The first case recorded of Chronic Waste Disorder (CWD) in the family Cervidae (deer) in 1967 occurred near Montrose Colorado. The infected animal came from a breeding pen of mule deer. Since 2012, TP&W has recorded 504 cases of the disease here in the Lone Star State. With the majority of the cases occurring to deer that have been incarcerated behind a high fence. Good reasoning would suggest that Mother Nature doesn’t appreciate us messing with her wildlife.
It has been reported by the Texas Farm Bureau that the deer breeders are feeling the heat due to CWD. In September of 2021, there were 980 deer breeders in Texas and today, just two years later, there are 683. From what can be gleaned from limited public information, the deer breeders and the folks at TP&W are at odds in regard to what becomes of those deer currently being held captive behind those high fences where a positive has been identified. With approximately 30% of the deer breeders out of business, where did their deer go?
The truth of this matter is that scientists do not have empirical data to prove how the disease is transmitted. They have published beliefs of the likely culprits such as body fluids or soil contamination, but nothing has been scientifically identified. Without knowing positively how CWD is transmitted and with no non-invasive testing available, only a sample of the dead animal’s brain stem can determine if it is positive or negative. There is a possibility that some deer breeders in Texas will be informed by TP&W to “kill them all” and suffer a substantial financial setback.
Texas being what Texas is, we have developed a CWD zone map of our fair state, that identifies known CWD areas. It is mandatory that you present your harvest to a CWD check station within 48 hours. With a little of your harvested brain stem, you will be free to go and no charge, knowing you did your part to study this incipient disease that potentially could adversely affect the entire population of Texas whitetails. While researching I came across an article published by Texas Sports Nation and I quote, “For those who take deer home to process, unused parts would have to be disposed either in a landfill permitted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, buried at least three feet into the ground and covered with three feet of soil, or returned to the site of harvest and disposed of there.” I shit you not! One would assume that the practice of throwing the remnants out in the back pasture for the coyotes and vermin is no longer a viable option nor acceptable practice.
Common sense would dictate that if we put an end to the practice of incarcerating whitetails behind high fences and genetically manipulating them to grow those absurd antlers for narcissistic individuals to pay thousands of dollars to satisfy their need to add another mount in their vanity collection, we may have the problem whipped.