The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission voted unanimously to prohibit cervid ranchers from knowingly selling “shooter bulls” to facilities in states that allow the hunting of privately-held wildlife, as part of its formal rule-making on the state’s cervid ranching rules (OAR 635-049-0000).“Any kind of hunting operation that is not under the guise of fair chase is a threat to the fraternity of hunting,” said Dr. Dan Edge, Commission Vice-Chair and head of OSU’s Dept. of Fisheries and Wildlife.

The Commission declined to require double-fencing of captive elk ranches and directed staff to consider other alternatives that would make the minimum standard better than the current requirement, such as adding an interior electric fence. It deferred a decision on requiring bonding of elk ranchers to indemnify the state against an escape or disease outbreak.

Before making policy decisions, the Commission heard public testimony from 22 people on both sides of the issue. Because of the complexity and length of the Div. 49 rules, the Commission only provided policy direction today, and asked staff to rewrite proposed rules along those policy lines for formal adoption at the May 9, 2008 meeting in La Grande. No public testimony related to the rules will be taken at this meeting.

Other policies adopted today include:

• Elk ranch licenses will be relinquished if licensee does not hold cervids for more than 180 consecutive days.
• The import of gametes and embryos will be specifically allowed. The ban on the import of live cervids continues.
• Licensees will be responsible for the state’s expenses from an escape or release of captive cervids, though the department has discretion in determining whether to require repayment based on circumstances surrounding the incident.
• Deaths must be reported to ODFW and ODA within 24 hours of discovery; all dead cervids must be tested for disease within 24 hours of discovery.
• License will specify species, subspecies and or hybrid that can be held.
• Policy maintains current limit of 16 Type 1 commercial elk ranching licenses.
• New policy adds decommissioning requirements including perimeter fencing, so wild cervids cannot enter a captive facility until it is deemed disease-free.  

“This Commission is not in any way attempting to put anybody out of business,” stated Chair Marla Rae in her summary of the Commission’s policy on elk ranching. “The Oregon State Legislature has already said that the private holding of cervids is a lawful activity. It is up to this Commission and department to regulate that activity so that it does no harm to wildlife populations.”

In keeping with that, the Commission voted to change the overall policy statement of the Commission from one of opposition to commercial elk ranching to one of concern about the unregulated holding of cervids posing a disease or genetic risk to the public’s wildlife.

The Commission also adopted administrative rules formally recognizing the Grande Ronde Indian Tribe’s stewardship of lands under their ownership and management and providing permits for the annual take for ceremonial purposes of 15 deer, 9 elk and three bears outside of regular hunting seasons in the Trask Wildlife Management Unit (portions of Yamhill, Tillamook County).

The S.D. Game, Fish and Parks Department has once again successfully completed its collection of samples from migratory birds as part of an ongoing check for the highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu.

“This year’s testing is complete thanks to the combined efforts of department staff and volunteer hunters,” said GFP Senior Waterfowl Biologist Spencer Vaa of Brookings. “Thanks to those efforts, we sent 750 samples to be tested at the SDSU Diagnostic Laboratory.”

While testing on the samples is not complete, Vaa noted that so far no birds have tested positive for the highly pathogenic bird flu that has caused worldwide concern. Active surveillance efforts in most states and Canadian provinces have yet to reveal a positive test for the highly pathogenic bird flu.

In South Dakota, samples are sent to the diagnostic lab at South Dakota State University at Brookings which has a contract with the U.S. Agriculture Department’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to conduct preliminary avian influenza testing.

“This year GFP was directed to focus its efforts on ‘dabbling’ ducks that gather in shallow wetlands,” Vaa said. “While many species were sent in for testing, the greatest emphasis was on mallards, northern pintails and blue-winged teal.”

Bird samples were collected during duck banding operations in July, August and September and then hunter-harvested birds were used from across the state for testing in September, October and November during the waterfowl hunting season.

While testing efforts have not yet turned up a strain of the highly pathogenic bird flu virus in South Dakota or anywhere else in North America, hunters and others who handle wild birds are advised to follow a few safety precautions. Those precautions include:

• Do not handle or harvest game birds that are obviously sick.
• Use rubber or latex gloves when cleaning birds.
• Wash hands and cleaning utensils thoroughly.
• Cook birds to a minimum of 165 degrees F.

Massachusetts hunters who hunt cervids (deer, elk, and moose) in New York, or other states and Canadian provinces where chronic wasting disease (CWD) is found, are reminded that they can bring back ONLY deboned meat, cleaned skull caps, hides without the head, or a fixed taxidermy mount. It is illegal for anyone to import, process, or possess whole carcasses or parts of cervids from wild or captive herds. This regulation has been in place since 2005.

If hunting deer, elk, moose in other states and provinces, particularly those in which CWD has been detected, hunters are advised to check with their state fish and wildlife agency to see if they have any specific advice to hunters or special regulations.

