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CWD Deer in Kent County Isolated Case

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#1 ·
Deer breeders welcome news that Kent County chronic wasting case was isolated
Posted by Howard Meyerson | The Grand Rapids Press September 04, 2008 08:00AM
Press File PhotoFall is prime time for deer farm owners who sell breeding bucks and does.

GRAND RAPIDS -- Test results on more than 50 deer killed and taken off a northern Kent County deer breeding farm last week all have come back negative for chronic wasting disease, Michigan Department of Agriculture officials said Wednesday.

That finding means only one deer, a 3-year-old doe, was found to be infected with the fatal neurological disease. Officials are waiting for test results on four other deer taken off two deer farms, in Osceola and Montcalm counties. Both were breeding facilities that received deer from the Kent County farm, which has not been identified.

"It's a relief that we don't have 40 that are positive," said Steve Halstead, the state veterinarian. "That (result) would suggest that anything that moved out of that herd would be positive."

Deer breeders also are relieved. A negative test means the MDA can start to selectively lift the quarantine imposed on 559 deer farms last week. The quarantine was put in place to stop deer from moving between facilities, possibly spreading the disease.

"This is very good news," said Alex Draper, president of the Michigan Deer and Elk Association, an organization of deer breeders. "I (had) sent an e-mail telling them that the panic level (among breeders) is going up by the hour."

Fall is prime time for deer farm owners who sell breeding bucks and does. The state quarantine prohibited any animals from coming to or leaving the farms, effectively halting their business.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture review of the captive deer trade in Michigan shows there are 26,000 privately owned deer. That herd is valued at $53.8 million, Halstead said.

Negative test results for CWD in the last four deer could mean some quarantines will be lifted starting next week. Agriculture officials are working up the details for how that would happen.

"More positive animals might drag things out," Halstead said. "But if not, we will begin selectively releasing the quarantine to get people back in business."

How just one deer got infected remains a question. Numerous theories are being investigated. Those include the possibility of fenceline contact with an outside deer, said Halstead, who thinks that is unlikely. No sign of the disease has so far show up in the wild whitetail population.

"Another possibility is illegal movement of deer with CWD from another state. We don't have evidence, but we are looking into that," Halstead said.

A rare but possible spontaneous occurrence also has not been ruled out. CWD belongs to a class of diseases called spongiform encephalopathies. Species specific forms of the disease are known to occur spontaneously.

"We know Creutzfeldt-Jakob occurs in one in a million people," Halstead said. "It just develops. And that's presumed to happen with Mad Cow Disease with cattle and Scrapie with sheep. We can make the assumption that it also occurs spontaneously in deer.

Another avenue of investigation, he said, is into deer breeders who do taxidermy. A CWD incident occurred in New York state three years ago after a deer breeder and rehabilitator was found to have a CWD-infected deer.

He was known to have raised his fawns in his taxidermy shop where he worked on a CWD-infected deer shot in another state. The skull and hide scrapings from the shop also were spread on the grounds.

"It was the only positive case in New York state," Halstead said.
© 2008 Michigan Live. All Rights Reserved.
 
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#2 ·
Deer breeders welcome news that Kent County chronic wasting case was isolated
Posted by Howard Meyerson | The Grand Rapids Press September 04, 2008 08:00AM


GRAND RAPIDS -- Test results on more than 50 deer killed and taken off a northern Kent County deer breeding farm last week all have come back negative for chronic wasting disease, Michigan Department of Agriculture officials said Wednesday.

That finding means only one deer, a 3-year-old doe, was found to be infected with the fatal neurological disease. Officials are waiting for test results on four other deer taken off two deer farms, in Osceola and Montcalm counties. Both were breeding facilities that received deer from the Kent County farm, which has not been identified.

"It's a relief that we don't have 40 that are positive," said Steve Halstead, the state veterinarian. "That (result) would suggest that anything that moved out of that herd would be positive."

Deer breeders also are relieved. A negative test means the MDA can start to selectively lift the quarantine imposed on 559 deer farms last week. The quarantine was put in place to stop deer from moving between facilities, possibly spreading the disease.

"This is very good news," said Alex Draper, president of the Michigan Deer and Elk Association, an organization of deer breeders. "I (had) sent an e-mail telling them that the panic level (among breeders) is going up by the hour."

