Register now for Perryville Deer Management Workshop Sept. 14

MDC wildlife biologists offer tips to attracting deer to your land.

PERRYVILLE, Mo. – Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) wildlife biologists will host a white-tailed deer workshop for landowners Wednesday, Sept. 14, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Perryville Higher Education Center. Kyle Lorenz, MDC private lands conservationist, said the workshop is a great opportunity for landowners to hear tips from wildlife biologists and ask questions about management on their own property.

“Providing the right habitat for deer can greatly increase the odds of successful deer seasons in the future,” Lorenz said.

The workshop will include classroom discussions on basic management techniques of different habitat found in southeast Missouri, food plots, and financial assistance available to landowners. Specific topics are forest and woodland management for white-tailed deer, open land management strategies, and native plants as food plots.

A variety of MDC and Quality Deer Management Association employees will be present to talk with guests throughout the workshop. Space is limited, so registration must be made in advance by Friday, Sept. 9, by calling MDC’s Southeast Regional Office at (573) 290-5730. The Perryville Higher Education Center is located at 108 South Progress Drive.

More information on deer management and landowner workshops throughout the state can be found at mdc.mo.gov/property.

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Missouri Resident Charged for Transporting Deer Out of State

St. Louis, Mo | June 11, 2015 - Charles "Sam" James was charged for violating the Lacey Act by engaging in conduct involving the sale of white-tailed deer whose transfer violated both the Missouri and Florida Law.

James, 54, is the co-owner of Timber Hollow Whitetails, located near Mexico, Missouri. According to the October 2013 indictment, James sold and transported 11 live white-tailed deer from Missouri to Florida. The transport violated state and federal laws. The shipping of the animals occurred after a Florida state law took effect that banned the importation of captive white-tailed deer.

It is against federal law to transport live white-tailed deer out of Missouri or into Florida without proper documents. This includes health records proving the animals are free of diseases, including chronic wasting disease.

"The illegal undocumented movement of captive cervids around our country puts wildlife at risk for disease. This unfortunate example shows why the captive cervid industry needs to be strictly regulated and closely monitored," said Brandon Butler, CFM executive director.

If convicted, there is a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both. As it is always, charges in an indictment are accusations and do not prove guilt.

Information from a Department of Justice release, found here.

 

News Release from Conservation Federation of Missouri

by Emma Kessinger

MDC limits firearm antlerless deer permits

Antlerless deer hunting permits have been reduced from “any number” in most

counties of the state to one in most counties of the state for all portions of the firearms deer season combined.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reminds deer hunters that firearm antlerless deer hunting permits have been reduced from “any number” in most counties of the state to one in most counties of the state. The reduction applies to all portions of the firearms deer season combined.

Exceptions to this regulation change allow hunters to fill two firearm antlerless deer permits in Chariton, Randolph, Macon, Linn, Sullivan, and Adair counties, which surround the area where chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been found in a small number of deer in Macon County. According to MDC, continuing to maintain stable deer numbers in this “CWD Containment Zone” will help limit the spread of the disease to other deer and other areas.

Other areas where hunters can fill two firearm antlerless deer permits include urban zones around the state where deer numbers are typically higher than desired, and in Barton, Howell, and Oregon counties where local deer numbers are higher than deer management goals.

The regulations changes were approved by the Conservation Commission at its April meeting and MDC initially communicated the information to the public at that time.

Details on these changes and other information on deer hunting are available in the Department's “2014 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information” booklet available at locations where permits are sold, MDC regional offices and nature centers, and online at mdc.mo.gov/sites/default/files/resources/2010/03/ftd2014.pdf.

According to MDC Deer Biologist Jason Sumners, the regulation changes are in response to lower overall deer numbers around much of the state as a result of long-term efforts to reduce the deer population through increased doe harvest. Previous regulations allowing the harvest of any number of antlerless deer have helped to decrease and stabilize deer numbers in many areas where deer numbers were too high.

Sumners added that the planned effort to reduce deer numbers in some areas was intensified by an unanticipated, extensive outbreak of hemorrhagic disease (HD) throughout most of the state related to the record-setting drought during summer and fall of 2012. With the resulting recent decrease in deer numbers in many areas of the state, some hunters and landowners have voiced their concerns about the level of doe harvest and the continuing need to offer hunters “any number” of antlerless permits.