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a contagious neurological disease that is fatal to deer, elk, and moose. At this time, CWD has been detected in wild or captive cervids in Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, and in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. According to the World Health Organization, people cattle and other livestock are resistant to transmission of CWD. More information on Chronic Wasting Disease and a list of selected New York meat cutters near the Massachusetts border http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/dfw_toc.htm

Help keep Massachusetts deer and moose CWD-free — it’s the law.

North Dakota’s Hunter-Harvested Surveillance program in the eastern third of the state is off to a good start, as nearly 500 deer have been sampled for chronic wasting disease and bovine tuberculosis.

“The cooperation from hunters has been truly remarkable,” said Dr. Erika Butler, wildlife veterinarian for the Game and Fish Department. “This proves how important this issue really is.”

Butler said the quota has been reached from deer units in southeastern North Dakota, but more heads are needed from units in the northeast. “We are still seeking deer heads from units 1, 2C, 2D, 2E and 2L,” she said. “We need roughly another 300.”

Hunters are reminded that those participating in this effort, and whose deer have been sampled, will have their names entered in a drawing for five muzzleloaders and 100 Sagen Saws.

The odds of winning a prize increases with each additional head a hunter has sampled, Butler said. “With one head your chance of winning a prize is approximately one in ten. With two, it is one in five,” she said.

Every head sampled must have either the deer tag attached, or a new tag can be attached with the license number, deer hunting unit and date harvested included. Skull caps and antlers can be removed. Fawns will not be tested.

Deer head collection sites are still available at locations in Brocket, KO Bar; Cavalier, Ugly’s Tavern; Devils Lake, Game and Fish Department district office; Fordville, Waldo’s Bar; Forest River, Tom’s Lounge; Grand Forks, Ted’s Taxidermy; Hannaford, Remedy Bar; Jamestown, Game and Fish Department district office; Munich, Dave’s Joint; Nekoma, Pain Reliever; Rock Lake, Cahill’s Pub; Walhalla, North Dakota Forest Service; and Wolford, Corregidor Bar.

Heads are no longer accepted at Mills Fleet Farm in Fargo and Johnnie B’s Bar and Grill in Gwinner.

By Tom Cadden, public information officer, Arizona Game and Fish Department

The Arizona Game and Fish Department is again asking for hunter assistance this season in monitoring for chronic wasting disease (CWD), a wildlife neurological disease that is fatal to deer and elk.

The disease has not yet been found in Arizona, but it is in three neighboring states—Colorado, Utah and New Mexico. The department needs 1,800 deer and elk heads this hunting season to test for presence of the disease.

You can assist by bringing in the head of your recently harvested deer or elk to any Game and Fish Department office between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Place the head in a heavy plastic garbage bag for delivery, and keep it cool and out of the sun. If the weather is warm, it is best to either bring in the head within a day of harvest or keep it on ice in a cooler before delivery.

To better assist the surveillance efforts, you will be asked to fill out a form with your drop-off. Please include the following information: county, game management unit in which the animal was harvested, hunt and permit number, and an address and phone number where you can be reached. If this information is not provided, the department will be unable to test the sample.

You will be notified of the test results by postcard within six to eight weeks. There is no charge for the testing and notification.

Currently, there is no evidence that CWD poses a risk for humans.

The department has been conducting surveillance using hunter-harvested deer and elk since 1998. Test samples from more than 8,300 animals during that time have found no evidence of CWD.

The department also has had rules in place since 2002 restricting the movement of captive deer and elk into or within the state, and subjecting those animals to marking and reporting requirements.

Here are some guidelines for hunters when out in the field:

• Don’t harvest any animal that appears to be sick or behaves oddly. Call the Arizona Game and Fish Department at 1-800-352-0700 if you see an animal that is very thin, has a rough coat, drooping ears and is unafraid of humans.
• When field-dressing game, wear rubber gloves and minimize the use of a bone saw to cut through the brain or spinal cord (backbone). Bone out the meat. Minimize contact with and do not consume brain or spinal cord tissues, eyes, spleen, or lymph nodes.
• Always wash hands thoroughly after dressing and processing game meat.
• If you hunt in another state, don’t bring back the brain, intact skull or spinal column. It’s OK to bring back hides and skull plates that have been cleaned of all tissue and washed in bleach.
• Taxidermied heads, sawed-off antlers and ivory teeth are OK to bring home.
• If you intend to hunt out of state, contact the wildlife agency in the area you intend to hunt. Several states have regulations on carcass movement.

Learn more about chronic wasting disease at these Web sites:

• Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

If you’re hunting out of state this year, remember that regulations prohibit the importation into New Hampshire of hunter-killed deer, elk and moose carcasses or parts of carcasses from the 16 states and provinces where Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has been found, except for de-boned meat, antlers, antlers attached to skull caps with all soft tissue removed, upper canine teeth with all soft tissue removed, hides or capes with no part of the head attached and finished taxidermy mounts.

CWD is a brain disease that is fatal to deer, elk and moose, and it continues to be a concern for deer hunters and wildlife professionals in New Hampshire. Annual monitoring efforts from 2002 through 2006 have not detected CWD in any New England state. CWD-positive deer have been found as far east as New York and West Virginia.