Fall is prime time for deer farm owners who sell breeding bucks and does. The state quarantine prohibited any animals from coming to or leaving the farms, effectively halting their business.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture review of the captive deer trade in Michigan shows there are 26,000 privately owned deer. That herd is valued at $53.8 million, Halstead said.

Negative test results for CWD in the last four deer could mean some quarantines will be lifted starting next week. Agriculture officials are working up the details for how that would happen.

"More positive animals might drag things out," Halstead said. "But if not, we will begin selectively releasing the quarantine to get people back in business."

How just one deer got infected remains a question. Numerous theories are being investigated. Those include the possibility of fenceline contact with an outside deer, said Halstead, who thinks that is unlikely. No sign of the disease has so far show up in the wild whitetail population.

"Another possibility is illegal movement of deer with CWD from another state. We don't have evidence, but we are looking into that," Halstead said.

A rare but possible spontaneous occurrence also has not been ruled out. CWD belongs to a class of diseases called spongiform encephalopathies. Species specific forms of the disease are known to occur spontaneously.

"We know Creutzfeldt-Jakob occurs in one in a million people," Halstead said. "It just develops. And that's presumed to happen with Mad Cow Disease with cattle and Scrapie with sheep. We can make the assumption that it also occurs spontaneously in deer.

Another avenue of investigation, he said, is into deer breeders who do taxidermy. A CWD incident occurred in New York state three years ago after a deer breeder and rehabilitator was found to have a CWD-infected deer.

He was known to have raised his fawns in his taxidermy shop where he worked on a CWD-infected deer shot in another state. The skull and hide scrapings from the shop also were spread on the grounds.

"It was the only positive case in New York state," Halstead said.
© 2008 Michigan Live. All Rights Reserved.
 
#3 ·
Deer breeders welcome news that Kent County chronic wasting case was isolated
Posted by Howard Meyerson | The Grand Rapids Press September 04, 2008 08:00AM

GRAND RAPIDS -- Test results on more than 50 deer killed and taken off a northern Kent County deer breeding farm last week all have come back negative for chronic wasting disease, Michigan Department of Agriculture officials said Wednesday.

That finding means only one deer, a 3-year-old doe, was found to be infected with the fatal neurological disease. Officials are waiting for test results on four other deer taken off two deer farms, in Osceola and Montcalm counties. Both were breeding facilities that received deer from the Kent County farm, which has not been identified.

"It's a relief that we don't have 40 that are positive," said Steve Halstead, the state veterinarian. "That (result) would suggest that anything that moved out of that herd would be positive."

Deer breeders also are relieved. A negative test means the MDA can start to selectively lift the quarantine imposed on 559 deer farms last week. The quarantine was put in place to stop deer from moving between facilities, possibly spreading the disease.

"This is very good news," said Alex Draper, president of the Michigan Deer and Elk Association, an organization of deer breeders. "I (had) sent an e-mail telling them that the panic level (among breeders) is going up by the hour."

Fall is prime time for deer farm owners who sell breeding bucks and does. The state quarantine prohibited any animals from coming to or leaving the farms, effectively halting their business.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture review of the captive deer trade in Michigan shows there are 26,000 privately owned deer. That herd is valued at $53.8 million, Halstead said.

Negative test results for CWD in the last four deer could mean some quarantines will be lifted starting next week. Agriculture officials are working up the details for how that would happen.

"More positive animals might drag things out," Halstead said. "But if not, we will begin selectively releasing the quarantine to get people back in business."

How just one deer got infected remains a question. Numerous theories are being investigated. Those include the possibility of fenceline contact with an outside deer, said Halstead, who thinks that is unlikely. No sign of the disease has so far show up in the wild whitetail population.

"Another possibility is illegal movement of deer with CWD from another state. We don't have evidence, but we are looking into that," Halstead said.

A rare but possible spontaneous occurrence also has not been ruled out. CWD belongs to a class of diseases called spongiform encephalopathies. Species specific forms of the disease are known to occur spontaneously.

"We know Creutzfeldt-Jakob occurs in one in a million people," Halstead said. "It just develops. And that's presumed to happen with Mad Cow Disease with cattle and Scrapie with sheep. We can make the assumption that it also occurs spontaneously in deer.

