# First deer with Chronic Wasting Disease diagnosed in Ohio



## fishwendel2 (Nov 19, 2007)

The Columbus Dispatch  Thursday October 23, 2014 5:51 PM
With deer hunting underway across Ohio, the state is advising hunters not to eat any animals that show signs of a rare disease  similar to Mad Cow Disease except that it hasnt been shown to infect humans  that has found its way into the state for the first time.

A deer tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease at World Class Whitetails, a private hunting facility about 20 miles southwest of Mansfield near Millersburg said Erica Hawkins, of the Ohio Department of Agriculture. 

That facility and 42 others across the state, including several in Holmes County, had been quietly quarantined in April after the state learned that 125 potentially infected deer had been transported to them from Pennsylvania. 

Facilities that elected to destroy their imported animals and submit samples for testing were removed from quarantine. But 21 other operations elected to not destroy their imported deer, and must remain under quarantine for five years because of the long incubation time between exposure to CWD and development of the disease. 

A lot of the preserves are bringing in animals from other states, other breeding operations, Hawkins said. These animals came into the state before the positive test results came back from Pennsylvania.

When the first positive in Ohio came back on Wednesday, the state decided to publicize the situation, Hawkins said.

We dont have any reason to suspect that it has jumped from the captive heard to the wild population, Hawkins said.

CWD attacks the brains of infected deer, elk and moose, producing small lesions that eventually kill the animal. Sick deer will loose weight, salivate excessively, increase their drinking and urination, and generally act abnormally, stumbling, trembling and allowing humans or other predators to get unusually close. 

The Centers for Disease Control website says: Several epidemiologic studies provide evidence that, to date, CWD has not been transmitted to humans. New studies are underway to follow humans who may be at higher risk to eating infected meat, but because of the long time between exposure and development of the disease, many years of continued follow-up are required to be able to say what the risk, if any, of CWD is to humans.

To minimize their risk, hunters should take precautions when hunting in areas of known exposure, the CDC says. They should avoid eating meat from deer and elk that look sick, or have their meat tested by the state. While field-dressing a carcass, hunters and others should wear gloves and minimize the handling of the brain and spinal cord tissue, the CDC says. 

The good news is its in a captive facility, so it is contained, said Susie Vance, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Nevertheless, the state has launched an effort to monitor wild deer in a six-mile radius of Millersburg through sampling the lymph nodes of dead animals, including any deer killed by vehicles. 

Ohio is the 14th state to have discovered CWD in its captive deer population, Vance said. There are 19 other states that have CWD in their wild herds  a much more serious situation because controlling the spread become difficult. 

Archery deer hunting began in September, and firearm hunting will start after Thanksgiving. ODNR is asking hunters or residents who suspect they have identified an infected deer to contact the department at 1-800-WILDLIFE (945-3543), or contact their local Division of Wildlife office.


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

Much stricter guidelines should be in place before bringing deer in from other states to these farms. I have nothing against the farms. I love to see pictures of the monsters they grow. They just need to make sure Ohio doesn't get the other states junk. 


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## fishguy 888 (Aug 8, 2012)

Never understood the point of deer farms.


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## Misdirection (Jul 16, 2012)

The problem is, unless they double fence their deer in, wild deer can come into contact with infected deer thru a fence...


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## Weekender#1 (Mar 25, 2006)

And You were worried about Snakehead Carp in Lake Michigan !


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## Kableguy (Apr 23, 2009)

I don't understand why they can't 'remove' all of the deer from the infected farms. They could very likely have it anyway. Sure it's a financial loss for the farmer, but isn't the overall good of the deer herd what's important. I don't feel comfortable that these deer won't spread it to a wild deer, given how many escape from game farms each year, or as others have said can pass it through a single layer fence.


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## Carpman (May 18, 2005)

Isn't that the pen where Brantley Gilbert went hunting last month? On a not so lighter note, no reason these whitetail should even been aloud in the state. 

Fishguy 888 - they charge like 5k to hunt in the fence. They make big money off rich guys. That's why they exist.


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## Mad-Eye Moody (May 27, 2008)

Yet another reason to stop high fence hunting....


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## kayak1979 (Jul 13, 2014)

fishguy 888 said:


> Never understood the point of deer farms.


Tinks #69...