Prevention of CWD in New Hampshire remains a top priority. For a Q&A on CWD-related efforts and guidelines in New Hampshire, visit http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Wildlife/CWD_QandA.htm.

Recent tests for Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) in several Albany County deer have come back positive, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced. This is the first confirmed detection of EHD in New York State. EHD does not present a threat to human health.

“DEC’s wildlife managers have been monitoring EHD as it has worked its way north through neighboring states,” DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis said. “While other states’ experiences indicate that it is not anticipated to have a long-term effect on the health of our deer herd, we will continue to monitor the spread of this disease and its potential impact.”

EHD is predominantly a disease affecting deer and is transmitted by certain types of biting flies called midges. It mainly affects deer in late summer and fall, but the flies die and the disease subsides when frosts and colder temperatures occur. EHD is common in many southeastern states and has been reported throughout the mid-Atlantic this summer. In states where the disease has been detected, it has not had a significant negative impact on long-term health of the deer herd, and infecting instead only localized pockets of animals within a geographic area.

The remains of more than twenty deer were found in the greater Voorheesville area of Albany County in recent days. Several deer carcasses were delivered to DEC’s Wildlife Pathology Laboratory in Delmar, Albany County, to undergo a necropsy and microscopic examination to determine possible cause of death. In addition to EHD, deer were sampled for Chronic Wasting Disease, rabies, poisoning, and other potential mortality causes. Samples were sent to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory and the Southeast Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study laboratory. Those tests confirmed the presence of EHD in the deer tissue.

There are several symptoms of EHD, all of which are not necessarily present in an infected deer. They include: swollen head, neck, tongue or eyelids; erosion of the dental pad or ulcers on the tongue; hemorrhaging of the heart, lungs, rumen and intestines; peeling of hooves; and high fever, leading infected deer to sometimes be found near water sources. For more information about EHD, go to www.uga.edu/scwds/index.htm .

DEC continues to request the assistance of hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts in providing information to the Department about any sick, dying or dead animals encountered in the field. Sick or dead deer should be promptly reported to the nearest regional DEC office or to 1-800-TIPP-DEC.

Hunters are reminded that they should always take simple precautions to protect themselves from exposure to disease. Hunters that harvest a deer that is found to be diseased may be issued a replacement tag by DEC. To minimize the risk of transmission of any infectious diseases when handling or processing deer, the following precautions are recommended:

• Do not handle or eat any deer that appear sick, act strangely, or are found dead and contact DEC immediately.
• Wear rubber gloves when field dressing game.
• Wash instruments and any parts of the body exposed to animal tissues, blood, urine, etc. thoroughly with soap and water.
• Have your game processed promptly.
• Request that animals are processed individually, without mixing or coming into contact with meat from other animals.
• Consumption of organ meat (including brain, spinal cord, and other nervous tissue, spleen, pancreas, eyes, tonsils and lymph nodes) may pose a greater risk of infection with a number of diseases. Hunters should have deer boned out and have as much fat, connective tissue and lymph nodes removed as possible.
• In general, people should not consume an animal known or suspected to be ill.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) will continue surveillance for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) by taking random samples from hunter-killed deer on certain Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) and on private lands through a cooperative effort with landowners this fall. The disease has never been documented in Louisiana or any other Southeastern state to date.

There is no indication that CWD of deer and elk can be transmitted between species other than cervids (deer family), and there is no indication that the disease can be transmitted to humans either by contact with or consumption of hunter-killed deer. However, this disease represents a very significant threat to North America’s deer and elk population.

LDWF has conducted annual disease and parasite surveys on the state’s deer herd since the mid-1960s. CWD testing was added to the disease surveillance program for the first time in 2002. Louisiana’s CWD surveillance program was developed from guidelines and recommendations originating from the Southeast Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCWDS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). CWD belongs to a group of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). Other more commonly known forms of TSEs include scrapie in sheep and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE or mad cow disease) in cattle.

CWD attacks the central nervous system of the deer or elk and presents symptoms including extreme weight loss, excessive salivation, increased drinking and urination, and poor coordination. The disease is infectious and always fatal to deer and elk. Chronic wasting disease has a prolonged incubation period and no practical test exists to detect the disease in live animals since examination requires brain tissue samples.

Hunters can help fight the spread of CWD to Louisiana. Hunters traveling to states with confirmed cases of chronic wasting disease are urged to return with only the following into Louisiana: portions of meat that has been boned out with no part of the spinal column or head attached, completely skinned out hides with tailbone removed, clean skulls or skull plates with antlers attached, antlers (detached from the skull plate); clean upper canine teeth, and finished taxidermy heads.

States where CWD has been diagnosed include: Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming and the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Evidence exists that the CWD agent can remain viable in the soil for several years. This has been demonstrated at two research facilities where the disease was present in deer or elk. The diseased animals were removed, and the facilities underwent complete disinfecting and no animals were present for an extended period of time. Once animals were returned to the facility, they became infected with CWD. If hunters dispose of infected carcass parts in Louisiana, the potential exists for the disease agent to infect deer in the local area.

