pa game commission CWD proposal

[Robertsj22]

The new cwd proposal for 2020 is out for review and it sounds terrible to any hunter that lives in there cwd zones. heres a link for anyone interested.

https://www.pgc.pa.gov/Wildlife/Wildlife-RelatedDiseases/Documents/2%20page%20summary%20CWD%20RP%202019%20w%20form.pdf

to summarize its kill as many as possible anyway possible and screw the people that hunt these areas. It would be great if there would be some real proof as to sick deer but no one has seen any that display any signs.

 

[sbhooper]

These government entities are playing right into the anti-hunting hands, by making a big deal out of nothing with this CWD. It is absolutely ridiculous and wiping out the population does nothing but reduce opportunity for hunters. Unbelievable.

 

[X13]

to summarize its kill as many as possible anyway possible and screw the people that hunt these areas. It would be great if there would be some real proof as to sick deer but no one has seen any that display any signs.

There's been lots of deer, hundreds now, that have been sick and tested positive. Most were roadkills and hunter kills that didn't get bad enough to "display any signs". Thats the scary thing about the disease, it takes a long time to kill while the infected deer looks healthy but is spreading prions.

These government entities are playing right into the anti-hunting hands, by making a big deal out of nothing with this CWD. It is absolutely ridiculous and wiping out the population does nothing but reduce opportunity for hunters. Unbelievable.

The entire management plan revolves around using hunters to do as much of the deer removal as they are willing to do. Not sure how thats a reduction in opportunity

 

[sbhooper]

There's been lots of deer, hundreds now, that have been sick and tested positive. Most were roadkills and hunter kills that didn't get bad enough to "display any signs". Thats the scary thing about the disease, it takes a long time to kill while the infected deer looks healthy but is spreading prions.



The entire management plan revolves around using hunters to do as much of the deer removal as they are willing to do. Not sure how thats a reduction in opportunity

The main thing is that they are not accomplishing a damn thing by doing it. It will not help the disease at all and if they do a super-harvest, it will make for fewer deer the next year. The amount of deer lost to CWD in any population is low. The whole thing is much to do about nothing.

 

[Robertsj22]

There's been lots of deer, hundreds now, that have been sick and tested positive. Most were roadkills and hunter kills that didn't get bad enough to "display any signs". Thats the scary thing about the disease, it takes a long time to kill while the infected deer looks healthy but is spreading prions.



The entire management plan revolves around using hunters to do as much of the deer removal as they are willing to do. Not sure how thats a reduction in opportunity

i thnk your numbers are off. there have been 283 cases in the entire state of pa. yes using hunters to slaughter what deer maybe be left. these areas you can buy endless tags to shoot does. they are decimating a herd that is already hurting. and now they say if we don't kill more they will bring in sharp shooters to kill more.

 

[Mallardsx2]

The new cwd proposal for 2020 is out for review and it sounds terrible to any hunter that lives in there cwd zones. heres a link for anyone interested.

https://www.pgc.pa.gov/Wildlife/Wildlife-RelatedDiseases/Documents/2%20page%20summary%20CWD%20RP%202019%20w%20form.pdf

to summarize its kill as many as possible anyway possible and screw the people that hunt these areas. It would be great if there would be some real proof as to sick deer but no one has seen any that display any signs.

How is this any different from their usual plans? lol

I was there and saw what they allowed in the early 2000's. Hunters killed the deer but the PGC issues those tags.... It was freaking sad what happened.

 

[X13]

i thnk your numbers are off. there have been 283 cases in the entire state of pa.

283 = hundreds. This doesnt include any results from the thousands of samples still pending from this season

yes using hunters to slaughter what deer maybe be left. these areas you can buy endless tags to shoot does.

Using hunters, on private property, with landowner permission, in areas specifically selected around previous positives. Not statewide

they are decimating a herd that is already hurting. and now they say if we don't kill more they will bring in sharp shooters to kill more.

