deer taken in Michigan’s CWD outbreak zone. Photo by Anna Mittlerling, QDMA/MUCC.
ATHENS, GA (February 24, 2016) – To answer the concerns of deer hunters in areas affected by chronic wasting disease (CWD), QDMA has compiled recommend practices and answers to frequently asked questions in a free document that can be downloaded and easily distributed in affected communities.
“Michigan recently became the newest state to detect CWD in wild whitetails, and our members in and near Michigan’s CWD zone asked us for guidance on how they should adjust deer management goals now that they are faced with a CWD outbreak,” said Kip Adams, QDMA’s Director of Education & Outreach and a certified wildlife biologist. “We compiled our advice in a new document that can be used and shared by hunters in any area affected by this serious disease.”
To help refine the recommendations, QDMA first conferred with experts from multiple organizations, including the CWD Alliance and the USGS National Wildlife Health Center. QDMA’s State Advisory Council in Michigan assisted by gathering questions and concerns from affected QDMA members. The resulting document helps answer the most common questions, such as:
Should we discourage the use of food plots in CWD management zones?
Should we increase harvest pressure on young bucks where CWD is an issue?
Are healthy deer less susceptible to CWD?
How can QDM Cooperatives help?
Should I eat the venison from deer harvested in a CWD management zone?
“The document is also useful for hunters who are not yet affected by CWD so that they understand how they will be impacted should the disease arrive in their area,” said Adams. “It’s urgent that all hunters focus on preventing CWD from spreading into new areas.”
QDMA’s brochure “CWD: Recommended Practices for Deer Hunters” is available as a free PDF. Visit QDMA.com, click on the Resources menu, and select the Free Downloads page.
Important Note: Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is often confused with other major deer diseases, especially hemorrhagic disease (which includes EHD and bluetongue virus). Click here to review the differences between CWD and EHD.
