Chronic Wasting Disease?

[morrisonm123]

Just after receiving my hunter number card in the mail, a friend of mine sent me an article about "Chronic Wasting Disease". Right away I was frustrated because I thought it was atempt to keep me from taking an animal due to the fact that my friend does not agree with hunting. Now a little later I'm hearing more and more about this disease in deer and elk in Saskatchewan and Alberta, and how fast it is spreading. I have even read today, while waiting for the ferry, that cases have been reported along the BC / Alberta border. From what it sounds like, is that it is a form of mad cow disease that has developed from elk farms in the prairies and has now moved into the wildlife that we all like to hunt. I was wondering if anyone has more information that might ease mine and possibly everyone else's concerns. If we do take a deer this year is there anyway of testing the animal before it is consumed? I don't want to sound like a party pooper, just cautious I guess.

P.S. This is my first time posting........ hell of a way to start I guess.

[elkdom]

Just after receiving my hunter number card in the mail, a friend of mine sent me an article about "Chronic Wasting Disease". Right away I was frustrated because I thought it was atempt to keep me from taking an animal due to the fact that my friend does not agree with hunting. Now a little later I'm hearing more and more about this disease in deer and elk in Saskatchewan and Alberta, and how fast it is spreading. I have even read today, while waiting for the ferry, that cases have been reported along the BC / Alberta border. From what it sounds like, is that it is a form of mad cow disease that has developed from elk farms in the prairies and has now moved into the wildlife that we all like to hunt. I was wondering if anyone has more information that might ease mine and possibly everyone else's concerns. If we do take a deer this year is there anyway of testing the animal before it is consumed? I don't want to sound like a party pooper, just cautious I guess.

P.S. This is my first time posting........ hell of a way to start I guess.

In B.C. wildlife, CWD is about as common as politician that "always tells the truth", but to be on the safe side, dont eat the deers brain or spinal cord ! a sick deer with CWD quite often displays odd behavior such as staggering or uncertain balance when walking running, but basically dont eat spinal tissue or brain tissue and cook your meat you will be ok!

[morrisonm123]

I will take extra care to make sure it is cooked. If you can't tell......... I'm a city kid turned hunter. Hahaha. I work for a logging company though and spend alot of time in the bush. Seen lots of wildlife and decided it all looks good enough to eat.

Thank you very much for the advise!!!

[Panda]

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/wldresource.html

Scroll down to CWD.

You can take the heads to these drop off locations:

Kootenay Region:
Ministry of Environment, Cranbrook
Cliff's Meat, Kimberley
Backcountry Meats, Fernie

Peace Region:
North Peace Rod & Gun Club, FSJ
Peace Taxidermy, Hwy 29
Rocky Mountain Taxidermy, Pouce Coupe
District of Hudson's Hope Work Yard, Hudson's Hope
Lazy Bar "M" Ranch, Osborn
Russell's Custom Meat Cutting, Chetwynd
Ministry of Environment, FSJ
Ministry of Environment, Dawson Creek

Just remember to keep the head and neck intact and the sample must be over 1 year old or it will not show up. You can still cape out the head and take the antlers... the brain and lymph nodes are the important part. Be sure to document the date, location, sex, and species when you hand it in.

The BC CWD Surveillance Program (250) 953-5140 call for more info!

[elkdom]

I will take extra care to make sure it is cooked. If you can't tell......... I'm a city kid turned hunter. Hahaha. I work for a logging company though and spend alot of time in the bush. Seen lots of wildlife and decided it all looks good enough to eat.

Thank you very much for the advise!!!

Good luck! where do you hunt (zone)(M-U#)?? if I can help, just ask!

[elkdom]

OH yeh! one more thing, tell a joke, haha yuc yuc hee hee, seems the rule! lol

[morrisonm123]

This website http://www.cwd-info.org/index.php has all the information and even videos on what to look for and what to do if it is encountered.

Thanks again :)

[morrisonm123]

A joke eh? ok

This group of guys goes hunting every year, they stay in a cabin. they always put Fred in a room by himself because he snores so loud. one year there is a new guy with the group, but the only room they have for the new guy to sleep is in the room with Fred. the next morning Fred comes out of his room, eyes bloodshot, irritable, clearly a lack of sleep. the new guy comes out looking like he's had the best rest in his whole life. now the group of guys are confused! this has never happened before, it's usually the other way around! this continues night after night. finally one of the guys works up the nerve, and asks Fred whats going on? "well" he said. "I am asleep for a little while, when suddenly I wake up to the new guy blowing in my ear and patting me on the ass. then he goes and lays down and starts sleeping. there is no way I can sleep the rest of the night in the same room with that guy."

[elkdom]

A joke eh? ok

This group of guys goes hunting every year, they stay in a cabin. they always put Fred in a room by himself because he snores so loud. one year there is a new guy with the group, but the only room they have for the new guy to sleep is in the room with Fred. the next morning Fred comes out of his room, eyes bloodshot, irritable, clearly a lack of sleep. the new guy comes out looking like he's had the best rest in his whole life. now the group of guys are confused! this has never happened before, it's usually the other way around! this continues night after night. finally one of the guys works up the nerve, and asks Fred whats going on? "well" he said. "I am asleep for a little while, when suddenly I wake up to the new guy blowing in my ear and patting me on the ass. then he goes and lays down and starts sleeping. there is no way I can sleep the rest of the night in the same room with that guy."
lol good one, later,,,

[gamehunter6o]

The CWD epidemic is something all hunters in North America are going to have to deal with. It is spread so easily between deer of all species and has such a long incubation period that it is very hard to diagnose and there is no treatment. During the last 4yrs deer farmers in NZ have had prove to US authorities there is no CWD in our herds. NZ is CWD free. I suggest all Alberta and BC hunters Google "chronic wasting disease" as it's coming to the bush near you. CWD is going to effect your future hunting.