Another avenue of investigation, he said, is into deer breeders who do taxidermy. A CWD incident occurred in New York state three years ago after a deer breeder and rehabilitator was found to have a CWD-infected deer.

He was known to have raised his fawns in his taxidermy shop where he worked on a CWD-infected deer shot in another state. The skull and hide scrapings from the shop also were spread on the grounds.

"It was the only positive case in New York state," Halstead said.
© 2008 Michigan Live. All Rights Reserved.
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the update. Lets keep our fingers crossed.
 
#8 ·
So, barring a find in Osceola and Montcalm, it's back to business as usual for the deer farms? Is that correct? If so, that's total BS in my opinion.

Granted, it's good news and now all hunters have had our wake up call to reduce herd numbers to avoid an outbreak wildfire. But we just returned the lighter to whom will likely start the fire all over again, the deer farms.
 
#9 · (Edited)
I agree with pinefarm, what wait till there is another case and it does get into the wild deer then say we should have done more the first time, wow

I will be the first to say, if it does go back to business as usual for the deer ranches then we will ALL know it was just a scam to stop baiting
 
#10 · (Edited)
Yes good point. I wish we had the answer. I had heard , for what it is worth that the DNR, were suspicious of the hunters story of where he got it. He think he shot it up north and brought it down with a tag from down here. Just here say. for what its worth
 
#11 ·
This doesn't even makes sense...cwd is found and becasue all deer come back negative, they can resume the practice that got us in trouble in the first place...BUT the deer hunters and nature lovers from the Bridge to St. Joes and everyhwhere in-between get a harvesting tool/wildlife viewing feed/wildlife pile taken away from them!?!? Just goes to show you have ignorant our DNR is over the science with cwd....starting to think conspiracy here!!
 
#12 ·
Hold yer horses here fellas. Not one mention was made about the DNR.

The article mention the MDA quote "A negative test means the MDA can start to selectively lift the quarantine imposed on 559 deer farms last week."

We haven't heard the DNR's side yet. I gotta hope they will hold the Ags feet to the fire on this one.
 
#13 ·
All it proves to me is that the CWD response plan worked as intended. Did anyone ever have a fire drill as a kid? Once it was over everything went back to normal; are we headed in that direction or is this a wake up call?

Hopefully the DNR discovered some overlook items in their plan. The biggest thing that was lacking was information. They have a website there is no reason that we had to wait for the media to announce updates.
 
#14 ·
Rumor has it that there will be no baiting for six months,but the deer farms can get back to making money breeding and selling deer. What about the people who sell deer feed to make a living. In my area a lot of the people could really use the extra cash.
I have talked with a lot of people in the past few days and I would have to say that 4out of 5 say they are still going to bait, and pinefarm you know the area that I'm talking about.
 
#16 ·
Yesterday, 03:03 PM terry Guide Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Bacliff, TEXAS USA Posts: 523

Deer breeders welcome news that Kent County chronic wasting case was isolated

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Deer breeders welcome news that Kent County chronic wasting case was isolated

by Howard Meyerson | The Grand Rapids Press Thursday September 04, 2008, 8:00 AM

snip...

i don't think isolated is the proper word, until all the deer are tested in all these game farms. lifting quarantines without all animals tested is a bad move in my opinion. ...TSS

P.S. plus, what about the game farm where the one CWD infected doe was found, how many years will that farm be quarantined, due to environmental contamination ???

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=248177&page=2

TSS

---------------------------
 
#17 ·
Most of the people that sell bait will continue to sell bait. It is only illegal to use it.
Most retailers here in Mason County has pulled any feed/mineral supplements off of their shelves in response to the baiting ban. That's including Miejers and WalMart.

Who would have thought that the big corporations would be responsible like that. Seriously...any responsible citizen would NOT sell bait knowing that it is illegal...I mean, lets compare...people that sell bait...are like drug dealers...except they don't get arrested.
 
#18 ·
snip...

i don't think isolated is the proper word, until all the deer are tested in all these game farms. lifting quarantines without all animals tested is a bad move in my opinion. ...TSS

P.S. plus, what about the game farm where the one CWD infected doe was found, how many years will that farm be quarantined, due to environmental contamination ???

