CWD Officially Confirmed in WA

[idahohuntr]

What are the odds that this leads to a bait ban, or an end to feed stations?

The Washington State Archery Association Hunting VP stated that the commission has already tried to use this as justification to end it State wide. The best we can hope for is to present science that it doesn't help and isolate bans to geographic regions of the state.

I fully anticipate they will indeed use it as justification to modify all kinds of things.  With regards to bait - I agree - they need to stick to science.  To me, the most compelling arguments against some statewide bait ban:

-There is no evidence placing small, regulated quantities of bait (per WDFW Regs - 10 gal), during periods of relatively abundant food availability (fall hunting seasons, especially early fall) increases transmission of CWD

-Agricultural practices, winter feeding by WDFW, recreational feeding by non-hunters (where there are no quantity/seasonal limitations) and other actions all act to concentrate animals at far greater rates than baiting for hunting.

-Banning regulated/small quantity baiting is discriminatory against poor and minority user groups who do not have equitable access to wildlife.  A baiting ban significantly reduces their access to wildlife and has no effect on large, wealthy landowners who can plant crops to attract and concentrate wildlife. 

[BULLBLASTER]

It certainly sucks that it has bade it here, imo it was only a matter of time.
But with vigilence i think the case can be made that it is not a death sentence for deer populations or hunting. There are places in the midwest that have had 20 years of cwd and are seeing increasing deer populations.

[ducks4days]

Does anybody know what CWD impacts have been on elk herds? Almost  everything I am able to find on the topic has been very specific to white tail deer, while mentioning that transmission to elk / muleys / moose happens I dont get the sense that we have seen serious impacts to other cervid populations the same way. I would imagine elk being prone to forming larger herd groups with more frequent contact would be disasterous, but the available info seems to suggest the opposite.

[ganghis]

Here are some things I would expect:

-Mandatory testing of cervids in GMUs where it has been detected, and perhaps in surrounding GMUs
-Restrictions on baiting in affected GMUs (and perhaps surrounding)
-Restrictions on removing skulls/bones with brain/spinal fluid from the affected GMUs

Could have pretty big ramifications for any taxis in the affected areas too.  In affected units without any/many taxis you'll probably have to be ready to do a skull cap or prep for a Euro yourself in the field.

[hunter_sean08]

If done right, CWD testing is pretty painless and a worthwhile practice to limit the spread of the disease as best as possible. When we harvested our deer in Colorado last year, they were not from a unit that required testing. That being said, it had been detected there in the past. For peace of mind, we opted to voluntarily have our deer tested at one of the CPW offices on our way home. Took a month to get results, but whatever. Felt good about doing it for sure. If we need to do something similar in WA, so be it..

[BULLBLASTER]

If done right, CWD testing is pretty painless and a worthwhile practice to limit the spread of the disease as best as possible. When we harvested our deer in Colorado last year, they were not from a unit that required testing. That being said, it had been detected there in the past. For peace of mind, we opted to voluntarily have our deer tested at one of the CPW offices on our way home. Took a month to get results, but whatever. Felt good about doing it for sure. If we need to do something similar in WA, so be it..

If it is offered i always get mine tested. Even if it costs a bit. Most states have free testing tho.

[hunter399]

I don't really want to freak out over one confirmed case.
I guess I won't be posting any trail cam pics next year.
Don't wanna be that guy that's "spreading it." Even though there are salt blocks in every cattle field in the county.

I guess changes are coming,I'll finish up posting cam pics this year and be done. Honestly some spots I have been dumping salt for years. Deer will most likely show up for years without salt.

[baldopepper]

Hope they get the message out to all of those "feeders" around that aren't hunters but love having the deer come visit their yard.  Probably as many of them out there as there are hunters baiting them, but I don't think they think they could be part of the problem.

[turkeyfeather]

Was just telling my wife about this. Her first response was....."you sure you trust that the state is telling the truth about this and that they aren't misrepresenting it to push their agenda?".
Love this woman

[rtspring]

I would like to know why my post on this CWD found north of Spokane was taken down? It was the first post on this subject and was posted before this one was started. Is HW turning into a good 0 boys club?

Turning? These boys have a rtspring banquet dinner about every 3 months.  When votes are counted I always lose.   

[bearpaw]

I would like to know why my post on this CWD found north of Spokane was taken down? It was the first post on this subject and was posted before this one was started. Is HW turning into a good 0 boys club?

@PA BEN
Look at post number one of this thread. It was posted at 1:41 pm yesterday. Post two is your post two hours after the first post on this topic. I merged the two topics and because you were second to post the story the first posting took priority.

No this place isn’t the good o boys club.

When I posted mine this one wasn't up. I looked, or I wouldn't have posted it. I also checked back and read comments on it and this one still wasn't up. This isn't the first time this has happened to a post of mine.

This has been the policy to merge identical topics since Ray ran the forum, its nothing new. All we do is click a "merge topics" button and two topics are combined and the system automatically puts posts in the timeline order that they were posted. Apparently when you checked you must have missed the other post. It's not a big deal, it's just sort of a public service that we do to prevent identical topics from cluttering the forum. Most importantly, no ill intentions are meant toward anyone.

[Special T]

What are the odds that this leads to a bait ban, or an end to feed stations?

The Washington State Archery Association Hunting VP stated that the commission has already tried to use this as justification to end it State wide. The best we can hope for is to present science that it doesn't help and isolate bans to geographic regions of the state.

I fully anticipate they will indeed use it as justification to modify all kinds of things.  With regards to bait - I agree - they need to stick to science.  To me, the most compelling arguments against some statewide bait ban:

-There is no evidence placing small, regulated quantities of bait (per WDFW Regs - 10 gal), during periods of relatively abundant food availability (fall hunting seasons, especially early fall) increases transmission of CWD

-Agricultural practices, winter feeding by WDFW, recreational feeding by non-hunters (where there are no quantity/seasonal limitations) and other actions all act to concentrate animals at far greater rates than baiting for hunting.

-Banning regulated/small quantity baiting is discriminatory against poor and minority user groups who do not have equitable access to wildlife.  A baiting ban significantly reduces their access to wildlife and has no effect on large, wealthy landowners who can plant crops to attract and concentrate wildlife.

Lots of research on this topic has been done in the Midwest and south. From reading a bunch of it, it appears that this will spread even without bait. It moves like spotfires that grow down wind until saturated. Even in areas with little to no baiting.

[stw]

The closes case was found on the east side of Idaho . And now they found a dead deer laying on the ground  just in side of Spokane in less then  2 years. All lies i call bull to that.
Idaho extended there there season longer in the unit the deer was shot in hundreds of deer were shot for testing not one deer tested positive for cwd but they find one in Washington dead on side of road  i dont think so . Bull s##t it was hit by car or blue tongue.

[CarbonHunter]

I think it has always been here and everywhere it has been found. When you look hard enough you will find it.

[dwils233]

The closes case was found on the east side of Idaho . And now they found a dead deer laying on the ground  just in side of Spokane in less then  2 years. All lies i call bull to that.
Idaho extended there there season longer in the unit the deer was shot in hundreds of deer were shot for testing not one deer tested positive for cwd but they find one in Washington dead on side of road  i dont think so . Bull s##t it was hit by car or blue tongue.

I've gotten to meet the lead CWD bio for WDFW a few times, I know she got her doctorate in Wyoming and CWD was her specific doctoral defense. I doubt she'd be BSing this- she was a straight shooter. And the progression west, including MT cases moving westerly, makes sense that we'd get it in Spokane area (or at least eastern Washington).

I'm curious what testing in North Idaho is like?

I don't see the upside to claiming a positive case unless there was one