CWD Archives - Page 3 of 3

19 04, 2021

Virginia Reports 20 New Deer Infected With CWD

Clay Hanback2021-04-19T09:57:39-04:00April 19th, 2021|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, CWD, Deer Hunting, whitetail deer|2 Comments

The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) has announced the results of the 2020 – 2021 Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) surveillance efforts for two prominent Disease Management Areas, which encompass 11 counties in Virginia. DMA1 includes the counties of Clarke, Frederick, Shenandoah, and Warren; and DMA2 includes the counties of Culpeper, Fauquier, Loudoun, Madison, Page, Orange, and Rappahannock. Within the two DMAs, a total of 20 hunter-harvested whitetails were confirmed to be infected with CWD. Of the 20 CWD-positive deer, 13 originated in Frederick County, two originated in Shenandoah County, and one was harvested in each of Madison, Loudoun, Fauquier, Rappahannock, and Warren Counties. These CWD detections were a result of intensive sampling efforts that resulted in over 3,000 deer [...]

17 08, 2020

Chronic Wasting Disease 2020 Update

Clay Hanback2020-08-17T16:35:45-04:00August 17th, 2020|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, CWD, Deer Hunting, Deer Management, Deer Science, Hunting News, whitetail deer|Comments Off on Chronic Wasting Disease 2020 Update

Here is a sampling of news from the National Deer Alliance’s (NDA) latest update on all things Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). Click here to read the full report. Kansas: In mid-July, the Kansas Department of Agriculture confirmed a case of CWD in a captive deer herd in Osage County. While CWD has been detected in wild deer populations in many western Kansas counties, this is the first documented positive case in eastern Kansas. Minnesota: The DNR announced a new process for hunters to get their deer tested for CWD. This year, testing will not be mandatory in an effort to mitigate the risk of spreading coronavirus during the pandemic. Last year, hunters in designated CWD zones were required to visit [...]

6 05, 2020

New Deer Scouting Scent: Active-Cam From Wildlife Research Center

Clay Hanback2020-06-10T09:14:50-04:00May 6th, 2020|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, CWD, Deer Hunting, whitetail deer|Comments Off on New Deer Scouting Scent: Active-Cam From Wildlife Research Center

A couple of years ago my home state of Virginia banned the use of estrus doe and other attractant scents that contain natural deer urine. This even though many experts believe the risk of spreading Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in a herd with urine-based scents is virtually zero. Last year, on top of that, Virginia restricted the use of minerals to attract deer, which has thrown a major monkey wrench in my scouting strategy. But laws are laws, so this summer and fall I’m going to try something different. Rather than refreshing the licks (some a decade old) on the farms I hunt with minerals, I’ll be using Active-Cam™ Scouting Scent from Wildlife Research Center. It’s a non-urine-based curiosity scent [...]

5 02, 2020

Should You Feed Deer In The Winter?

Clay Hanback2020-06-10T09:14:51-04:00February 5th, 2020|BigDeer, CWD, Deer Hunting, Deer Science, whitetail deer|Comments Off on Should You Feed Deer In The Winter?

Yes, natural food is scarce and whitetail deer are hungry and scavenging every bite they can find right now in late winter. NO, you should not feed them. No corn, no apples, no hay, nothing. “Congregation of deer is a way in which Chronic Wasting Disease is spread through nose to nose contact,” explains Ryan Brown, director of Virginia Game and Inland Fisheries. “We encourage the public not to feed deer, because the deer don’t need it in Virginia to survive, and number two, attracting deer to a particular feeding location simply ups the odds that the disease will be spread within the herd.” CWD can be spread by disease prions that live in the soil for years. “The prions [...]

22 10, 2019

CWD News: Hunters Can Use Bleach To Decontaminate Knives

Clay Hanback2020-06-10T09:14:52-04:00October 22nd, 2019|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, CWD, Deer Hunting, Deer Science, whitetail deer|Comments Off on CWD News: Hunters Can Use Bleach To Decontaminate Knives

Finally, some good news on the nasty topic of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). According to a new study by National Institutes of Health, a 5-minute soak in a 40% solution of household bleach decontaminated stainless steel wires coated with CWD prions. The scientists used the wires to model knives and saws that hunters and meat processors use when handling deer and elk, the meat of which could be infected with CWD prions. The researchers dissected CWD-infected brains from whitetails and mule deer. They tested various bleach concentrations and soak times to determine the most effective combination to eliminate CWD prions. While the study found that a 40% solution of household bleach can purify stainless steel, it failed to find an [...]