Idaho Fish and Game Preparing Emergency Hunts to Widen Test of Chronic Wasting Disease in Idaho Deer
Have you heard yet that there were two Idaho mule deer were found dead and then after examination it turns out they have zombie deer disease?! Ok, well that is kind of the nickname for it, either way I am not cool with any animal having zombie anything. The real and official name is Chronic Wasting Disease. Clearly not a good thing. These are the first confirmed positive tests for Chronic Wasting Disease in Idaho. According to Idaho Fish and Game, "Two mule deer bucks harvested during October in the Slate Creek drainage near Lucile in Idaho County tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease, according to Idaho Fish and Game. Under Fish and Game’s CWD strategic plan, both hunters have been notified that their bucks tested positive."
Happy holidays right?
Now that you are all caught up with that, due to concern from Idaho Fish and Game are organizing emergency hunts. The hunted animals could not be used for eating meat until AFTER it been tested for the Chronic Wasting Disease. The whole point of this is so that they can sample more of the game populations to see how the spread of CWD is.
In an Instagram post shared yesterday from Idaho Fish and Game they say, "The hunts will be for Idaho residents only, and tags may be discounted. Emergency hunts would focus on only mule deer and white-tailed deer because they are more susceptible to CWD, and hunters will be required to have harvested animals tested. We will later announce the framework for the emergency hunts, including dates, how hunters can get tags, and special rules that will apply to those hunts."
Idaho Fish and Game is asking hunters in Unit 14 and adjacent areas asked to provide CWD samples from harvested animals. Other states are dealing with increased numbers of deer and elk with CWD. By the look of the comments on the Instagram post, many people are not happy with these tactics, while a few are supportive. What do you think?