Deer Science Archives | Page 3 of 34

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 [...]

7 10, 2019

Hunters Can Contract Tuberculosis From Deer

bluemillion2020-06-10T09:14:52-04:00October 7th, 2019|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Science|2 Comments

If Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) and Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) were not enough, now we deer hunters need to know about another disease. Hunters can contract a form of tuberculosis from deer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that a 77-year-old Michigan man was diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis. He had no known contact with any human infected with TB, but he had hunted and field-dressed deer for decades. Many deer test positive for bovine TB in the northeastern Lower Peninsula of Michigan where the man lived and hunted. The CDC says the man may have inhaled the bacteria that causes tuberculosis while he was gutting a deer. Officials don’t know when that might have happened, but the [...]

12 09, 2019

2019 EHD Report: Confirmed Deer Deaths In At Least 5 States

bluemillion2020-06-10T09:14:53-04:00September 12th, 2019|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, Deer Hunting, Deer Science|Comments Off on 2019 EHD Report: Confirmed Deer Deaths In At Least 5 States

It’s been dry and hot for weeks in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic, prime conditions for Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) to rear its ugly head and kill whitetails. The first state to confirm EHD in August 2019 was Indiana, where deer deaths have been reported in at least 10 counties in the southern part of the state. The Iowa DNR initially reported an outbreak of the disease concentrated near Warren County. In a more recent update, authorities report hundreds of deer have died after contracting EHD in the south-central section of the state. As many as 900 deer have died, and there could be more dead deer hidden among farmers’ crops. The West Virginia DNR confirms EHD has killed deer in [...]

9 09, 2019

New CWD Laws For Transporting Deer In 2019 Hunting Season

bluemillion2020-06-10T09:14:53-04:00September 9th, 2019|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, Deer Hunting, Deer Science|Comments Off on New CWD Laws For Transporting Deer In 2019 Hunting Season

As I have said many times here on the blog and on TV, the days of shooting a buck, loading it whole into your pickup and driving home across a state line are gone. Likewise, shooting a buck out West or up in Canada and driving or flying home with a cape with head/skull attached is a thing of the past. The threat and spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has forever changed how we go about getting our deer out of the woods and back to the house. Before you go hunting this season, it is vitally important that you read this, go to your state’s website and double-check for specific information and then follow deer-transport rules to the [...]

21 08, 2019

New CWD Test For Deer Urine

bluemillion2020-06-10T09:14:53-04:00August 21st, 2019|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Science|Comments Off on New CWD Test For Deer Urine

Wildlife Research Center and Tink’s have partnered with CWD Evolution to fund a study on a testing protocol known as RT-QuIC, which is designed to examine deer urine for CWD contamination. This will allow manufacturers of deer and elk scents to test and verify that no CWD is detected in the urine used in their products. According to Phil Robinson of Tink’s, “We sought out the most recognized authorities regarding CWD transmission via urine to get their opinion. We are 100% confident that our products pose no risk of spreading CWD. This test is just a confirmation of that fact.” “Our industry is committed to the health of wild cervids and the sport of hunting,” adds Sam Burgeson of Wildlife [...]