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New restrictions in place on movement of deer carcasses from CWD zone
Weekly News Article Published: September 1, 2009 by the Central Office
MADISON – New rules governing the transport of hunter-harvested and vehicle-killed deer from the chronic wasting disease – management zone (CWD-MZ) of southern Wisconsin take effect on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2009.
The new rules [PDF 220KB] aim to “prevent the tissues most likely to contain CWD from being brought to areas of the state where CWD does not occur and introducing the disease there,” said Davin Lopez, CWD project leader for the Department of Natural Resources. The rules were approved last year by the state Natural Resources Board, DNR’s seven citizen-member policy making body.
The new rules ban the movement of whole deer carcass from the CWD-MZ to elsewhere in the state. However, hunters and motorists will be allowed to move whole, registered carcasses of deer shot or hit by a vehicle within the CWD-MZ into a deer management unit (DMU) adjoining the CWD-MZ.
The rule affects carcass movement in 22 DMUs located in all or parts of Adams, Crawford, Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Grant, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, Lafayette, Marquette, Racine, Richland, Rock, Sauk, Vernon, Walworth and Waukesha Counties (here we should provide a link to the map).
Also beginning Sept. 1, Wisconsin will restrict the importation of whole cervid carcasses (deer, elk and moose) into the state from areas within states or Canadian provinces that have CWD. The disease has been discovered in wild deer or elk herds in 11 states and two provinces.
The rule does not restrict movement of parts from legally possessed deer, which can be legally transported anywhere in Wisconsin, including:
- Meat that’s cut and wrapped, either commercially or privately.
- Quarters or other portions of meat to which no part of the spinal column is attached.
- Deboned meat.
- Hides with no head attached.
- Finished taxidermy heads.
- Antlers.
- Clean skulls or skull plates with no lymphoid or brain tissue attached.
- Upper canine teeth.
Chronic wasting disease is an always fatal nervous system disease known to naturally infect white-tailed deer, mule deer, moose and elk. It belongs to the family of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) or prion diseases. Though it shares features with other prion diseases, like mad cow disease in cattle and scrapie in sheep, it is a distinct disease known only to affect members of the deer family.
2009 Season Structure in the CWD-MZ
The deer hunting seasons in the CWD-MZ is as follows:
- Archery season: Sept. 12 to Oct. 14, Oct. 19 to Dec. 9 and Dec. 14 to to Jan. 3, 2010 (Earn-a-buck)
- Early firearm and archery season: Oct. 15-18 (antlerless only)
- Traditional nine-day firearm season: Nov. 21-29 (Earn-a-buck)
- Muzzleloader only season: Nov. 30 – Dec. 9 (Earn-a-buck)
- Late firearm and archery season: Dec. 10-13 (antlerless-only)
- Holiday firearm season: Dec. 24-Jan. 3, 2010 (Earn-a-buck)
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Davin Lopez, CWD Project Leader, Madison: (608) 267-2948 or Greg Matthews: (608) 275-3317
View all articles in this issue or check our previous Weekly News Issues.
