Elk and CWD

[Wink]

I've noticed that a number of GMUs in Colorado display that evidence of CWD has been found there. What if anything, do you successful hunters do as a precaution with Elk and Deer harvested within CWD units?

 

[Black Hand]

I've noticed that a number of GMUs in Colorado display that evidence of CWD has been found there. What if anything, do you successful hunters do as a precaution with Elk and Deer harvested within CWD units?

Discard all internal organs and butcher without cutting down the spine. The agent lives primarily in brain, spinal and lymphatic tissue. Meat is considered OK.

 

[oletymepreacher]

Use of rubber gloves alledgedly prevents the prions from entering your system through any small cut in the skin. Testing is available for a nominal fee, results within a couple of weeks. For this you must not shoot the game in the hear, not deep freeze the head, then give the head to the testing entity. If the head tests positive, the DOW will give you another license for a later season, either the same year or next year. Check the regs to see if this policy is still in effect.
Most affected areas have a low percentage of positives for CRD.

 

[longcruise]

I've noticed that a number of GMUs in Colorado display that evidence of CWD has been found there. What if anything, do you successful hunters do as a precaution with Elk and Deer harvested within CWD units?

I no longer bother with any precautions. A study that took in a 20 year period in the area of highest CWD presence showed no statistical variance with the random occurence of the various prion based brain diseases.

Brain diseases in humans such as Creutsfelt Jacob (spelling on that one!) occur at a known rate and appear to be spontaneous. IOW, they got no idea what causes it! In the above study area with a very high rate of CWD 70% of the deer are killed by residents of the unit. Given that, if CWD were passed on to humans, the rate of these brain diseases should have had a higher incidence rate in theat geographic area. Over the 20 year study period they did not.

 

[Wink]

Does anyone here test their meat?

 

[longcruise]

Quite a few do get their meat tested. For a while, certain GMUs had mandatory testing and in that case it was free. Other areas were voluntary and there was a fee.

I worked as a volunteer at head intake in Denver several times and we took in quite a few heads. That was about five years ago so I don't know how many are testing now.

 

[Kentuckywindage]

nope we dont test the meat. You have to understand that when the DOW get in an animal that has CWD they make that entire unit CWD.

if im gonna die, im gonna die eating tasty meat! :haha:

 

[Greenmtnboy]

I've noticed that a number of GMUs in Colorado display that evidence of CWD has been found there. What if anything, do you successful hunters do as a precaution with Elk and Deer harvested within CWD units?

I no longer bother with any precautions. A study that took in a 20 year period in the area of highest CWD presence showed no statistical variance with the random occurence of the various prion based brain diseases.

Brain diseases in humans such as Creutsfelt Jacob (spelling on that one!) occur at a known rate and appear to be spontaneous. IOW, they got no idea what causes it! In the above study area with a very high rate of CWD 70% of the deer are killed by residents of the unit. Given that, if CWD were passed on to humans, the rate of these brain diseases should have had a higher incidence rate in theat geographic area. Over the 20 year study period they did not.

exactly Marmote slayer.
We did a full evaluation of all deer harvested two years ago and Gunnison came up neg.
Have they even found CWD in elk in CO?

 

[longcruise]

Have they even found CWD in elk in CO?

Yup. For sure in Rocky Mountain Natl Park and a few other units that I don't recall offhand. Since they started mandatory moose cwd checking I think they found CWD in moose too.

Nothing in antelope, but then they are a good bit separated species wise from deer, elk and moose.

My lack of concern is not over whether or not it could be there, but rather because I'm certain it is not a health risk for humans. Having the prion is one thing but having the prion go "active" (or whatever they call it) are two different things. Once it goes active, the animal will die within about two weeks. I would not consume or even shoot a deer or elk that was obviously sick with anything. But the disease does not have to be ongoing to be transmittable to another animal. They can carry the prion for years without any sign of disease and then suddenly it goes active and they are dead shortly thereafter.

Here's another diddy for you. In the language of CWD testing, there is no such thing as "negative". They term it either "detected" or "not detected". The distinction here being a bit of CYA on the part of DOW. "negative" can be construed to mean it is not there. "Not detected" simply states that the disease was not found, but not that it definitively was not there! Even so, "negative" term is still commonly used by us non-bureaucrats. :haha:

I expect that you know all this, having been involved in testing around Gunnison, but I'm just throwing it out for the benefit of other board members in case it might be useful.

 

[Greenmtnboy]

Have they even found CWD in elk in CO?

Yup. For sure in Rocky Mountain Natl Park and a few other units that I don't recall offhand. Since they started mandatory moose cwd checking I think they found CWD in moose too.

Nothing in antelope, but then they are a good bit separated species wise from deer, elk and moose.

My lack of concern is not over whether or not it could be there, but rather because I'm certain it is not a health risk for humans. Having the prion is one thing but having the prion go "active" (or whatever they call it) are two different things. Once it goes active, the animal will die within about two weeks. I would not consume or even shoot a deer or elk that was obviously sick with anything. But the disease does not have to be ongoing to be transmittable to another animal. They can carry the prion for years without any sign of disease and then suddenly it goes active and they are dead shortly thereafter.

Here's another diddy for you. In the language of CWD testing, there is no such thing as "negative". They term it either "detected" or "not detected". The distinction here being a bit of CYA on the part of DOW. "negative" can be construed to mean it is not there. "Not detected" simply states that the disease was not found, but not that it definitively was not there! Even so, "negative" term is still commonly used by us non-bureaucrats. :haha:

I expect that you know all this, having been involved in testing around Gunnison, but I'm just throwing it out for the benefit of other board members in case it might be useful.

yup,
I'm not suprised that the park elk have it.
No natural preditors to keep them from bunching up most of the year.
After last winters severity anything that was remotly sick is way dead here in Gunny.

 

[MFP308]

Any problems with this in Arizona?


Mike