[morrisonm123]

The simple fact that they say that they do not know if it can be transferred to humans is definatly something to think about and not take lightly. There seems to be more information coming out of the US, but that is also where it seems to originated from. http://www.cwd-info.org/ explains alot and so does http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/anima/heasan/disemala/cwdmdc/cwdmdcfse.shtml which is the Canadian side.

[Panda]

Below is an MoE info poster for the Peace:



WANTED!!





ALL DEER and ELK HUNTERS IN BC:



We Need Your Help with



CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE (CWD)



SURVEILLANCE


Disease Overview

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) affects deer, elk and moose. It is associated with abnormal protein accumulations in the brain and is related to diseases such as Bovine Spongiform Encephalitis in cattle and scrapie in sheep. It is found in free-ranging mule deer, elk and/or white-tailed deer in Saskatchewan, Alberta and many U.S. states. Infections have been reported in farmed deer and elk in a number of states, Saskatchewan, Alberta and Korea.

Background and Signs of Disease

CWD was first identified in the 1970s in Colorado and Wyoming deer, followed by intensive surveillance, research and management activities in many jurisdictions. CWD occurs ONLY in cervids, with no evidence of transmission to other species, including cattle. In deer, elk and moose, early signs of disease include changes in behaviour and weight loss. Signs in later stages of the disease include severe wasting, excessive salivation and thirst, lethargy, incoordination, and drooping head and ears.

Life Cycle

We don’t know exactly how CWD is transmitted. The disease is believed to pass from one animal to another through infected urine, saliva and/or feces. Infectious material can survive in the environment for a long time; research with captive animals has shown that animals can become infected from living in a contaminated environment. The disease can only be diagnosed by examining tissues from a dead animal’s head area – the tonsils, lymph nodes and a small area at the base of the brain.

CWD in British Columbia

BC is considered at low risk for CWD. To maintain this status, testing of a large number of animals is necessary. Surveillance for CWD has been in place in British Columbia since 2001. The heads of animals that are showing clinical signs (as described above), or are road or hunter-killed are collected. Efforts are concentrated in the Peace and East Kootenay Regions since these are closest to areas at higher risk. To date all results have been negative.

Public Significance

There is no evidence that CWD can infect humans. As a precaution, human health authorities recommend that all products from sick animals or those known to be infected with any prion disease should be excluded from the human food chain and tissues such as nervous and lymphatic tissue should not be consumed from any hunted deer.
For more information see the pamphlet: CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE


*** Peace Region Hunters ***

SUBMIT HEADS HERE FOR THE
Chronic Wasting Disease Surveillance Program





GOOD SAMPLE

Freshly dead
Frozen immediately after death
Not shot in head
Antlers on or off
Upper part of the neck still attached
Good information about the kill location
Older than one year
Tag filled out and attached to ear




BAD SAMPLE



Rotten, green, and/or stinks



Head is severely damaged



Shot in head



Head cut off too closely, no neck



No information on where found or killed



One year or less of age



No tag attached to ear











Ø INSTRUCTIONS FOR DROP-OFF:
1. Take a tag and a piece of wire
2. Fill out all fields on the tag:
þ Hunter licence number- so we can notify you if needed
þ Species
þ Sex of animal
þ Location of kill, Management Unit, plus GPS or physical description of location
þ Approximate age of kill (yearling or adult)
þ Date of kill
þ Did the animal look normal? If not, what was it doing?
3. Attach tag to ear with wire
4. Put head in provided bag
5. Seal the bag
6. Put in the freezer

Ø DROP OFF LOCATIONS IN THE PEACE REGION:

LOCATION
HOURS OF OPERATION
CONTACT PERSON
CONTACT NUMBER/EMAIL
North Peace Rod and Gun Club
13300 Sunnyside Dr., FSJ
M, T, F, Sa, Sun;
9 am to dusk
Al and Connie Phillippe
250-785-9686
allanatnprg@yahoo.ca (allanatnprg@yahoo.ca)

Charlie Lake Meats
Mile 52 Alaska Hwy, FSJ
M-F;
9-5 pm
Wally Pence
250- 785- 2210
Ministry of Environment
400 – 10003-110 Ave, FSJ
M-F;
8:30 am to 4:30 pm
Conrad Thiessen or Rob Woods
250-787- 3411

Peace Taxidermy
10443 Uppercache Rd. Hwy 29
M-F;
8 am to 5 pm
Basil Szoo
250-785-3468
predator@netkaster.ca (predator@netkaster.ca)
District of Hudson’s Hope Works Yard
8902 Clark Ave, Hudson’s Hope
M-F;
9-3 pm
Sam Kosolowsky
250-783-9479
samk@pris.ca (samk@pris.ca)

Rocky Mtn Taxidermy
5012 50th St, Pouce Coupe
M-F;
8-5 pm
Peter Bruhs
250-786-7961
Rmt3@shaw.ca (Rmt3@shaw.ca)
Omineca Meats
7989 Harper Subdivision (2 blocks north of Windsor Plywood)
M-F;
9-5 pm
Ben Erminetrout
250- 782- 3271
Russell’s Custom Meat Cutting
6048 Kurjata Rd, Chetwynd
M-F;
9-5 pm
Mike Russell
250-788-2518

[325]

CWD has been present in wild herds of elk and deer for several decades (at least since the 1960s) in many parts of the south-west US. Obviously hunters have eaten a lot of deer and elk from these areas over the years, and so far there have not been any confirmed cases of transmission to humans. I think CWD is something to take seriously, but were are all MUCH more likely to die in auto accidents, heart attacks, cancer, etc, etc than spongiforme enephalopathy.