New Hampshire’s white-tailed deer population once again showed no evidence of chronic wasting disease , based on monitoring data gathered during the 2006 hunting season. New Hampshire Fish and Game Deer Biologist Kent Gustafson recently received results from a federally certified veterinary diagnostic laboratory that indicate that all the deer tissue samples taken during last fall’s hunting season tested negative for CWD. A total of 460 tissue samples were tested.
Chronic wasting disease is a neurological disorder that is fatal to white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk and moose. The World Health Organization has concluded that there is no evidence that people can become infected with CWD.
During the fall 2006 deer hunting season, New Hampshire Fish and Game collected heads from hunter-killed deer across the state for testing. The monitoring is part of a nationwide effort to identify areas with CWD. As a result of these efforts, more than 1,890 deer have been tested in New Hampshire since testing began in 2002.
Chronic wasting disease was first identified in 1978 and remained isolated in Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska for about a decade. CWD has been found as far east as New York and West Virginia, bringing the disease far closer to New Hampshire’s borders. To date, CWD has been detected in wild or captive deer or elk in a total of 16 states and provinces. These include Alberta, Canada; Colorado; Illinois; Kansas; Minnesota; Montana; Nebraska; New Mexico; New York; Oklahoma; Saskatchewan, Canada; South Dakota; Utah; West Virginia; Wisconsin; and Wyoming. A nationwide effort is underway to prevent further spread of the disease. This effort includes collecting annual samples of deer tissue as part of ongoing monitoring and surveillance efforts and restricting the transport of potentially infected animals or tissues.
People who make hunting trips to the 16 CWD-positive jurisdictions listed above can help keep New Hampshire CWD-free by closely following the mandatory regulations on bringing home deer, elk or moose carcasses. You may legally bring back ONLY deboned meat, antlers, upper canine teeth and/or hides or capes with no part of the head attached. Antlers attached to skull caps or canine teeth must have all soft tissue removed.
While research continues, current information suggests that CWD is most likely transmitted by an abnormal protein present in the nervous system and lymphatic tissue of infected animals. These abnormal proteins are very stable and may persist in the environment for long periods, posing a risk to animals that come into contact with them.
For more information about CWD and New Hampshire’s monitoring efforts, visit the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department website at http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/wildlife/CWD_QandA.htm. Additional information on the disease can be found from the Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance at http://www.cwd-info.org.
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is the guardian of the state’s fish, wildlife and marine resources and their habitats. Visit http://www.WildNH.com.

Wisconsin has been one of the states most proactive in the battle against Chronic Wasting Disease . A form of the same fatal brain illness as mad cow disease, CWD actually forms holes in animals’ brains, causing a variety of illnesses, including weight loss, tremors, odd - almost crazy behavior- and, eventually death. There are no reported instances of an infected animal having ever recovered from CWD.
To date, deer and elk in 14 states have been found to have CWD. There is no evidence, however, that people have ever caught chronic wasting disease from infected deer or elk.
Since it was discovered in Wisconsin in 2002, the state’s wildlife agencies have poured more than $27 million into efforts to prevent the spread of the disease.
A state audit says the efforts aren’t working.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has tried a variety of containment measures, including thinning the deer herds in areas where CWD has been found. Those measures have included lengthening hunting seasons and requiring hunters to shoot a doe before a buck, banning feeding deer in 26 states, offering rewards and cheap permits to hunters; even employing contract sharpshooters.
Instead of a reduction in CWD, the audit says the estimated number of deer with chronic wasting disease has increased, from 26 deer per square mile in 2002 to an estimated 38 per mile in 2005.
“Compared to other states in which CWD has been identified, Wisconsin has taken an aggressive approach to addressing the disease,” the audit said. “That approach also has been more costly, but it has not been effective to date.”
DNR Secretary Scott Hassett has conceded CWD can’t be eradicated in the near future.
In a letter to state auditor Janice Mueller responding to the report, Hasset says: “Wisconsin received a lot of advice, but no one handed us a road map,”
Wisconsin’s hunters may be one variable that’s frustrating the FWD efforts.
The report admits that, even when offered rewards of up to $1,000, hunters are “reluctant to shoot more animals than they can use. As an effort to combat that reluctance, the state audit suggest stepping up education and informational seminars for hunters, helping them understand the need to drastically reduce the deer population in areas where CWD has been found. Other steps suggested by the audit include another round of reduced hunting fees and increased harvest limits in areas with CWD and stepping up the state sharpshooter efforts.
Another alternative is suggested, but not recommended: reducing funding, taking no additional actions, and letting the disease run its course.
That course, fortunately, is not recommended by the audit.

