The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism is using the start of the whitetail antlerless-only deer season this upcoming Friday to remind hunters about the possible presence of Chronic Wasting Disease — and the availability of testing for that ailment.
Chronic Wasting Disease is a fatal illness that develops over as long as two years, according to Wildlife, Parks and Tourism. Symptoms don’t become evident until the late stages and can include lack of coordination, hanging head, drooling and lack of fear of people.
In the wild, the disease is typically spread through saliva, droppings or urine of infected animals, so hunters are told to be cautious because feed, bait and mineral licks can bring more animals together and thus foster disease spread. Hunters are also told to be wary because an even bigger cause of spread is people transporting infected animals.
Wildlife, Parks and Tourism is telling hunters to bone out meat and leave the carcass at the hunting site or, barring that, quarter the animal and leave both the head and spinal column at the hunting site. It’s also telling hunters to test all deer meat for Chronic Wasting Disease. To that end, Wildlife, Parks and Tourism has set up several testing and head collection sites, including a deer head collection site at Emporia’s KDWPT research and survey office, 1830 Merchant, and at the Melvern Wildlife Area, 2272 Road 250 outside Reading. Residents wanting another study option can call Wanda Shoemaker in Reading at 620-366-5894.
More information is online at www.cwdks.com.