“Our Regulations Committee considers the changing status of the deer herd across the state -- along with feedback from hunters, landowners, and others -- each year as it reviews recommendations for deer-hunting regulations,” Sumners said.

“Deer populations in Missouri vary regionally and county-by-county as habitat, hunting regulations, hunter numbers, and frequency and severity of disease outbreaks affect deer numbers,” he explained. “As these factors change over time, our deer management strategy is to be responsive to those changes.”

He added that MDC’s deer management strategy focuses on using science-based wildlife management practices, providing opportunities for all citizens to enjoy deer-related recreational activities such as deer hunting and watching, maintaining a healthy deer population, and providing related information to the public.

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Conservation Commission takes action to protect deer in Missouri

Public comments and dozens of public meetings showed overwhelming support for

proposed regulations to prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Conservation Commission unanimously voted to approve proposed amendments to regulations regarding the operation of hunting preserves and wildlife breeding facilities that hold white-tailed deer, mule deer, their hybrids, and other members of the deer family, known as cervids, to prevent the spread of diseases, including chronic wasting disease, to the state’s deer herd.

Actions by the Commission include:

• Banning the importation of live white-tailed deer, mule deer, and their hybrids from other states.        The regulation still allows for the importation of semen for artificial insemination.
• Requiring all facilities, existing and new, to maintain or construct a single 8-foot fence following specific standards detailed in the Wildlife Code of Missouri. Existing facilities would have 18 months to bring fencing into compliance. 
• Requiring Class I and Class II wildlife breeders and big game hunting preserves to test all mortalities of deer that are older than six months for chronic wasting disease and allow permittees to apply for an exemption from mandatory testing requirements in the event of a mass-casualty event.
• Requiring Class I and Class II wildlife breeders that hold deer to participate in a United States Department of Agriculture-approved chronic wasting disease herd certification program.
• Set requirements for disease testing, record-keeping, reporting disease test results, and complying with an established disease response plan in the event a disease is discovered.
• Prohibiting any new captive-cervid facilities within 25 miles of a confirmed chronic wasting disease location for five years.

The regulation changes will go into effect Jan. 30, 2015.

More than 500,000 Missouri citizens enjoy deer hunting, sharing their hunting heritage and passing that heritage onto future generations. The spread of chronic wasting disease could negatively impact the future of Missouri deer hunting as well as negatively impacting deer-dependent businesses that support more than 12,000 Missouri jobs and generate over $1 billion in economic activity annually.

“Chronic wasting disease is a neurological disease that affects members of the deer family and, with no known cure, it is 100 percent fatal,” said MDC Deputy Director Tom Draper. “These amendments work to reduce the risk of chronic wasting disease spreading beyond the limited area where it has been found in northern Missouri to ensure the health of Missouri’s entire deer herd, including free-ranging and captive-cervids.”

In June, proposed amendments to the Wildlife Code of Missouri were filed with the Secretary of State and published in the Missouri Register with a 30-day public comment period, beginning July 16, with comments provided to the Conservation Commission for its consideration. 

In addition, MDC held public meetings around the state last summer to share information and gather public feedback. More than 40,000 comments were received with strong support for each of the proposed amendment changes. 

The final regulations will minimize risk associated with the movement and holding of captive deer and help protect Missouri’s deer herd from chronic wasting disease.

In 2011, the Conservation Commission approved regulation changes related to the free-ranging deer herd to help limit the spread of chronic wasting disease in northern Missouri. 

To learn more about these regulations or chronic wasting disease, go online to mdc.mo.gov.

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MDC Leads Efforts to Protect Deer

Proposed regulations are designed to prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD).  Informed citizen involvement is critical to success.

JEFFERSON CITY–The Conservation Commission voted to approve proposed amendments

to regulations regarding the operation of hunting preserves and wildlife breeding facilities that hold white-tailed deer, mule deer, their hybrids, and other members of the deer family, known as cervids. The changes would become part of the agency’s strategy to minimize fatal disease risks to the state’s deer herd. 

Actions recommended by the Commission include:

• Banning the importation of live white-tailed deer, mule deer, and their hybrids from other states.
• Improving fencing requirements for captive-cervid facilities.
• Requiring all deer 6 months or older that die in a Conservation Department-licensed facility to be tested for CWD.
• Establishing better record-keeping requirements for Conservation Department-licensed captive-cervid operations.
• Prohibiting any new captive-cervid facilities within 25 miles of where CWD has been confirmed. 