Hunters can once again assist the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s surveillance efforts for chronic wasting disease this hunting season by submitting the heads of their deer or elk for testing. The department’s goal is to test 1,600 heads this season.
CWD is a neurological disease that is fatal to deer and elk. There is no scientific evidence to show it affects humans. Although the disease has not yet been found in Arizona, it has been detected in three bordering states: Colorado, Utah and New Mexico.
“Over the last several years the Arizona Game and Fish Department has been aggressively monitoring for CWD in our state,” says Lisa Shender, the department’s wildlife disease specialist. “The assistance of hunters has been invaluable in enabling us to obtain and test samples.”
Hunters can bring the head of their recently harvested deer or elk to any Game and Fish Department office between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Place the head in a plastic garbage bag for delivery, and keep it cool and out of the sun if possible.
To better assist the surveillance efforts, you will be asked to fill out a form when you drop off your deer or elk head. Please include the following information: county and game management unit in which the animal was harvested, hunt and permit number, and an address and phone number where you can be reached. Note: If this information is not provided, the department will be unable to test the sample.
You will be notified of CWD test results by postcard within six to eight weeks. There is no charge to you for the testing and notification.
Although no evidence exists of CWD affecting humans, hunters are advised to avoid harvesting any animal that appears sick, and avoid consuming or handling any brain or spinal tissue.
Hunters are also asked to be observant in the field. If you see a deer or elk displaying symptoms of CWD, such as emaciation, stumbling gait, drooping ears, rough hair condition, visible salivation, or loss of fear of humans, please contact the Game and Fish Department at 352-0700.
In order to minimize the chance of the disease entering Arizona through the transport of infected animal tissues, hunters are also asked to take precautions when bringing harvested deer or elk into Arizona from another state. For a list of guidelines, or to learn more about CWD, visit azgfd.gov/cwd.

PIERRE, S.D. - Waterfowl hunters have started to play an integral role in the state’s efforts to check birds for avian influenza.
The South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks is now using hunter-harvested waterfowl for the early detection of the highly pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 virus otherwise known as bird flu. To date, no waterfowl or migratory shorebirds in North America have tested positive for the virus.
From late July to mid-September, GFP sent 565 waterfowl and shorebird samples to the South Dakota State University diagnostic laboratory for testing. These birds were captured during banding operations and released unharmed.
Now the emphasis has shifted to using hunter-harvested waterfowl, according to GFP Senior Waterfowl Biologist Spencer Vaa, Brookings. After the Sept. 23-24 opening weekend of duck hunting in the Low Plains North and Low Plains Middle zones, another 71 samples were sent in for testing.
GFP is working with selected hunters throughout the state to obtain the waterfowl samples. Species targeted for sampling during the fall migration include the northern pintail, tundra swan, sandhill crane, mallard, green-winged teal, wigeon, northern shoveler, gadwall, lesser scaup, bufflehead and common goldeneye.
“All of these species have a connection with Asia or mingle with species that do,” said Vaa. “Scientists believe the most likely avenue of approach of the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus making its way to North America is through Asia and Alaska.”
GFP expects to submit a minimum of 1,000 samples for testing by Dec. 31, 2006. The state effort is part of a larger surveillance project that encompasses the entire Central Flyway.
More information is available through a avian bird flu brochure available at Game, Fish and Parks offices. It can also be downloaded from the GFP Web site at http://www.sdgfp.info/.

and Department of the Interior today announced a detection of the H5 and N1 avian influenza subtypes in samples from wild, migratory Green-winged Teals in Illinois. Initial tests confirm that these wild duck samples do not contain the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain that has spread through birds in Asia, Europe and Africa. These samples were collected from apparently healthy birds and initial test results indicate the presence of low pathogenic avian influenza virus, which poses no threat to human health.
The bird samples were collected on Sept. 24 in the Rice Lake Conservation Area of Fulton County, Illinois, through a partnership between USDA and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources as part of an expanded wild bird monitoring program. USDA and DOI are working collaboratively with states to sample wild birds throughout the U.S. for the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza . As a result of this expanded testing program, USDA and DOI expect to identify additional cases of common strains of avian influenza in birds, which is not cause for concern.
The ducks were showing no sign of sickness, which also suggests this is LPAI. Eleven samples were collected directly from the ducks. Of those samples, a pool of five samples tested positive for H5 and were sent to USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa, for confirmatory testing. One of the five samples screened by NVSL tested positive for both H5 and N1. However, this does not mean these ducks are infected with an H5N1 strain. It is possible that there could be two separate avian influenza viruses, one containing H5 and the other containing N1. Confirmatory testing underway at NVSL will clarify whether one or more strains of the virus are present, the specific subtype, as well as confirm the pathogenicity. These results are expected within two to three weeks and will be made public when completed.
Low pathogenic avian influenza commonly occurs in wild birds and can be found in a number of duck populations including the Green-winged Teal. It typically causes only minor sickness or no noticeable symptoms in birds. These strains of the virus include LPAI H5N1, commonly referred to as “North American” H5N1, which is very different from the more severe HPAI H5N1 circulating overseas.
Duck populations, including Green-winged Teal, are commonly hunted. There is no known health risk to hunters or hunting dogs from contact with low pathogenic forms of avian influenza virus. Nevertheless, hunters are always encouraged to use common sense sanitation practices, such as hand washing and thorough cooking, when handling or preparing wildlife of any kind. DOI has issued guidelines for safe handling and preparation of wild game.
For more information about USDA’s efforts and research related to avian influenza, go to http://www.usda.gov/birdflu. For more information about Interior’s efforts and hunter education program, go to http://www.doi.gov/issues/avianflu.html. For information about the federal government’s overall efforts related to avian influenza and human pandemic preparedness, go to http://www.avianflu.gov.

