Chronic Wasting Disease: Final Results Are In

The Utah Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Logan has finished testing more than 1,800 deer for chronic wasting disease. The deer were taken during Utah*s 2006 fall hunting seasons.

Of the more than 1,800 deer tested, seven had the disease, the Division of Wildlife Resources announced March 1.

One of the seven deer was taken during last fall*s archery season, two were taken during the muzzleloader season and four were taken during the rifle hunt.

In addition to the deer they*ve tested, laboratory personnel have almost completed testing 446 elk that were taken this past fall.

So far, none of the elk have tested positive for the disease. CWD has never been found in elk in Utah.

*The disease appears to be staying within areas where we*ve already found it,* says Leslie McFarlane, wildlife disease specialist for the DWR. *The La Sal Mountains in southeastern Utah appear to be the hotspot.

*In central and northeastern Utah, we estimate that less than 1 percent of the buck population is affected by CWD. In the La Sal Mountains, we estimate about 2 percent of the buck deer have the disease.

*We did not detect any animals with CWD in the Manti unit in central Utah this year,* McFarlane says. *We*ve tested nearly 1,400 deer in that area since the fall of 2003, and we*ve detected only three mule deer with disease.*

Of the seven deer that tested positive for the disease this past fall, six were taken on the La Sal Mountains. The seventh deer was a mature buck taken close to Brush Creek, which is near Vernal.

All of the hunters who took the deer have been notified that their animals tested positive for CWD.

CWD First Confirmed in Utah in 2003

Since the fall of 2002, almost 12,000 deer in Utah have been tested for CWD. A total of 33 of these animals had the disease.

Twenty-four of the 33 deer came from the LaSal Mountains; five came from the Vernal area; one was taken near the south end of Flaming Gorge Reservoir; one was killed near Fountain Green; and two were taken 20 miles north of Fountain Green.

CWD is fatal to deer and elk that contract it. However, according to the World Health Organization, *There is currently no evidence that CWD in cervidae (deer and elk) is transmitted to humans.*

For more information about CWD, please visit the DWR*s Web site at www.wildlife.utah.gov/hunting/biggame/cwd

Get Extra Deer Hunting Opportunities - Join Dedicated Hunter Program

You can hunt all three general deer hunting seasons in your favorite region in Utah by joining the state's Dedicated Hunter program.

"Hunters who join the program are guaranteed a permit for the region of their choice. After what happened in 2006, that's a big incentive to join," says Jill West, coordinator of volunteers for the Division of Wildlife Resources.

In 2006, all of the permits for the Central, Northeastern, Southeastern and Southern regions were taken in the big game draw.

"Based on what happened last year, we anticipate that permits for all four of those regions will go again in the draw this year," West says. "Dedicated hunters don't have to worry that they won't get a permit, though, because they're guaranteed a permit for the region of their choice."

In addition to receiving a guaranteed permit, those who join the program get a chance to help Utah's wildlife by volunteering on wildlife conservation projects.

Must Join by Feb. 16

To join the three-year program, hunters must complete an online Wildlife Conservation course and submit an application no later than 5 p.m. on Feb. 16.

After paying their program registration fees and completing some additional requirements, hunters will receive a deer hunting permit for the region of their choice and a chance to hunt all three general seasons in that region.

The Wildlife Conservation course is available online at the Dedicated Hunter Web site (www.wildlife.utah.gov/dh/). The course takes about 45 minutes to complete.

Hunters who don't have access to the Internet should contact their nearest DWR regional office to make arrangements to take the course.

Additional Requirements

After completing the Wildlife Conservation course, hunters must pay their program fee ($195 for most residents and $1,032 for most nonresidents) by Feb. 16. The fee includes a participant's deer hunting permits, for the region of their choice, during the three years they're in the program.

More information about the program is available on page 26 of the 2007 Utah Big Game Proclamation and at wildlife.utah.gov/dh/ on the Web. Those with questions may also call the nearest Division of Wildlife Resources office or the DWR's Salt Lake City office at (801) 538-4700.

"The program provides hunters extra deer hunting opportunities in the region they want to hunt and helps them give back to Utah's wildlife by working on wildlife conservation projects," West said. "Hunters who have been in the program have really enjoyed it."

New Potential World Record 36 Point Non-Typical Mule Deer

FEATURE PHOTO!





NEW POTENTIAL WORLD RECORD MULE DEER!

This mule deer buck green scores 407 3/8. The current world record scores 355 2/8. It will smash the record. The current world record was shot in Alberta, Canada in 1926. This buck was shot this year on the Alberta and Saskatchewan border.

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