The proposed amendments are designed to ensure the health of Missouri’s entire deer herd, which includes free-ranging and captive-cervids. These proposed amendments work to reduce the risk of this fatal disease (CWD) from spreading beyond the limited area where it has been found, while minimizing the economic impact on the captive-cervid industry and the communities and businesses that benefit from deer hunting and deer-related activities.

CWD is a fatal disease that affects members of the deer family, collectively called cervids. It is different and unrelated to the recent outbreak of hemorrhagic diseases. Those diseases – blue tongue and epizootic hemorrhagic disease – are caused by viruses and are often not fatal. Their effects are short-term and localized. However, hemorrhagic diseases have been in Missouri for years, and white-tailed deer are adapted to cope with them.

Over 500,000 citizens enjoy deer hunting, sharing their hunting heritage and passing that heritage on to future generations. Missourians consume millions of pounds of venison and share with neighbors in need through the Share the Harvest Program. The spread of CWD could negatively impact deer-dependent businesses that support more than 12,000 Missouri jobs and generate over $1 billion in economic activity annually.

Proposed changes to the Wildlife Code of Missouri would give white-tailed deer an extra measure of protection against this fatal disease. The Missouri Department of Conservation stresses that success depends on an informed, involved public.

Now that the Conservation Commission has approved proposed amendments to the regulations, they will be published in the Missouri Register. There will be a 30-day public comment period beginning July 16, and any comments on the proposed rule changes will be forwarded to the Conservation Commission for its consideration. Those comments will be reviewed prior to deciding whether the rules will be adopted, amended, or withdrawn. To comment go to www.mdc.mo.gov/deerhealth.

Conservation Department announces deer meetings

English: A white-tailed deer (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 Hunters and other Missouri residents with an interest in white-tailed deer can express their opinions on management of the state’s deer herd at regional meetings in June and July.

The Missouri Department of Conservation will hold open houses at 14 locations around the state to discuss white-tailed deer management with citizens. The meetings will not have formal presentations. Instead, they will use an open-house format where people can come and go any time between 3 and 8 p.m. They will be able to visit booths focusing on the history of deer management in Missouri, the state’s new deer management plan, possible regulation changes, hunter retention and recruitment, public comments received so far, and other issues related to deer management.

The open-house format lets attendees concentrate on their particular interests, asking questions and discussing their ideas one-on-one with biologists and other key staff. Conservation Department Deputy Director Tom Draper says the goal of the open houses is to provide information and get feedback.

“We need people to tell us what they want Missouri’s deer population to look like and what combination of hunting seasons, bag limits, and hunting methods they want the Conservation Department to use to achieve their goals,” says Draper. “We will use what we hear this summer to help shape future deer regulation changes.” He noted that Missouri’s free-ranging white-tailed deer population supports 12,000 jobs and generates more than $1 billion in economic activity annually in the Show-Me State.

The meetings will be held at the following locations.

• Rolla – June 16 – Rolla Junior High School Cafeteria, 1360 Soest Road.
• Springfield – June 17 – Missouri State University, Christopher Bond Learning Center, 2401 S. Kansas Expressway.
• Joplin – June 18 – Missouri Southern State University, Cornell Auditorium in Plaster Hall, 3950 Newman Road.
• Warsaw – June 19 – Warsaw Community Building Gymnasium, 181 Harrison St.
• St. Louis – June 23 – Crestwood Community Center Lounge, 9245 Whitecliff Park Lane, Crestwood.
• Jackson – June 24 – Knights of Columbus Hall, 3305 North High St.
• Van Buren – June 25 – Van Buren Youth and Community Center, 1204 D Highway.
• West Plains – June 26 – West Plains Civic Center Exhibit Hall, 110 St. Louis St.
• Kirksville – June 30 – Kirksville High School Gymnasium, 1300 S. Cottage Grove.
• Chillicothe – July 1 – Litton Agriculture Campus MW Jenkins Building, 10780 Liv 235.
• Kansas City – July 2 – Lakeland Community Church, Large Lobby, 913 NE Colbern Road, Lee’s Summit.
• Hannibal – July 7 – Quality Inn, Atlantis Ballroom, 120 Lindsey Drive.
• St. Joseph – July 8 – Missouri Western University, 218/219 Blum Union, 4525 Downs Drive.
• Columbia – July 9 – Hilton Garden Inn, Magnolia Room, 3300 Vandiver Drive.

