Cafeoutdoors.com: The end of deer hunting in Missouri

Think it can't happen?

In Feb. there was a case of Chronic Wasting Disease found in a captive deer that was on a High Fence Shooting Operation. The Mo. Department of Conservation and the Mo. Dept of Agriculture acted and immediately began testing animals that were in the captive herd and wild deer in a 5 mile radius around the high Fence area. There is currently no test that can be done on a live animal (brain tissue or lymph nodes must be tested) therefore 50 animals from the shooting areas herd were killed and tested along with 155 wild free ranging deer on PRIVATE PROPERTY within the 5 mile radius ( I wonder how many of those were does carrying twins or triplet fawns). Fortunately NONE of the wild deer tested positive nor any more of the captive deer on the High Fence area. There has never been a documented case of Chronic Wasting Disease found in any of the wild deer population anywhere in the state yet.

The Conservation Dept. says there are about 30 of these High Fence areas in Mo. along with about 100 or so breeders that supply these areas with their stock. The Dept of Agriculture regulates the animals within these areas as they are classified as "livestock". The Conservation Dept regulates the areas OUTSIDE of the fences where all of the wild deer are found.

A few years ago there was a similar situation in Wisconsin where there were deer found with Chronic Wasting Disease and the state killed ALL OF THE WILD DEER in the counties where these infected deer were found in order to preserve the healthy deer in the rest of the state.

With 130 or so areas scattered throughout the state that contain these captive deer, chances are that there isn't a county anywhere in the state that would be exempt from being impacted. If this Disease were ever to infect the wild deer herds throughout the state, it could become an epidemic very rapidly as it is spread by deer to deer contact.

Just imagine the implications. That piece of prime hunting ground that you worked and saved for years to obtain is suddenly now devoid of deer. Property values would plummet. No chance for farmers to make any extra income off of hunting leases. Motels/hotels would lose much needed income from out of town hunters. Restaurants and bars would lose customers. Grocery stores and gas stations would lose business. Meat processing companies would lose a sizable chunk of business. The state would lose out on permit fees. Small communities that depend on hunters spending would suffer. It just snowballs from there. The economic impact would be tremendous

If the 500,000 deer hunters in the state of Missouri were aware of this situation, I'd be willing to bet that 499,000 + would not want to risk this scenario ever happening. PLEASE forward this to every hunter that you know and ask them to write , call or e-mail the Conservation Dept. , Agriculture Dept. , and State Legislators and tell them that something needs to be done.

What can be done? The fast and most effective option would be to shut these operations down immediately. That probably wouldn't happen though as the folks that have the power to do that, just don't have the backbone to do it. Double fencing is an option although even that wouldn't be 100% effective. It just seems ridiculous to me that less than 150 individuals could be allowed to jeopardize something that the Missouri Dept of Conservation and hundreds of thousands Missouri deer hunters and land owners have worked so hard to achieve.

I have nothing against these High Fence operations ( if that is what somebody considers hunting) or the breeders that supply them, but until there is a live test developed for this disease , all cervids (elk, red stag and whitetails) need to be quarantined from the native wild deer herds. It is not a matter of if, but when, this is going to spread to the wild deer.

Oh and one other thing. For those hunters that don't deer hunt - guess where those 500,000 deer hunters end up if the deer hunting is ruined. That’s right. Rubbin' elbows with ya in the duck marsh or uplands. Kinda like trout fishing only with guns!

Post Extras