I live right in the heart of the CWD area. Notice I always complain about deer numbers.... But I don't believe they are dying from CWD. Is all the tags and herd reduction. They gave an extra 14,000 tags in my area on top of the normal doe tags for CWD erradication purposes.
This is 4a. I went to te seminars given in my area by the game commission and head of pa aggreculture., it's nothing new. Been around for long time I belive first was in Colorado. They said the disease stays in the ground for up to 15 years. It's passed my liquids, saliva, pee, poop. That sort of thing.
Yeah your correct, the only way to identify is to kill the animal n check, brain, spinal cord, lymphnodes. Each deer processor here had to go through classes to be able to butcher deer. So it's hard to find a butcher now if you don't do you own. You are not to cut through the spine. Debone the deer. The butchers take samples from deer to give to the game commission. They also have deer dumpster here on state game lands to put carcasses in. If not you are required to put them in heavy duty trash bags n give to the the garbage man.
I stay away from neck meat now as that's where the glands are located. It is also more prevelant in older deer and esp in older bucks.
We are no longer allowed to use urine based scents here in CWD area.
You are not allowed to removed deer from the CWD area. So no traveling with your buck in your truck anymore have to keep it in the CWD area. Only boned out meat can be removed.
Stay way from eating organs. ESP liver. The deer infected with CWD will most definaty die. It's a brain problem. Brain will look something like a sponge with holes in it. Have to clean all your tools and utensils with bleach after processing. Cook meat throughly.
I belive CWD is here to stay and will only spread. This is our second season with CWD