbreak ever of CWD in the wild. At the same time, there’s an outbreak of CWD in captive deer, centered on a Crow Wing County farm that promotes private hunts. Unlike Minnesota, Illinois doesn’t allow shooting of penned deer.

Dufford said he wholly agrees with Minnesota unleashing heavy firepower to remove as many CWD-positive deer as possible in Fillmore County. Last week, federal sharpshooters settled into an area between Preston, Fountain and Lanesboro to compound the effort. The “hot zone’’ culling began with a two-week special hunt and four weeks of additional deer removals by area landowners before the sharpshooters arrived Monday from U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services division.

Testing brain and lymph tissues from thousands of whitetails harvested in the area has detected nine CWD-positive deer in a narrow cluster. The ninth was confirmed Friday.

“The best strategy is to hit it with everything you’ve got and hope for the best,’’ Dufford said. ‘’It’s an opportunity you only get once.’’

If CWD becomes established in Minnesota, as it has in 16 Illinois counties, disease fighting affects every annual hunting season, Dufford said. Illinois’ approach has been to conduct aerial surveys of deer densities in the infected zones and aggressively cull the most populated 5-by-5 mile areas.

Extra hunting is permitting in those hot zones, followed by mandatory organized sharpshooting campaigns for about 50 Illinois DNR wildlife biologists, foresters, non-game personnel and fisheries staff.

“In the early days it was voluntary — anyone who was willing,’’ Dufford said. “Then we made it mandatory.’’

He said the agency took guidance from USDA’s wildlife services team, the original sharpshooters.

“We watched how they did it and used them as an example to train our own staff,’’ Dufford said.

Now, when extra hunting is followed by Illinois DNR sharpshooting, deer numbers in a designated block drop noticeably, affecting hunts in subsequent years, Dufford said.

“You’re not achieving disease control if you don’t lower deer densities,’’ he said.

USDA Wildlife Services District Supervisor John Hart of Grand Rapids, Minn., said a crew of four to seven staff biologists and technicians will patrol for deer in the Minnesota hot zone, possibly until March 19.

The highly trained federal sharpshooters, more commonly used to fix beaver damage, control problem wolves and remove wildlife from airports, are working around the clock to shoot as many deer in and around the small home range of four female deer that have tested positive for CWD. Hart said some team members spread corn for bait during the day and seek landowner permission to hunt where deer are congregating.

“Certainly not all landowners are inviting us onto their land, but cooperation has been good,’’ he said.

Most shooting is done at night with .308 rifles outfitted with night vision scopes and sound suppressors. Scouting is aided by thermal imaging equipment that can detect deer on the move or in beds from distances of up to a half-mile. Shots are made from ground blinds, tree stands and vehicles and the scopes are good for distances of 100-200 yards.

The goal is to remove five to 10 deer per shift. Eighteen deer were harvested in the team’s first three full days of work. The carcasses are refrigerated and released for human consumption if tissue samples test negative for CWD.

The Wildlife Services contract is not to exceed $290,000, and the tally could be lower. But all included, the CWD fight in southeastern Minnesota that started last fall likely will cost taxpayers $650,000 to $700,000, the DNR said.

USDA sharpshooters also were used by the DNR in 2011 to stop an outbreak of CWD in wild deer around Pine Island.

In that case, the team removed more than 600 deer of all types over a broad area. The Fillmore County effort is focused only on adult deer in a small area where the outbreak appears to be contained.

“Here we are zeroing in on a bull’s-eye,’’ Hart said.
 
The article wasn't clear to me on how many deer they had to actually kill to find "9" positives.

Any idea?

Would seem like a lot to find 9.
 
Over 1500 have been killed, not including any from normal hunting season. Sure hope the "bullseye" referenced above includes all of the prions the deer have shed to the environment.
 
Not sure of the total kill in the area, but here is a pic of the distribution of tested deer as of 2/16/2017. I would be worried if I was to the SE of the hot spot not knowing the condition of the deer so close to the hotspot.
lsz_th.png
 
Not sure of the total kill in the area, but here is a pic of the distribution of tested deer as of 2/16/2017. I would be worried if I was to the SE of the hot spot not knowing the condition of the deer so close to the hotspot.
lsz_th.png

The folks in that area likely aren't worried as you say and that is why there is a hole in the distribution.
 
What's up with the heavy kill to the SW of the hot spot?

Not one positive there but it looks like they whomped on em.....
 
Jameson went to the public land at Forestville during the special hunt.
 
kl9, I never said they were worried, only that I would be. I try not to think I know what others think.

Jameson went to the public land at Forestville during the special hunt.
:emoji_blush:
Decided to stay near home during the only cold snap of the winter and do some fish spearing instead of going to the State Park and shooting a bunch of 1.5 year old bucks.
 
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