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Conservation Department urges state-wide vigilance to protect white-tailed deer

Anyone who sees sick deer should report it to their local conservation agent or office.

By Francis Skalicky

People won’t be hunting deer for several months, but they should still be vigilant for a disease that could severely impact Missouri’s deer population if it ever becomes widely established in this state.

Chronic Wasting Disease – CWD for short – is a deer disease that usually makes headlines in the fall when Missourians are preparing for deer hunting. However, signs of the disease can appear in deer at any time of year. That’s why Missouri Department of Conservation biologists want to remind turkey hunters, spring hikers, floaters and whoever else is outdoors at this time of year that if they see sick deer, they should contact their nearest conservation office or Department of Conservation office.

CWD is a disease that infects deer and other members of the family Cervidae. It is a neurological disease that can be passed from one deer to another. CWD is in the TSE – transmissible spongiform encephalopathy – category of diseases. TSE diseases, which are progressive diseases that affect the brain and nervous system – are not caused by a bacteria or virus and therein lies part of the problem why these diseases are so hard to contain or eliminate once they’re established. TSE diseases are caused by prions – which are, basically, deformed proteins. Prions can be passed from one deer to another and are incredibly resistant to external environmental conditions. Because of the hardiness of prions, CWD, for the present, has shown itself to be 100 percent fatal in cervids (which is the only group of animals it’s known to affect.)

Symptoms of CWD include excessive salivation, drooping head/ears, tremors, emaciation and lack of coordination. However, it can take months (and sometimes years) for a deer infected with CWD to show any symptoms. Thus, an infected deer can spread the disease to other deer and contaminate the environment while appearing healthy.

CWD has been found in 23 states, including Missouri. To date, 21 cases of CWD have been confirmed in Missouri. All of these have been in northeast Missouri. Eleven cases were in captive deer at facilities in Linn and Macon counties and 10 were in free-ranging deer found within two miles of the Macon County facility. A total of 3,666 deer were tested for CWD during and after the 2013 deer hunting seasons and all tests came back negative. This large-scale testing effort was made possible through the cooperation of a many of the state’s hunters, landowners and taxidermists – proving once again that Missourians care about conserving forests, fish and wildlife. Although the absence of any positive CWD tests is encouraging, it still needs to be stressed that it doesn’t mean this disease has been successfully eliminated from the state’s deer population.

CWD has not been found in southeast Missouri, but state-wide vigilance for the disease remains high with good reason: Hundreds of businesses in communities throughout the state depend on the $1 billion economic impact that deer hunting and deer viewing has on Missouri. CWD would have negative ramifications for the more than a half-million hunters who pursue white-tailed deer each year and the millions of other Missourians who like to see deer when they’re hiking, camping, floating or traveling across their farms.

The Missouri Department of Conservation is continuing to work with hunters, landowners, businesses, other agencies and partner organizations to identify the disease and limit the spread of CWD in Missouri. Anyone seeing sick deer are encouraged to call their local conservation agent or office.

More information about CWD and other deer-related issued can be found at missouriconservation.org.For more information about conservation issues, call the MDC’s Southeast Regional Office at(573)290-5730.

MDC needs hunter help with CWD sampling in north-central Missouri

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Effort is for deer harvested in Adair, Chariton, Linn, Macon, Randolph and Sullivan counties.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is again working with hunters from around the state, along with taxidermy shops and meat processors in north-central Missouri, to collect tissue samples from adult deer harvested during the fall archery and firearms deer seasons. The cooperative effort is part of MDC’s ongoing work to detect cases of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Missouri’s free-ranging deer.

The sample collection effort is limited to deer harvested in MDC’s CWD Containment Zone of Adair, Chariton, Linn, Macon, Randolph and Sullivan counties. MDC encourages hunters to take deer harvested in these counties to one of numerous cooperating locations in the region to have a tissue sample taken for testing. Sampling locations include area taxidermists and meat processors, and MDC offices in Columbia, Chillicothe and Kirksville during normal business hours.