The plan for sharp shooters is only in select areas where new positives show up that are miles away from existing endemic areas. To stop the "spark" from becoming endemic. This is only if the preselected number of deer isnt taken by hunters and still only on property with landowner permission

 

[X13]

The main thing is that they are not accomplishing a damn thing by doing it. It will not help the disease at all and if they do a super-harvest, it will make for fewer deer the next year. The amount of deer lost to CWD in any population is low. The whole thing is much to do about nothing.

You can always restrict harvest in the future to bring the deer back. What cant be done is decontaminate the environment polluted with disease causing agent.

 

[Jwill]

Any effort to combat CWD should start with the elimination of captive cervid facilities (deer farms, canned shooting operations, "hunting" preserves, etc.). Not holding my breath for PA to do that...

 

[sbhooper]

You can always restrict harvest in the future to bring the deer back. What cant be done is decontaminate the environment polluted with disease causing agent.

The prions that cause it, are in the soil, from what I have read. Let nature sort it out. If a deer looks sick, kill it and walk away, or leave it alone. Simple as that. No one has ever contacted CWD and the only way it could even POSSIBLY happen, is if you eat the brain, or spinal column. Common sense goes a long way and the game departments are guilty of fear mongering, more than anything constructive.

This stuff has gotten ridiculous.

 

[1976]

This topic is difficult as hell to comprehend and understand for myself and many sportsman, if there is a topic that divides and can cause heated discussion its cwd for sure, it even trumps the crossbow debate lol. My biggest question that is never answered it just gets the political run around is did we have CWD 10 20 30 years ago, we never knew because we never tested. When departments decide to test unfortunately there is always one positive, sometimes more, then its the population is crashing and CWD is going to devastate populations. Possible, yes, however we have CO, and WY and even Sask to the north to look at. All 3 have had CWD for decades, All 3 have had devastating winters in CWD hot beds in less than a decade and yet populations bounce back, with fair winters they come back quite well. Are there areas that do struggle with pop. recruiting, you bet. The biggest struggle is the understanding of this disease that both sides of this issue have absolutely no understanding of, this is the 80s version of AIDS I'm afraid, I'm old enough to remember the scares of toilet seats, the same way the scares of bait piles are, even though deer winter lips to assholes in the deep cover, walk the same trail they defecate in from Dec to March, use the same licking branch, rub the same sign post, on and on. I very much hope we can get an understanding on CWD besides the ceiling is falling mentality.

 

[X13]

The prions that cause it, are in the soil, from what I have read. Let nature sort it out. If a deer looks sick, kill it and walk away, or leave it alone. Simple as that. No one has ever contacted CWD and the only way it could even POSSIBLY happen, is if you eat the brain, or spinal column. Common sense goes a long way and the game departments are guilty of fear mongering, more than anything constructive.

This stuff has gotten ridiculous.

The prions that cause it are in the deer, its shed into the soil from urine, feces, and saliva. They arent present in the soil until a sick deer puts them there.

They are in the highest concentration in the brain, spinal column and lymph nodes but prions are present throughout the meat as well.

Common sense says to try and stop or slow the spread of a fatal disease in deer that can potentially make the jump to humans or other species like sheep or cattle rather than just standing idly by and making it our kids and grandkids problem.

This topic is difficult as hell to comprehend and understand for myself and many sportsman, if there is a topic that divides and can cause heated discussion its cwd for sure, it even trumps the crossbow debate lol. My biggest question that is never answered it just gets the political run around is did we have CWD 10 20 30 years ago, we never knew because we never tested. When departments decide to test unfortunately there is always one positive, sometimes more, then its the population is crashing and CWD is going to devastate populations. Possible, yes, however we have CO, and WY and even Sask to the north to look at. All 3 have had CWD for decades, All 3 have had devastating winters in CWD hot beds in less than a decade and yet populations bounce back, with fair winters they come back quite well. Are there areas that do struggle with pop. recruiting, you bet. The biggest struggle is the understanding of this disease that both sides of this issue have absolutely no understanding of, this is the 80s version of AIDS I'm afraid, I'm old enough to remember the scares of toilet seats, the same way the scares of bait piles are, even though deer winter lips to assholes in the deep cover, walk the same trail they defecate in from Dec to March, use the same licking branch, rub the same sign post, on and on. I very much hope we can get an understanding on CWD besides the ceiling is falling mentality.

