I attended a by-invitation meeting hosted by Driftwood Outdoors, the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Conservation Federation in Jefferson City, MO earlier this month. This open discussion included representatives from Drury Outdoors, several popular podcasts, magazine writers and a handful of landowners representing a full range of thoughts and opinions on CWD.
One of the keynote speakers was Doug Duren, who tells of his journey from being on the fringes of CWD to having CWD significantly impact his farm. For those with a true interest in where CWD is going and the best past forward given what we know, this is a great episode.
This was the first time I had met Jason Sumners, our new Director of the Missouri Department of Conservation. Having heard him and talked to him, I am thankful he is at the helm, as he is passionate about deer, wildlife and habitat improvement.
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Jason made it clear that reduction in density, not elimination, is the goal of culling. The practice is the best tool in the toolbox at this time and is working in areas with high CWD prevalence. Three things the presentation made clear:
1) Culling only takes place on private land with the landowners permission.
2) Landowners can cull on their own, or have the MDC do it for them.
3) Landowners can specify saving older bucks, etc... (this was not always the case).