Removing a tissue sample is free, takes only a few minutes and will not reduce the food or mount value of harvested deer. The sampling effort is taking place until Jan. 15. Test results typically take 3-4 weeks and are being posted for participating hunters on the MDC website at mdc4.mdc.mo.gov/applications/cwdSurveillance/cwdSurveillance.aspx.

More information on CWD and a list of sample-collection locations can be found in MDC’s “2013 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information” booklet available at MDC offices and nature centers, from permit vendors, and online at tinyurl.com/obxjp27.

The Department also encourages hunters throughout the state who encounter or harvest deer in poor condition with no obvious injuries to contact their local conservation agent or MDC office. Local MDC contacts can be found online atmdc.mo.gov.

CWD is always fatal to white-tailed deer and other members of the deer family, called cervids. There is no evidence that the disease can affect humans or domestic animals. CWD was first found Missouri in 2010 and remains confined to 21 confirmed cases in both captive and free-ranging deer in a small area that borders northeastern Linn and northwestern Macon counties. Cooperation from hunters during past sampling efforts helped detect cases found in free-ranging deer from the area.

“Infectious diseases such as CWD are a serious and growing threat to Missouri’s estimated 1.4 million free-ranging and 9,000 captive white-tailed deer, and the many Missourians, businesses, and communities that rely on a healthy and abundant deer population,” said MDC Deer Biologist Jason Sumners. “This includes nearly 520,000 deer hunters, nearly two million wildlife watchers, thousands of landowners, 12,000 Missouri jobs, and hundreds of businesses and communities around the state that depend on the $1 billion annual economic boost related to deer hunting and watching.”

MDC is also working with concerned citizens to identify actions to prevent new occurrences of CWD and to limit its spread in both captive and free-ranging deer. The Department encourages concerned citizens to share their comments online atmdc.mo.gov/deerhealth.

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Missouri’s deer-season outlook varies by location

Hunters who find fewer deer in their areas

this year should consider shooting fewer does.

JEFFERSON CITY – Missouri has an abundance of deer, according to Emily Flinn, a resource scientist with the Missouri Department of Conservation. She says the key to understanding this year’s deer forecast is regional and even local differences in deer number.

Flinn specializes in managing Missouri’s economically valuable white-tailed deer herd. She says the state’s deer harvest has been stable for the past 10 years.  However, she expects a below-average harvest this year.

She says the past 10 years have seen short-term and long-term changes in deer abundance across the state. For example, changes in hunting regulations have achieved the long-term goal of reducing deer numbers in parts of northern, western, and central Missouri. During the same period, less liberal harvest regulations have allowed deer numbers in the Ozarks, southwest, and southeast regions of the state to increase slowly but steadily.

Flinn says differences in how Missouri’s estimated 1.4 million deer are distributed across the state also occur at much smaller scales than regions. The most dramatic differences often occur in surprisingly small areas.

To illustrate this, Flinn points to the differences in deer population densities that resulted from last year’s unusually severe outbreak of hemorrhagic diseases, commonly called blue tongue or EHD (epizootic hemorrhagic disease). These diseases occur annually, but they are more prevalent in drought years. The extraordinarily severe drought of 2012 led to the worst hemorrhagic disease outbreak ever recorded in Missouri.

Reports of deer deaths come to the Conservation Department from its field staff and from citizens. Last year, the number of reports topped 10,000. Regions with the highest prevalence of deer deaths from hemorrhagic disease were northwest, west-central, and east-central Missouri. Southeast Missouri had relatively low rates of hemorrhagic disease reports. A map showing county-by-county hemorrhagic-disease reports is available at mdc.mo.gov/node/16479.

Even within counties and regions, the distribution of hemorrhagic disease losses was uneven.

“That is the nature of hemorrhagic diseases,” says Flinn. “You can have significant losses in a particular locality, and almost none in another part of the same county. This is one case where hunters and landowners are in the best position to know how deer populations in their areas are doing.”

That, says Flinn, brings up an important point about the challenge of managing deer in the wake of a severe hemorrhagic-disease outbreak. Past experience shows that deer numbers often continue to decline in a particular area for as much as three years after an outbreak. That is because hunters continue to harvest about the same number of deer – including does – even though they are not seeing as many deer.

