August 24, 2018 at 4:16 p.m.
NRB makes decision on deer carcass movement, deer farm fencing
NRB makes decision on deer carcass movement, deer farm fencing
An emergency rule was brought before the board requesting increased restrictions on moving deer carcasses in CWD-affected counties, and to mandate enhanced fencing for deer farms where a deer was found to have CWD. Both of these changes prompted strong reactions from the public and many public comments were taken as the board deliberated on both points of contention.
'It is not a practical solution'
The carcass movement issue is one that will affect hunters the most. The emergency rule originally stated hunters could not move a full carcass outside of the CWD-affected county in which the deer was killed unless it was brought to a licensed processor or taxidermist within 72 hours of the harvest.
Other options included deboning or quartering the animal or leaving the carcass on the landscape as close to the area where the deer was harvested as possible. Bringing the head to be tested for CWD was also an option. The current rule allowed for a carcass to be moved from a CWD-affected county, as long as it was moved to an adjacent CWD-affected county. The concern with this rule was a carcass could be moved from a county where CWD had been found to a county that was only an "affected" county due to its proximity to a county with a positive finding.
The emergency rule would do away with this concern. The rule was amended slightly by the board, allowing 72 hours from the time the carcass leaves the CWD-affected county, rather than only from the time the deer was harvested, for the hunter to bring the carcass to a licensed processor or taxidermist. One group to testify against this idea was the Wisconsin Bowhunters Association, represented by Mike Brust.
"We understand the intent of this proposal but feel, as written, it is not a practical solution and places an undue burden on hunters," Brust said.
Board member Gar Zimmer stated he would like to see more places for hunters to bring their carcasses such as lined dumpsters placed in each county. He took issue with leaving carcasses on the landscape. If the animal in question is infected with CWD, the prions that cause the disease would then find their way into the landscape and into the ground where they could then take root in the vegetation and infect other deer that would browse on those plants.
Scavengers, too, could spread the prions from an infected carcass. Ultimately, it was decided to look at the dumpsters as an option, however this is not likely to happen until the 2019 hunt.
Board member Dr. Fred Prehn had some reservations regarding how this rule would affect hunters. He said he did not want a rule that would make things more difficult or frustrate hunters to the point that they would stop hunting. He also wondered if an emergency rule was the right decision.
"The permanent rule may not look like the emergency rule," he said. "So why mandate something now that may not be part of the permanent rule?"
Laurie Seale of Whitetails of Wisconsin echoed that thought. She argued there's time to work through the permanent rule making process and asked the board not to rush into things by approving an emergency rule. In the end, the board decided this portion of the rule, with the slight amendment, should go into effect as soon as possible, hopefully for the start of this year's hunt.
The other part of the emergency rule, which was met with backlash from groups such as Whitetails of Wisconsin, affects deer farms where a deer has tested positive for CWD. Any farm with a captive deer that dies or is killed must send in a sample for testing. The emergency rule looked to further separate captive and wild deer herds in the hopes that the odds of passing the disease through the fence, one way or the other, would be reduced. The enhanced fencing options would include an 8-foot double fence or a solid perimeter fence. Another option for some farms would be a three-strand electric fence 6-48 inches off the ground.
Costs associated with each of these options were presented by regulations specialist Scott Karel. However, many in attendance at the meeting said those costs were not accurate. For those farms whose fences are located at their property line, for instance, enhanced fencing or electric fencing would need to be placed inside the current fence, which would result in a substantial cost increase.
Other costs, including cleaning up an area around the fence to install electric fencing, could also put deer farmers in a financial pinch. This portion of the rule was ultimately approved as well, but the original 90-day timetable in which deer farms would have had to either come into compliance or make their case for needing more time, was extended. These rules will still need to be approved by Gov. Scott Walker before they go into affect. This could be done in time for this year's hunt.
Beckie Gaskill may be reached via email at [email protected].
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