BRUNSWICK, Ga. - The Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division will begin collecting samples from migratory shorebirds this week as part of a collaborative effort to test for highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza. Federal and state biologists will be capturing and sampling birds in every state as part of the interagency strategic plan between the U.S. Department of Agriculture , the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of the Interior for the early detection of highly pathogenic H5N1 in wild birds.
Two migratory shorebird species, red knots and sanderlings, will be targeted for the first round of sampling. Two additional species, dunlin and ruddy turnstones, will be tested during the winter when they are more commonly present on the Georgia coast.
“These four species in Georgia have been prioritized because their travels take them to nesting grounds in the upper Arctic regions above the Hudson Bay in Canada,” said Brad Winn, program manager for the WRD Coastal Nongame Program. “There is a potential that they could cross paths with migrant species from Alaska or Iceland, so it is important that we monitor for the presence of highly pathogenic avian flu.”
The monitoring is strictly precautionary - the highly pathogenic avian influenza strain of H5N1 present in Asia, Africa and Europe has never been found in the United States. This virus has caused some cases of human illness and death in other countries where people have handled or been in close contact with infected birds.
WRD biologists will partner with employees from the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study. They will capture birds using a method called cannon netting, launching a net over a roosting flock. Biologists will take a swab from the captured birds and release them unharmed. Swabs will be placed into chilled vials and sent to a USDA laboratory for testing.
In all, WRD will sample 200 individuals from each of the four shorebird species. Biologists will make the most of the opportunity for research purposes as well, banding some of the birds and taking feathers from some to study their genetics and diet.
The testing of wild birds extends to waterfowl as well. During routine banding operations to date, WRD biologists have tested 50 wood ducks, two wild mallards, and 18 mottled ducks with no positive results from these tests. These efforts are ongoing through fall and winter.
Sampling of hunter-harvested ducks will take place during waterfowl season.
Across the U.S., biologists and field specialists with USDA’s wildlife services program are teaming up with state biologists to collect approximately 50,000 to 75,000 bird samples along with 50,000 environmental samples throughout the lower 48 states and Hawaii. This effort is in addition to the sampling currently taking place in Alaska.
Like humans, birds have naturally occurring flu viruses. Historically, wild birds have been natural reservoirs for low pathogenic avian influenza viruses and often show little or no signs of disease. Various forms of low pathogenic avian influenza have existed in the United States since the early 1900s. They can cause varying degrees of illness in birds and have not posed a public health threat. If a virus mutates or mixes with another avian influenza virus it can become highly pathogenic, causing higher fatality rates in birds.
Other forms of highly pathogenic avian influenza have been detected in domestic poultry three times in this country: in 1924, 1983 and 2004.
The 2004 outbreak was confined to one flock and eradicated. There were no human illnesses reported in connection with these outbreaks.
Additional information about avian flu and security relating to domestic poultry, wild bird monitoring and research, as well as pandemic planning nationwide is available at the U.S. government’s comprehensive Web site for pandemic preparedness at www.avianflu.gov or www.usda.gov/birdflu.

In order to prevent the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease, California hunters who bring game from out of state must follow regulations or face penalties. This is the second year the California Department of Fish and Game will cite returning hunters who violate the state’s regulation against CWD, a fatal neurological disease that has already been found in 14 states and two Canadian provinces.
“Hunters are key players in keeping CWD out of California, and need to be aware of the deer and elk carcass importation law,” said Assistant Chief Mike McBride. “The Department’s effort at education is now being supported by active enforcement. Being unaware is no longer an excuse.”
Passed in 2002, the CWD regulation helps protect the state’s deer and elk herds. If convicted of importing any part of a deer or elk’s brain or spinal column, the court could fine the violator up to $1,000 and impose a six-month jail term. DFG will seize any animal believed to carry CWD.
According to the California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Section 712, only the following hunter-harvested deer and elk parts are allowed into California:
Boned out meat and commercially processed cuts of meat
Portions of meat with no part of the spinal column or head attached
Hides with no heads attached
Clean skull plates with antlers attached
Antlers with no meat or tissue attached
Finished taxidermy heads
Upper canine teeth
During DFG-operated checkpoints last year at Department of Food and Agriculture inspection stations, wardens saw an extremely low compliance rate - only 5 percent at one location, McBride said.
“Hunters who have spent a lot of money to go out of state to hunt should be prepared to go to court and spend more money if they bring back illegal portions of deer or elk,” said McBride. “The time has come to get tough against those who put California at risk from this disease.”
Besides checkpoints, wardens have authority to inspect harvested game, and, based on their observations and experience, can conduct vehicle stops once successful hunters return to California.
Although not present in California, CWD has been detected in Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. It has also been detected in the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta. Scientists have no cure for the disease, which remains resilient and has a long incubation period.
Scientists first saw CWD in captive deer and elk in the 1960s and in wild deer and elk in the early 1980s. By the mid-1990s, scientists identified the disease in several captive herds and believed it spread among captive herds when owners unknowingly exported sick animals to other states. Today, the disease is in wild deer and elk in at least 11 states. How CWD spread to wild deer in most cases is unknown. Scientists know little about how the disease transmits from animal to animal.
California is considered a low risk state for CWD due to its long-term ban on the importation of live elk, its prohibition on elk farming, and its strict monitoring of live deer importations. Because of that, DFG Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. Pam Swift said DFG believes the likely introduction of CWD would be through hunters bringing in infected carcasses.
“Animals carry the disease in their nervous tissue, and California’s regulation bans importing brain or spinal cord tissue from deer and elk harvested out of state,” Swift said.
For more information about Chronic Wasting Disease, visit the DFG Web site: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/hunting/deer/wasting.html, or go to www.cwd-info.org.