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=248177&page=2

TSS

---------------------------
Very good question.

Another question.

If the only reliable test is tissue from a dead deer. How do they know other deer are not infected?

Once this Prion is in the environment it is there to stay. I hope for that reason alone they do not act to soon.
 
#19 ·
Very good question.

Another question.

If the only reliable test is tissue from a dead deer. How do they know other deer are not infected?

Once this Prion is in the environment it is there to stay. I hope for that reason alone they do not act to soon.
The Department of Agriculture killed all the deer at that breeding facility in order to test them. They killed 4 others a couple of other facilities that have been in contact with the contaminated doe.

That breeding facility will never be operational again for any type of cervids or even livestock. That one doe would have contaminated the soil with her droppings....and it's a very persistent mutated protein that is all but impossible to eradicate once it's in the soil.
 
#20 ·
The Department of Agriculture killed all the deer at that breeding facility in order to test them. They killed 4 others a couple of other facilities that have been in contact with the contaminated doe.

That breeding facility will never be operational again for any type of cervids or even livestock. That one doe would have contaminated the soil with her droppings....and it's a very persistent mutated protein that is all but impossible to eradicate once it's in the soil.
Can they take soil samples to see if the ground is contaminated. One more question if the deer that had CWD was sick why did they kill all the other deer in the pin where they looking sick to.
Bob
 
#21 ·
Can they take soil samples to see if the ground is contaminated. One more question if the deer that had CWD was sick why did they kill all the other deer in the pin where they looking sick to.
Bob


There is NO viable test for CWD on LIVE deer thus the entire herd was killed and tested.................which is also why there is a "mandatory" deer check in for any deer taken from the surrounding townships during hunting season..
 
#22 · (Edited)
The Department of Agriculture killed all the deer at that breeding facility in order to test them. They killed 4 others a couple of other facilities that have been in contact with the contaminated doe.

That breeding facility will never be operational again for any type of cervids or even livestock. That one doe would have contaminated the soil with her droppings....and it's a very persistent mutated protein that is all but impossible to eradicate once it's in the soil.
You know it's truly wonderful that all but a couple of these deer have already come back negative. I couldn't be happier about that!!!!!

However, doesn't this just scream. How the hell could a CWD contaminated deer be frolicking around with all these other deer. Eating corn, grain, hay, and drinking water together ( IN TIGHT CLOSE PROXIMITY)

AND ALL OF THOSE DEER HAD MANAGED TO EVADE CWD "THE VERY PERSITENT MUTATED PROTIEN" ONLY TO BE SAVED BY "THE PLAN".
 
#23 ·
However, doesn't this just scream. How the hell could a CWD contaminated deer be frolicking around with all these other deer. Eating corn, grain, hay, and drinking water together ( IN TIGHT CLOSE PROXIMITY)

AND ALL OF THOSE DEER HAD MANAGED TO EVADE CWD "THE VERY PERSITENT MUTATED PROTIEN" ONLY TO BE SAVED BY "THE PLAN".

No...it screams, we are f'ing lucky....so far.

In our instance, it was found in one deer...in an isolated facility. We still don't know if it's in the wild from fenceline contact or not.

Right now, that facility, has CWD. It'll be there for thousands of years. Regardless if no other deer have contracted the disease there, IT'S A VERY VERY SERIOUS DISEASE!!!! The DNR's plan, may have prevented any further spread of this disease...do the measures seem extreme? In the grand scope of things...they don't seem extreme enough.

Look at Wisconsin, Illinois, the western states...they have it in the wild. They will never ever get rid of CWD. They're deer heard is contaminated forever.

Compare what the DNR did here to cattle ranches and beef producers when a case of Mad Cow disease is located. Heck, if a case of MCD is to be found in the US, the entire country is on quarantine. A thorough inspection of records and animals are conducted to find every single animal in contact with the contaminated animal.

Look...isn't it safe to say that everyone who seems to be upset about the CWD plan that has been PUBLIC since 2002...Heck I still have the PDF I downloaded off of the DNR website back then...are just upset because they can no longer sit over their pile of carrots?? This isn't a thing against baiting...I use bait in some circumstances...minimal circumstances...but I still use it.

