November 16, 2018 at 5:02 p.m.
2018 deer season preview: CWD testing is fast, easy and free
2018 deer season preview: CWD testing is fast, easy and free
It seems as though chronic wasting disease (CWD) is moving across the state. Last winter, three deer with the disease were found in the wild herd in Oneida County. Recently, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan had its first positive when a wild deer in a CWD surveillance area close to the Wisconsin border tested positive for the disease.
With that in mind, Ed Choinski, chairman of the Oneida County Deer Advisory Committee (CDAC), is asking hunters to strongly consider having their deer tested.
"We need to know where it is and how big the problem might be," Choinski said. "That is where we need to start. And the thing is, for the hunter it is fast, easy and free."
He went on to say it costs the DNR approximately $80 to have a deer's lymph nodes tested, but there is no cost to the hunter.
The only reliable test for CWD is testing of the lymph nodes in the neck of the deer. Unfortunately, the animal must be harvested in order for this test to be performed. CWD is a brain disease that is always fatal. Deer may have the disease and not look sick, which is why testing is important.
DNR biologist Jeremy Holtz accompanied Choinski to a recent Oneida County Foresty Committee meeting to ask permission to issue surveillance tags on county land near the Wisconsin River. He asked for 250 tags to be issued in addition to normal hunting tags. CWD surveillance tags are also issued to landowners who have at least 5 acres of land in the surveillance area. This is all being done in an attempt to obtain at least 400 samples across all hunting seasons.
Those looking to obtain CWD surveillance tags for the CWD surveillance area may do so from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the DNR Service Center in Rhinelander or the DNR Ranger Station in Merrill.
Many hunters have their deer tested each year. However, more samples are needed to find the extent of the problem. If enough samples cannot be obtained voluntarily this year, a rule will be put into place by next hunting season that would make testing mandatory at the discretion of the county deer biologist.
Self-service kiosks have been placed around the county with complete instructions on what a hunter should do to leave a sample of his or her deer in that kiosk.
CWD sample submission is currently available at the following self-service kiosk locations:
• DNR Ranger Station, 101 Eagle Dr., Merrill;
• DNR Lemay Center, 518 W. Somo Ave., Tomahawk;
• DNR Service Center, 107 Sutliff Ave., Rhinelander;
• Norling Taxidermy, 6573 Ort Drive, Rhinelander
• DNR Service Center, 8770 CTY J, Woodruff;
• DNR Ranger Station, 1861 Hwy. 45 N, Eagle River;
• Three Lakes Shell Station, 1742 Superior St., Three Lakes;
• DNR Ranger Station, 404 N Lake St., Crandon;
• Laona Shell Station, 4906 Hwy. 8, Laona;
• The Corner Store, 497 Hwy. 8, Armstrong Creek;
• The Fence Post, 603 Memory Lane, Fence;
• DNR Satellite Center, 223 E Steinfest Rd., Antigo;
• BP Gas Station, N9521 US Hwy. 45, Summit Lake;
• Fisher's Bar, N11209 State Hwy. 17, Gleason;
CWD sample submission is also available at the following cooperators, if bringing the deer for processing:
• Geiss Meat Service, W4490 Pope Rd., Merrill;
• Lake Tomahawk Meat Market, 7259 Hwy. 47, Lake Tomahawk;
• TJ's Butcher Block, 8796 Hwy. 51, Minocqua;
• Prime Choice Meat Market, 1144 US Hwy. 45 S., Eagle River.
Beckie Gaskill may be reached via email at [email protected].
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