The Board of Animal Health announced today that chronic wasting disease has been detected in one domestic white-tailed deer on a cervid farm in Lac qui Parle County, which is located in southwestern Minnesota.
Immediately, DNR officials will conduct a local deer survey to determine the number of wild deer in the area. It is expected that not many deer will be found because the area is highly agricultural, with little deer habitat surrounding the farm. DNR will conduct opportunistic sampling of deer, like road kills, in the immediate area now and will conduct intensive hunter-harvested surveillance during the 2006 firearm deer season.
Although this positive animal is a captive deer, DNR has conducted surveillance for CWD in wild deer in the area. The farm is located near the northern boundary of deer permit area 447, where wild deer surveillance for CWD last occurred in 2003.
Lou Cornicelli, DNR big game program coordinator, said, “In 2003, we conducted wild deer CWD surveillance in adjoining permit areas 433, 446 and 447. In total, we collected 392 samples from those permit areas during the regular firearm deer season and CWD was not detected.”
The sampling of wild deer was designed statistically to have a 95 percent confidence of detecting a 1 percent infection rate, according to Mike DonCarlos, DNR wildlife programs manager.
“This situation is very similar to the positive elk farm discovered in Stearns County in 2003, which followed the first discovery of CWD in an Aitkin County elk farm,” DonCarlos said. “The DNR response will be similar to the Stearns County action and will include an initial assessment of wild deer populations in the area and development of a surveillance program for next fall.”
From 2002 to 2004, DNR staff collected nearly 28,000 CWD samples statewide and no disease found in the wild herd.
“The intensive surveillance conducted in 2003 indicated CWD was not present in wild deer,” Cornicelli said. “In addition, all indications are that this positive captive deer has not contacted any wild deer, but we will conduct additional surveillance this fall to be sure.”

MADISON - The public will have an opportunity to comment on proposed deer hunting rules in zones established to control and eliminate chronic wasting disease in Wisconsin at a series of open house meetings and public hearings across southern Wisconsin.
The Department of Natural Resources will conduct five deer management open houses and public hearings for the 2006 CWD hunting season.
Alan Crossley, DNR chronic wasting disease project leader based at Fitchburg said DNR staff have “been listening to hunters and landowners in the CWD zones and we believe hunters will see what they’ve told us reflected in the CWD rule proposals.”
Highlights of the proposed changes include: unlimited either sex deer hunting in both the CWD Herd Reduction Zone and Disease Eradication Zones ; shorter and earlier gun seasons in the Eastern and Western DEZs; longer closed period for gun hunting in the DEZs; longer early gun season in the HRZ and shorter late gun season in the CWD Zones; and identical hunting seasons in the CWD Zones. The department is not recommending any boundary changes to the CWD management zones.
Each Open House will run from 5 to 7 p.m. Hunters will be able to talk with DNR wildlife biologists about the 2005 hunting seasons, population estimates, deer hunting prospects in area deer managements units , and the proposed CWD rules. Following the open houses a formal, public hearing on the proposed revisions will begin at 7 p.m. The hearings will be held:
March 13, Waukesha, Waukesha State Office Building, 141 NW Barstow,
March 14, Prairie du Sac, Grand Avenue Elementary School Theater, 225 Grand Ave.
March 15
Jefferson, Jefferson Co. Fairgrounds Activity Center, 503 N. Jackson Ave.,
Kenosha, Kenosha Center, Kenosha County Administration Center, 1010 56th St.
March 17 Dodgeville, DNR Service Center, 1500 N. Johns St.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Alan Crossley - 275-3242