“Most hunters don’t shoot more than one deer a year,” says Flinn. “If deer numbers are down in a particular area, and everyone in the area continues to shoot as many does as they have in the past, what starts out as a moderate reduction in deer numbers can turn into a big reduction. By the time hunters realize what has happened, deer numbers are down so much that it may take a few years to get back to where they were.”

The lesson here is that hunters who noticed lots of deer dying from hemorrhagic disease in their area last year should consider the numbers of deer they are seeing this year and potentially pass up shots at does to allow local populations to recover.

Flinn says Missouri’s deer harvest also is significantly affected by acorn abundance. This is most important in southern Missouri, where the landscape is heavily forested, and acorns outweigh all other deer food sources in the fall. When acorns are scarce, deer must move around to find food, and that makes them more visible to hunters. Deer behavior and deer harvest are much less dependent on acorn availability in northern Missouri, where acorns make up a smaller percentage of their diet.

The severe shortage of acorns last year due to drought is part of the reason that southern Missouri had a larger-than-usual deer harvest in 2012. Southern Missouri should have higher acorn production this year, so hunters will need to be more active to find deer.

The combined effects of reduced deer movement, a strong deer harvest in 2012, and losses to hemorrhagic diseases in a few Ozarks counties are likely to result in lower harvest totals this year.

The long-term downward trend in deer numbers in some counties prompted the Conservation Commission to reduce availability of antlerless-only deer tags this year in Atchison, Bates, Caldwell, Callaway, Carroll, Dallas, Howard, Laclede, Ray, and Vernon counties, and parts of Boone and Cass counties. Details are explained on page 28 of the 2013 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Regulations & Information booklet, which is available wherever hunting permits are sold, at MDC offices and online atmdc.mo.gov/node/3656.

Flinn said an important point for hunters to remember this year is the fact that chronic wasting disease (CWD) now exists innorth-central Missouri. There is no evidence that CWD can affect humans or domestic animals, but it is a threat Missouri’s deer-hunting traditions. It also threatens the $1 billion in economic activity and 12,000 Missouri jobs that depend on a thriving deer herd.

To minimize the risk of spreading this and other deer diseases, hunters are urged to properly dispose of deer carcasses and take other precautions. These are outlined on page 4 of the 2013 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Regulations & Informationbooklet.

“The long-term health of our deer herd depends on carefully managing CWD,” says Flinn. “I can’t overemphasize the importance of hunters’ role in this effort. We can’t do it without their active help, especially with proper disposal of deer carcasses.”

For more information, go online to mdc.mo.gov and search Chronic Wasting Disease.

-Jim Low-

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Citizen help critical to avoid spreading wildlife diseases

Proper disposal of deer carcasses is one key element

in efforts to limit the spread of chronic wasting disease.

JEFFERSON CITY–At a time when many events are beyond one person’s control, it is reassuring to learn that personal action can affect something important to you.

That is the message from the Missouri Department of Conservation regarding the

biggest current challenge to wildlife health – chronic wasting disease (CWD). With Missouri’s archery deer season set to open Sept. 15 and firearms season not far behind, the agency reminds hunters of their critical role in slowing the spread of CWD.

CWD is a fatal, neurologic disease of the deer family. Although there is no evidence it can infect domestic livestock or people, CWD could dramatically affect Missourians’ quality of life.

Millions of Missourians hunt white-tailed deer or enjoy watching deer and other wildlife. The Conservation Department is working to minimize the spread of CWD beyond the few square miles where it currently is found. Failure to do so could disrupt the $1 billion in economic activity and 12,000 jobs that revolve around deer hunting and viewing. Besides that, it could deprive hundreds of thousands of Missourians of treasured family hunting traditions and millions of pounds of lean, healthful meat that hunters share with family, friends, and needy Missourians each year.

The Conservation Department is hosting the following public meetings around the state to provide information about its plans and to get comments about limiting the spread of CWD among captive and free-ranging deer. People can also post comments online at mdc.mo.gov/deerhealth.

