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The carcass of that fine buck deer can't be brought into Arkansas if it was killed in a state with chronic wasting disease. Diseases plague wildlife, make the news Saturday, Oct 29, 2005 By Joe Mosby If an Arkansas hunter picks up a newspaper or turns on the television set, he or she is likely to be hit with a scary message about disease among wild creatures. Just in the past few days there have been reports about (1) Chronic Wasting Disease, (2) Avian Flu and (3) West Nile Virus. Some diseases of the past are still around but have been pushed out of headlines - the several tick-caused ailments and tularemia, better known in Arkansas as rabbit fever. And it's been several years now since there have been incidents of the mystery disease that killed bald eagles and coots in Southwest Arkansas and in three eastern seaboard states. One longtime hunter commented, "I guess we can be like the Houston Astros fans and their fixation with B's. We can be informed, beware and be careful about these diseases when we go hunting." One headline told Arkansans that the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission passed an emergency ban on the importation of cervid carcasses, effective immediately. Cervids? Further reading of the news item brought out that cervids are deer, elk and other members of what most people call the deer family. Moose and caribou are in the family, too. The danger in cervids is chronic wasting disease (CWD), which causes damage to portions of the brain of the animal, and there is no cure for the always-fatal disease, according to the AGFC. CWD has been found in deer in 14 states, including Oklahoma, and in two Canadian provinces. The Arkansas ban on importing carcasses from these states is similar to bans in 22 other states. The states and provinces where CWD has been found are Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, Saskatchewan and Alberta. A hunter can't bring into Arkansas a carcass from these areas, but there are exceptions. Hunters can bring home: -Meat that has the bones removed. -Meat that has no portions of the spinal column or head attached. -Antlers, antlers attached to cleaned skull plates, or cleaned skulls. -Cleaned teeth. -Finished taxidermy products. -Hides and tanned products. -Deer or elk killed in commercial wildlife hunting resorts. Health and wildlife officials are keeping a close eye on the spread of avian flu. It's been found in Asia and Europe, but not in North America at this time. The carriers have been domestic poultry like chickens, and a pet parrot turned up with avian flu recently in Great Britain. But wild birds have not yet been found with the disease. West Nile virus has been around a few years and has claimed the lives of several Arkansas residents as well as a number of wild birds. A number of blue jays have been confirmed deaths of West Nile virus. But the disease hasn't hit the ranks of game birds in large numbers although some wood ducks, mallards, canvasbacks, ruddy ducks and Canada geese have tested positive for the disease, according to the National Wildlife Health Center at Madison, Wis. But white-fronted geese and snow geese are not on the West Nile virus list of the health center. White-tailed deer, skunks and alligators have also been found with West Nile virus. Mourning doves have been found with it, but bobwhite quail have not. This disease is transmitted by mosquitoes, not by wild birds that are its victims. The use of repellent when hunting is advisable. Swat a mosquito quickly if it lands on you. Tularemia, the rabbit fever that has made Arkansans wary of wild rabbits for generations, is still around. Most hunters avoid it by wearing gloves when dressing out rabbits they have killed and by thoroughly washing hands and utensils used in cleaning them. -------- Joe Mosby is the retired news editor of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and Arkansas' best known outdoor writer. His work is distributed by the Arkansas News Bureau in Little Rock. He can be reached by e-mail at jhmosby@cyberback.com. |