Somethings are bigger than baiting...I would say, the measures were put in place and executed perfectly by the DNR.
 
#24 · (Edited)
No...it screams, we are f'ing lucky....so far.

In our instance, it was found in one deer...in an isolated facility. We still don't know if it's in the wild from fenceline contact or not.

Right now, that facility, has CWD. It'll be there for thousands of years. Regardless if no other deer have contracted the disease there, IT'S A VERY VERY SERIOUS DISEASE!!!! The DNR's plan, may have prevented any further spread of this disease...do the measures seem extreme? In the grand scope of things...they don't seem extreme enough.

Look at Wisconsin, Illinois, the western states...they have it in the wild. They will never ever get rid of CWD. They're deer heard is contaminated forever.

Compare what the DNR did here to cattle ranches and beef producers when a case of Mad Cow disease is located. Heck, if a case of MCD is to be found in the US, the entire country is on quarantine. A thorough inspection of records and animals are conducted to find every single animal in contact with the contaminated animal.

Look...isn't it safe to say that everyone who seems to be upset about the CWD plan that has been PUBLIC since 2002...Heck I still have the PDF I downloaded off of the DNR website back then...are just upset because they can no longer sit over their pile of carrots?? This isn't a thing against baiting...I use bait in some circumstances...minimal circumstances...but I still use it.

Somethings are bigger than baiting...I would say, the measures were put in place and executed perfectly by the DNR.
First off this isn't mad cow disease, it's CWD.

It is certainly fare to say that in 2002 the plan made a lot more sense. However, the biologist have had 6 years to to research and update that
plan.

I still maintain that if CWD was spread so easily from one deer to the next while feeding together in close proximity. At least one of these penned deer should be contaminated.

No, I don't think "it's safe to say everyone that is upset about this is upset because they can't sit over their pile of carrots".

I think it's safe to say a lot of people are exstatic baiting is banned and CWD is just the means.

I think there is a overwhelming amount of hunters, farmers and business owners in the state that would wonder if your some sort of comic.:lol:
 
#25 ·
I think there is a overwhelming amount of hunters, farmers and business owners in the state that would wonder if your some sort of comic.:lol:
Not a comic, just someone who knows what the heck they're talking about.

Number one, CWD IS mad cow disease, just a different animal.

I'd say right now that CWD is about the equivalent of Emerald Ash borer...EAB was not contained properly and now it's decimated the timber values of Ash in this state...and to prevent the spread of EAB, were basically decimating all standing Ash. CWD could very easily do the same to Whitetail...it's not something where you try to thread the needle with a management plan to a localized region, otherwise you wouldn't have done enough to contain and further on down the road we see a year long hunting season to thin the population out enough to where CWD only decimates half the heard, not the whole heard.

When CWD gets into the wild and there are literally no deer left to hunt, just how funny will those hunters and business owners think I am then? Farmers won't mind, they'll just take advantage of the lack of crop damage from deer, plant corn, and sell to an ethanol producer.

Also, the plan has been in place, the plan has been reviewed every year, and no changes needed to be made. Mind you this plan wasn't derived by just MI biologist...there was a lot of federal input in there as well, and they've actually had experience with CWD out west, so they know what kind of countermeasures needed to be in place.

I'm still giving major kudos to the DNR and MDA for executing the perfect plan flawlessly, and for keeping up on the sometime 2x,3x daily inspections for some facilities. Should no other deer come back positive after testing, that being the 8,000 that's planned to be tested this hunting season, and the 300 from the hot zone...then I believe the DNR and MDA should get a huge pat on the back.

By the way...here's a link to the response plan in case you want to actually research something:

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/CWD_ContingencyPlan_41755_7.pdf
 
#26 ·
I think the DNR has done the right thing in stopping baiting so fast, I lived in Wis for 3 years and it got so bad over there that Joe hunter would go out and shoot a deer and his wife would not let him bring the meat home. They were scared that it had CWD. We do not need that in MIchigan. Let the DNR do there jobs and if it means no baiting for a year or forever so be it. I have baited and it fun to watch deer come in but if I have to sit on run ways like I did when I first started bow hunting that's alright to.
Bob
 
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