Deer Hunters United of Wisconsin

[Archer]

The vast majority of the CWD Advisory Board commissioned by the state of WI to formulate recommendations for a management plan to deal with CWD in the deer herd has come out in opposition to the DNR's 10 year plan. more than 75% (12 of the 15 active members) who attended the required meetings drafted a letter to the Secretary of the DNR, rejecting their plan. This letter was also forwarded onto the Governor, Members of the legislature and the Natural resources Board.

The CWD Advisory Board was made up of a varied cross section of members representing a variety stakeholders with an interest in formulating solutions to the CWD issue.

The group rejects the DNR's CWD plan for a variety of issues contained in a 14 page document delivered on Jan. 21st. The document is viewable below

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[bowhunter53]

I am in complete agreement with the letter that is being sent. When the SAG came out with their recommendations, I fully backed them and was disappointed when the DNR changed them for the 08 season, but I could live with the 08 seasons. If we take a step backward now it will be so extremely frustrating. I have contacted several DNR employees and expressed my views, and when it became apparent I was not going along with their 10 year plan, Keith Warmke in particular became very sarcastic and started calling me "dude". I brought up some examples of what has and has not happened in the west and he kept saying "different deer dude" like the disease works differently in mule deer than whitetails. Now I may not be a wildlife biologist, but I do know what is going on in my local area just as most hunters know what is happening in their particular area they hunt in, the old CWD plan was a complete failure and waste of DNR money just as the new 10 year plan would be. I have read many complaints on other forums about lack of habitat improvement on public lands, on the lack of funds for elk reintroduction on several other projects that are being neglected. How far would over $30,000,000 have gone to help these problems and why do we want to keep throwing money at a problem that probably will never be solved. Let the NRB know how you feel, I am.

[bowhunter53]

I have one more thing I forgot, one biologist, I believe it was Alan Crossley ask me if I thought populations like 90 to 100 deer per sq. mile were to high like some of the helicopter surveys showed. I said of course I think that is to high. He replied that this plan is at least a good population control measure, having nothing to do with CWD. So I won't be surprised, in the coming years, to see the same methods being used in other areas of the state where they deem the population to be out of control.

[MDV WI Hunter]

After reading that letter I feel completely ignorant to what has been happening regarding "deer management". As an engineer I'm insulted by the blatant disregard for the scientific method (DOE) regarding testing theory. It's no wonder the DNR does not openly engage the public in their dealings.

One of the reasons I joined WHU is to make a difference. If we can not change policy, we can change the way the hunt and take it upon ourselves to regulate. I'm not saying disregard laws and regulations, but when the chronie at Walmart rips off 20 CWD tags that are free, a "no thank you" is in order. Now that I think back on the 2008 season, I even received CWD tags from the registration station/locker and was told to "shoot 'em up".

[wack]

Did I read that right? WI DNR has spent $30 million on CWD? On what? Just what research did that $30 million get us?

I've been trying to figure this out and about the only CWD research break through I've been able to find is a LIVE CWD TEST that's been developed and being used in Rocky Mountain National Park. When I questioned the WI DNR about if they were aware of this research and/or taking part in it, I was informed by
Tom Hauge Wildlife Management Bureau Director,
'We are very aware of the rectal biopsy methodology referred to in the Bugle Magazine article. In fact, when the Stan Hall deer herd was depopulated in Portage County over two years ago, we collected rectal tissue to help study and develop this potential new methodology. We continue to stay in touch with the researchers on this technique. My understanding is that subsequent research has shown this test to be more reliable in elk than in deer. Its important to keep in mind the two very different worlds of regulated agriculture testing, and experimental free-ranging wildlife testing. The National Park Service is in the latter. This means they can get by using the rectal biopsy for their purposes. New testing methodologies have an extremely strict standard to meet before they get approved for use in animal industries such as deer and elk farming. In this world, its very important not to have a false negative (miss a CWD+ animal).

A similar catch, collar, test and release system was used for mule deer in Boulder, Colorado. As you can imagine this is pretty labor-intensive and costly. I also am aware that Rocky Mountain National Park has begun a significant elk herd reduction operation this past winter.

We appreciate your interests in this issue. We work very hard to stay close to developing technologies and will try to incorporate any new breakthroughs as soon as we can.

Best regards,

Tom Hauge
tom.hauge@wisconsin.gov

The Bugle Magazine article mentioned a Live CWD test for elk and deer. The deer test is a tonsil biopsy and rectal biopsy, the elk test is just a tonsil biopsy. Since he mentions that WI biologists sent rectal tissues 2 years ago, I'm inclined to believe using both rectal and tonsil tissue biopsy as mentioned in the 2009 Bugle story maybe more up to date than what MR. Hauge's information seems to be based on.

I have asked him for more information on what the DNR is doing in research but have not received an answer. I would hope we can do more than just provide a few tissue samples. We have on of the best university systems in the world here in Wisconsin at the DNR's disposal. We should have biologists working 24/7 with the scientists in RMNP as well as scientists working on a cure and how to rid the habitat of CWD. Just what do we have to show for $30 million? Something more than we're watching other researchers research very closely.

I did not have the time to read the above document, of which may answer some of my questions but I wanted to add the LIVE CWD TEST information into the discussion here in hopes that we have the most up to date science included in how we perceive the future policies.

How can we take full advantage of a live test? They say it's too costly to catch test release, $30 million catches and tests a lot of deer. I see no reason not to test every domestic deer and elk in Wisconsin regardless if 100% or not. How do you get to 100% if you don't try? It's working in RMNP with elk. They've already tested elk positive and tracked them down to remove from the herd. They are taking infected animals out of the herd with out having to kill healthy animals. If this test can take 1 infected animal off the farm, it's worth a look. When we sent samples to CO. 2 years ago, we should have sent scientists right along with the samples. If I owned a commercial deer or elk farm in Wisconsin, I'd want them to test my herd, it can't hurt.

I'm also sure the landowners would be more willing to help the DNR trap, test and release deer than to help the DNR wipe out the herd. None hunting landowners will want the deer to be tested instead of killed, a big part of why cwd zone policies don't work. I think it's time for DEER CATCHING SEASON in WI. CWD Zone changed to DEER CATCHING ZONE. lol Sounds funny, but why not? Every sick deer we could take out of the herd would be worth the effort. If they are still going to demand EAB and herd control in the CWD Zone, we should demand live testing research be incorporated into the CWD zone also. Maybe raise the price of doe tags to help pay for the live testing program. Sell Save the Deer license plates, do something more than what's being done now.

Last but not least, the Dept of Agriculture has been holding up the DNR's elk reintroduction plan. This live test should put an end to the road block, the imported elk get quarantined before released anyways, animals are collared and health checked just as the very first 25 elk were back in 1995, I don't see why tonsil biopsy's couldn't be done at that time. Shortly after the imported elk arrive, or in several years if we don't get the elk, elk hunting starts in WI. When our 150 elk become 200 elk, seasons start. 50 Tags in 5 years. It would be nice if we had tonsil biopsies of those 50 animals to compare to dead testing after even if it means waiting 2 more years to start hunting. There maybe health concerns from eating elk that's been tranquilized within 2 years. In RMNP. they ask you not to shoot the collared elk in or near the park for this reason. We should make sure those 50 animals are available to researchers with in reason. I'd propose that the DNR foots the bill for full body trophy mounts for those 50 elk.(Or a mount, rug, what ever the hunter preferred. ) I would propose this to the 25 Native Indians and 25 Wisconsin tag holders, turn the animal over for research and the research is done, the Taxidermy is done, and returned to the lucky hunters free of charge. Just an idea I toss out to be tweaked on.