What CWD positive test means for Clark county hunters

A captive farm raised deer from a deer farm in Eau Claire County recently tested positive for chronic wasting disease, or-CWD. The deer farm sits within 10 miles of both Clark and Jackson Counties. The result, Clark County entered into a two year baiting and feeding ban in accordance to state law from the detection of CWD within 10 miles of an adjoining county. The two year ban started on March 1 of this year and will run until March 1, 2027, unless another deer tests positive for CWD in Clark County itself, or within 10 miles of Clark County from an adjoining county.

Clark County has never had a CWD infected deer detected in the county. Eau Claire and Jackson Counties were already in baiting and feeding bans within those counties from deer detected not only on captive deer farms but also wild free roaming deer.

Clark County stands like an island surrounded on all sides by counties with CWD detection in them. Hunters express a lot of frustration with CWD, baiting bans, and the rules associated with CWD detection.

Following CWD and the detections becomes an onerous task. Numerous theories exist about CWD, the rules associated with CWD, and how it affects hunters, landowners, and businesses.

Throughout the state the past few years, hunters from all over the state raised some interesting points. In the middle of a block of counties with baiting and feeding bans in place for multiple years, businesses selling “deer corn or deer apples” and other items used to feed deer sit prominently displayed for sale. More than one hunter has stated to me that they believe homeowners in these areas continue to feed deer, which is why the “deer apples” and such remain for sale. They feel that it draws deer closer to homes and cabins and away from the forested areas they hunt. They feel hunters get targeted by the state and that the state turns a blind eye towards homeowners that feed deer. Right or wrong, more than one hunter expressed this frustration. And maybe that just comes from the frustration with CWD.

In January, the DNR released data from a study started in 2017. The research captured greater than 1,200 whitetail deer in Iowa, Dane and Grant counties and put collars on 1,089 of those deer. They also tested them for CWD. Boil it all down, the study showed that whitetail does with CWD had a survival rate of 43% compared to 83% if not infected. The study also showed that when the prevalence rate of infected adult does, in an area’s deer population reaches 30%, the population begins to decline in that area.

It’s important to note that landowners in those counties started speaking up a couple of years ago that greater than 50% of the deer harvested on their land test positive for CWD. Prevalence rate on a specific farm doesn’t necessarily extrapolate to the entire region and deer harvested on a specific property doesn’t represent a scientific statistical sample – infected deer may be more likely to be shot. But those landowners are obviously concerned.

Capturing 1,200 wild whitetail deer, testing, and collaring them involves a lot of work. Over a thousand volunteers helped the researchers and more than 400 private landowners participated in this project. Clearly the public, including hunters, supported the project.

Back in 2002 it didn’t seem like the public supported what the DNR proposed in that area. Incidentally the first detection of CWD came from that area of the state, announced in early 2002 that a deer killed during the 2001 hunting season tested positive for CWD.

That area holds some of the greatest densities of deer in the state. And hunters started pointing out several years ago that CWD doesn’t seem to affect that population. According to this research we may see a change in the deer population in those southwest counties soon. I predict that won’t end the frustration because what we all want is to be able to wave a magic wand and go back to a time when CWD didn’t exist in Wisconsin.

Deer hunting accounts for minimally $2.2 billion of Wisconsin’s economy. The second largest economic event, second only to Christmas in Wisconsin. We all know friends whose businesses depend on the deer hunting economy. We all just wish our children didn’t need to hunt deer in a CWD world. If you hunt deer in Clark County, either plan some food plots or start scouting now.

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CHUCK K OLAR LOCAL OUTDOORSMAN