I agree with a lot you've said, the sky isn't falling and there will always be deer whether we have CWD or not but I refuse to believe that "let nature take its course" is the best course of action.

 

[sbhooper]

The prions that cause it are in the deer, its shed into the soil from urine, feces, and saliva. They arent present in the soil until a sick deer puts them there.

They are in the highest concentration in the brain, spinal column and lymph nodes but prions are present throughout the meat as well.

Common sense says to try and stop or slow the spread of a fatal disease in deer that can potentially make the jump to humans or other species like sheep or cattle rather than just standing idly by and making it our kids and grandkids problem.

Over reaction solves nothing, either. The kids and grand kids will not have problems. Any place that has done these major herd reductions have noticed no difference in anything but the populations. Wisconsin tried that fiasco, too. It is pure bs. It is showing up in lots of states and it is making no difference-except where game departments and the public go into panic mode.

 

[X13]

Over reaction solves nothing, either. The kids and grand kids will not have problems. Any place that has done these major herd reductions have noticed no difference in anything but the populations. Wisconsin tried that fiasco, too. It is pure bs. It is showing up in lots of states and it is making no difference-except where game departments and the public go into panic mode.

I don't think removing hundreds or even a few thousand deer in a population of over a million can be called an overreaction.

Wisconsin went about it very aggressively and had their programs defunded by the legislature before anything productive came about. Illinois has been doing the same program that PA is proposing and for over a decade kept prevalence rates at 3% or lower

 

[sbhooper]

I don't think removing hundreds or even a few thousand deer in a population of over a million can be called an overreaction.

Wisconsin went about it very aggressively and had their programs defunded by the legislature before anything productive came about. Illinois has been doing the same program that PA is proposing and for over a decade kept prevalence rates at 3% or lower

Whatever floats your boat. You obviously believe in what they are doing, and you just made my argument. Removing a small percentage of a large herd does NOTHING. If you want to do it that way, then kill every damn one of them or forget it. SMDH.

 

[X13]

Removing a small percentage of a large herd when those removed are sick or in an area where sick deer are present helps keep the bulk of deer healthy.

Same concept as keeping your sick kid home from school. An overreaction would be to shut the school down and an underreaction would be to send the kid to school and have all the classmates come down with the flu

 

[ClearCreek]

The new cwd proposal for 2020 is out for review and it sounds terrible to any hunter that lives in there cwd zones. heres a link for anyone interested.

https://www.pgc.pa.gov/Wildlife/Wildlife-RelatedDiseases/Documents/2%20page%20summary%20CWD%20RP%202019%20w%20form.pdf

to summarize its kill as many as possible anyway possible and screw the people that hunt these areas. It would be great if there would be some real proof as to sick deer but no one has seen any that display any signs.

Maybe no one in Pennsylvania has "seen any that display signs", but in Wyoming, on the ranch that I hunt, I have seen four white-tailed bucks that displayed signs of CWD. Two of those bucks were shot and the tests came back positive. The other two wandered off and were never seen again.

ClearCreek

 

[elkduds]

CO's current plan is to increase harvest of mature bucks in the most endemic areas. The research they cite shows mature bucks are most associated w spreading the disease.

 

[MJE2083]

I feel for you being in the heart of the CWD zone. I don't know what the answer is, but I live a few miles north of the DMA zone and I hope it does not spread to my area. I understand this is an emotional issue, but I tend to trust the PGC and the professionals working on this. Numerous deer in your area have tested positive, I'm not sure what more proof you need? I don't think there is any debate about the lethality of CWD. Those deer that tested positive would have died eventually, even if they're not visibly sick at this moment.

 

[Hilljackoutlaw]

We know what CWD does. We know how its spread. We know how long it can stay active in the soil.
The things we dont know and is the most important is how to stop or slow it down. We just have ideas that we bounce off deer herds all over the country hoping one sticks.

The one thing I think I know is that sportsman and biologists took this disease for granted 50 years ago when they should of took serious action to quarantine it to the captive deer facility it was discovered in.
Now were in a bit of a pickle with no pickle eaters to take care of it.