Chronic Wasting Disease not detected in Virginia

According to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, the results from testing 550 deer in a surveillance area that included parts of Shenandoah, Frederick, and Clark counties show no presence of the dreaded Chronic Wasting Disease. The samples were checked at the University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.

Virginia quickly responded in September when the disease was discovered in a deer in Hampshire County, W.Va., approximately 10 miles from the Virginia line. The game department established a surveillance area and with assistance from the state’s department of transportation and local hunters, staff collected samples from road-killed and hunter-killed deer.

“This is clearly good news,” VDGIF wildlife director Bob Duncan said of the test results. “We could not have achieved this without the hard work of the field biologists and the cooperation and support of our partners.”

State wildlife veterinarian Jonathan Sleeman added, “While we can never say that Virginia is entirely free of the disease without testing every deer, this sample size gives us a very high confidence that if CWD is present in the surveillance area, then it is at very low levels.”

Virginia will continue the CWD surveillance into 2006 and also will meet with the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources to discuss results in both states and to coordinate efforts.

CWD is a progressive neurological disease found in deer and elk that ultimately results in death. Species known to be susceptible include elk, mule deer, whitetailed deer, blacktailed deer and moose.

Hunters and members of the general public are asked to keep a lookout for any deer showing symptoms consistent with the disease. Those symptoms include poor body condition, abnormal behavior, tremors, stumbling, lack of coordination, drooping ears, lowered head, drooling and excessive thirst and urination. Anyone who sees such a deer should not attempt to disturb or kill the animal. Instead, note the location and immediately contact the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries at 804/367-1258.

Maryland satisfied with deer count — Maryland hunters took 44,941 deer during the two-week firearm season, according to the Department of Natural Resources. That included 16,123 antlered deer (388 of them sikas) and 28,818 antlerless deer (488 sikas).

The total represents a slight increase over last year’s deer hunt, when 44,904 deer were killed. Game biologists say the overall kill numbers suggest the deer population has stabilized in some parts of the state, while the drop in the antlered bucks shot is evidence that the deer population is beginning to decline in other locations.

Minor differences in harvest estimates also may be attributed to the change in deer checking methods that went from physical check stations to telephone and Internet reporting. Because of that, the totals will remain preliminary until data can be more fully analyzed.

“We’ve been encouraging hunters to take antlerless deer in an effort to balance the deer population with its environment and human neighbors,” DNR Deer Project leader Doug Hotton said. “We are beginning to see the positive results of that strategy.”

Incidentally, I agree completely with Wildlife and Heritage service director Paul A. Peditto, who said: “The new check-in system is an unqualified success. Hunters [quickly] adopted the new procedures and are demonstrating their honesty and dedication to the sport by reporting their harvest.”

I don’t know how honest some of the reporting was, but the phone and Internet system worked flawlessly for our group of deer hunters.

Story Continues →