·         Sept. 3, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., Macon County Expo Center, U.S. Highway 63

·         Sept. 5, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., MDC Powder Valley Nature Center, 11715 Cragwold Road, Kirkwood

·         Sept. 16, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., West Plains Civic Center, 110 St. Louis St., West Plains

·         Sept. 18, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., MDC Cape Girardeau Nature Center, 2289 County Park Drive

·         Sept. 23, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., MDC Runge Nature Center, Missouri Highway 179, Jefferson City

·         Sept. 30, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., Missouri Western University Kemper Recital Hall in Leah Spratt Hall, 4525 Downs Drive, St. Joseph

·         Oct. 1, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., MDC Burr Oak Woods Nature Center, 1401 N.W. Park Road, Blue Springs

·         Oct. 9, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., MDC Springfield Nature Center, 4601 S. Nature Center Way

For more information, go online to mdc.mo.gov and search “chronic wasting disease.”

“CWD is here,” says Conservation Department Resource Scientist Jason Sumners, “but that doesn’t mean we have to throw in the towel. There are several things that hunters and others who love wildlife can do to limit CWD’s impact on our deer herd.”

Sumners says the infectious agents that cause CWD are spread several ways. One major cause of spread is direct contact with an infected animal. Another is through contact with soil contaminated with CWD prions from infected animals’ urine or feces. To reduce the potential for these types of transmission, deer attractants, such as bait piles, have been prohibited in the CWD Containment Zone consisting of Adair, Chariton, Linn, Macon, Randolph, and Sullivan counties.

Soil also can be contaminated by decomposition of body parts from infected deer. To reduce this risk, hunters need to get in the habit of disposing of deer carcasses properly.

“Proper disposal is critical,” says Sumners. “We need hunters to dispose of deer carcasses in ways that prevent soil contamination.”

Sumners also noted that CWD might not always be confined to the CWD Containment Zone.

“We can’t be sure it won’t show up somewhere else in the state,” he says. “So it’s important for all deer hunters to get in the habit of properly disposing of carcasses by burying them or sending them to state-approved landfills. We want to do everything we can to make it harder for CWD to spread in Missouri.”

The Conservation Department has disposal information in the 2013 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet, which is available wherever hunting permits are sold. It also is online at mdc.mo.gov/node/3656.

“In the past, it was far less of a concern to shoot a deer in one area, put it in your truck, and take it home – maybe clear across the state – to butcher it,” says Sumners. “But today, to ensure the long-term health of our deer herd, we have to change our habits. That means boning out meat where a deer is taken and properly disposing of the carcass there. If we act decisively, we have a chance of slowing the spread of CWD to a crawl. That will buy us time to continue our efforts to find new solutions to this challenge.”

Sumners says CWD is unlike hemorrhagic diseases (EHD and blue-tongue), which only kill some infected animals, and those that survive develop immunity and pass it on to their offspring. The history of CWD in Colorado, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming shows that CWD spreads steadily through an increasing percentage of deer and kills every infected animal, ruling out the development of immunity.

The Conservation Department is acting decisively – with the help of landowners – to slow the spread of CWD. For the past three years, landowners and Conservation Department teams have been removing deer from the CWD Core Area. This 30-square-mile area surrounds the locations around the Linn-Macon county line where CWD-positive deer have been found. This reduces deer population density, thereby decreasing the likelihood of CWD spreading from one deer to another. The Conservation Department also has been testing deer taken in this area and statewide to track the distribution and prevalence of CWD.

Hunters in the six-county CWD Containment Zone help with this effort by submitting tissue samples to the Conservation Department for testing.

Because brain tissue can carry CWD prions, it is important to properly handle the heads or skulls of trophy deer. Hunters can use meat saws or reciprocating saws to remove the antlers with a small skull plate for mounting and send the rest to a landfill. Removing excess tissue from skull plates, deer hides, and capes makes them safe to take to other areas.

The importation, transportation, or possession of deer, elk, or moose carcasses or carcass parts from outside of Missouri is regulated to protect Missouri’s deer herd. You can bring in meat that is cut and wrapped, meat that has been boned out, quarters or other portions of meat with no part of the spinal column or head attached, hides or capes from which all excess tissue has been removed, antlers, antlers attached to skull plates or skulls cleaned of all muscle and brain tissue, upper canine teeth, and finished taxidermy products.

People may transport carcasses or parts of carcasses with the spinal column or head attached into Missouri only if they report the action to MDC by calling 877-853-5665 within 24 hours of entering the state. They must then take the carcasses or parts of carcasses to a licensed meat processor or taxidermist within 72 hours of entry. Licensed meat processors and taxidermists must dispose of the discarded tissue in a properly permitted landfill.

-Jim Low-