PIERRE, S.D. — The closing of South Dakota’s big game hunting seasons means the end of the major sampling for the 2005-2006 chronic wasting disease surveillance program.
“The majority of samples are submitted during the deer and elk seasons for our state,” said Game, Fish and Parks biologist Steve Griffin. “Our most efficient method of sampling is to gather materials from deer and elk that hunters have harvested.”
Chronic Wasting Disease is a fatal disease that affects the central nervous system of primarily deer and elk. Biologists have been concerned that the disease could have a negative impact on big game herds if it is not monitored closely.
“In South Dakota we concentrate our surveillance in areas where the disease had been found in the past,” Griffin said. “These areas include Fall River, Custer and Pennington counties in southwestern South Dakota and in the Black Hills area. We also sample any sick deer or elk that are found anywhere in the state.”
Since July 1, 2005, GFP has collected 3,235 samples from big game animals for CWD testing. The samples were collected from 759 elk, 862 mule deer and 1,614 white-tailed deer.
A total of four elk, four mule deer and four white-tailed deer were found with the disease. The positive animals and their approximate location include:
Mule deer from West River Deer hunting unit 27A in Fall River County, found sick and tested.
White-tailed deer from Black Hills Deer unit BD4 in Custer County, found sick and tested.
Elk from Black Hills Elk unit H3A in Fall River County — submitted by a hunter.
Elk from Black Hills Elk unit H5A in Pennington County — submitted by a hunter.
Elk from Wind Cave National Park — found sick and tested.
Mule deer from West River Deer unit 27A in Fall River County — submitted by a hunter.
Mule deer from West River Deer unit 27A in Fall River County — submitted by a hunter.
Elk from Wind Cave National Park — found sick and tested.
Mule deer from West River Deer unit 27A in Fall River County — submitted by a hunter.
White-tailed deer from West River Deer unit 27B in Fall River County — submitted by a hunter.
White-tailed deer from West River Deer unit 27B in Fall River County — submitted by a hunter.
White-tailed deer from West River Deer unit 21A in Pennington County — killed by a vehicle and tested.
Since South Dakota began CWD surveillance in 1997, 12,288 animals have been tested and 45 cases of CWD have been detected. The total includes 32 deer and 13 elk, with six of the elk and eight of the deer coming from Wind Cave National Park.
“Testing will continue on any sick deer or elk that are located in South Dakota,” Griffin said. “I encourage anyone who spots a sickly looking deer or elk to report it to their local conservation officer or nearest GFP office.”

PIERRE, S.D. — Current results from South Dakota’s 2005 Chronic Wasting Disease testing reveal that four deer and three elk have tested positive for the disease.
Since July 1, 2005, samples for 2,979 animals have been collected for testing. Most samples are from the Black Hills and from prairie hunting units in Fall River, Custer and eastern Pennington counties of western South Dakota. Most samples were taken from hunter-harvested animals. Specific numbers and species tested include:
741 elk.
746 mule deer.
1492 white-tailed deer.
As of Jan. 6, results on 2,252 samples have returned from the South Dakota State University Diagnostic Laboratory or from Wind Cave National Park. Returned samples include:
553 elk.
554 mule deer.
1145 white-tailed deer.
Of the 2,252 samples tested to date, four CWD positive deer and three CWD positive elk have been found. A summary of these seven animals and how they were detected includes:
Male mule deer from unit 27A in Fall River County .
Male white-tailed deer from unit BD4 in Custer County .
Male elk from unit H3A in Fall River County .
Male elk from unit H5A in Pennington County .
Female elk from Wind Cave National Park .
Male mule deer from unit 27A in Fall River County .
Male mule deer from unit 27A in Fall River County .
To date, South Dakota has found 40 cases of CWD in free ranging animals since testing began in 1997. Wind Cave National Park accounts for 13 of these animals . A total of 12,032 wild deer and elk have been tested for CWD in South Dakota since testing began in 1997.

CWD testing for deer was mandatory in area units during 2005 hunting season.
None of the more than 1,300 deer tested for chronic wasting disease in the Gunnison Basin during the 2005 big-game hunting season tested positive for the disease.
Although it is impossible to prove the disease is totally absent from the Gunnison Basin, the latest results suggest if the disease is present it is at very low prevalence rates. Colorado Division of Wildlife biologists explain that the agency can say with 95 percent confidence that the prevalence of chronic wasting disease is less than 1 percent in the deer population in the Gunnison area.
The DOW mandated testing for CWD in deer during the most recent season in Game Management Units 54, 55, 551, 66 and 67. Hunters responded by turning in 1,316 heads for testing; another 23 deer killed by vehicles also were tested.
The DOW, which has tested for CWD in the Gunnison area intermittently since the early 1990s, reached its short-term sampling goals in the basin with this year’s submissions. As a result, no mandatory testing will be required for the foreseeable future.
“Obviously, this is great news for the Gunnison area and we thank hunters for responding to the call,” said Tom Spezze, the DOW’s southwest regional manager. “The Division of Wildlife will continue to work diligently to monitor chronic wasting disease throughout the state.”
Elk also were checked for CWD in the basin; testing, however, was not mandatory. No CWD has been detected in the approximately 1,000 elk tested in the Gunnison area since 2002.
While the results are encouraging, the local DOW managers will keep their eyes on the herds. If any Gunnison-area residents see deer, elk, or moose that appear to be ill, they should call the local DOW office at 641-7060.