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

That facility and 42 others across the state, including several in Holmes County, had been quietly quarantined in April after the state learned that 125 potentially infected deer had been transported to them from Pennsylvania. 

this is what bothers me the most about this, why keep it a secret, get the info out there so people QUIT using them. ive killed a pig at a high fench preserve, enjoyed the hell out of it, the kill and eating the pig... but id REALLY, REALLY like to know if theres something "potentially" wrong with the animals im paying to kill and the ODNR KNOWS about it??.. mind baffling.. wow IMO whoever made that decision needs to step down.


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

What bothers me about this whole thing is why aren't there any laws about testing these animals for communicable diseases BEFORE they leave their state and are transported here. And if there are already laws in place, why weren't they followed. 
Especially testing of something as serious as CWD.


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## Misdirection (Jul 16, 2012)

I believe the only way to test for CWD is after the deer is deceased.


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

> I believe the only way to test for CWD is after the deer is deceased.


If that's the case then that is scary for sure. Maybe a law should be passed that any deer brought into the state should have to be quarantined for a certain period of time before being released into the rest of the herd. 
I don't know much about these 'high fence' operations but it seems they are becoming more popular. And the cost of some of the stock is very expensive. With the kind of $ some of these compound owners probably have invested, you would think they would have some kind of procedure in place to quarantine animals being brought to their facility before turning them loose. Bet some of them do.


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## ski (May 13, 2004)

I'd like to know how many had CWD. What exactly does "potentially exposed" mean? 
Ski


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

fastwater said:


> If that's the case then that is scary for sure. Maybe a law should be passed that any deer brought into the state should have to be quarantined for a certain period of time before being released into the rest of the herd.
> .


20 states have laws making it illegal to transport live deer across state lines.

Quarantine wouldn't have much of an effect as it can take years for the disease to manifest itself and there are no know test for the disease for living animals.

Missouri's known cases started with private breeder locations and spread to wild populations around the breeder location.


From Missouri DNR website.


_CWD is spread both directly from deer to deer and indirectly to deer from infected soil and other surfaces. Animals with signs of CWD show changes in natural behavior and can exhibit extreme weight loss, excessive salivation, stumbling, and tremors. CWD in deer can only be confirmed by laboratory tests of brain stem or lymph tissue from harvested animals.

The disease has no vaccine or cure. CWD is 100-percent fatal. Deer and other cervids can have CWD for several years without showing any symptoms. Once symptoms are visible, infected animals typically die within one or two months.

_


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

> The disease has no vaccine or cure. CWD is 100-percent fatal. *Deer and other cervids can have CWD for several years without showing any symptoms. *Once symptoms are visible, infected animals typically die within one or two months.


Then essentially, the quarantine ODNR put on these compounds that refused to destroy their herds was a waste of time.

According to this article:
Mother to Offspring Transmission of Chronic Wasting Disease ...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov &#8250; &#8230; &#8250; PLoS One &#8250; v.8(8); 2013

CWD can be transmitted from a mother to offspring at birth. Therefore, again, since CWD can be carried for years without showing signs of infection, the quarantine really didn't do any good as the doe's brought in that may have, or are carriers of CWD and show no sign can have several years of infected offspring as well.

The more I learn about CWD the more I wish Ohio was on that list of states not letting any importation or deer.


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

fastwater said:


> Then essentially, the quarantine ODNR put on these compounds that refused to destroy their herds was a waste of time.
> 
> .


I wouldn't call it a waste of time, the ODNR imposed a 5 year quarantine.

It appears, through reporting on this disease that the introduction to new states and locations is primarily through and connected to private deer farms.

http://mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/deer-hunting/deer-diseases/chronic-wasting-disease

Considering the potential impact to the wild populations it seems that restrictions would be imposed to as much as is possible to eliminate the risk.

These deer farms are private, for profit businesses but once their operation threatens the public resource it is time to ensure that doesn't happen. There should have been no quarantine of these locations with suspected CWD infected deer in Ohio. They should have disposed of all of the animals on these farms and implemented the no import law until such time there is a test that can be performed on a living deer to determine if it has CWD prior to import into Ohio.

I realize that this would have a devastating effect on many of these deer farmers that depend on this for their livings, but in the big picture view it would have been the safest path to choose. I hope the quarantine works.

In a small way this is like a travel restriction for Ebola except this disease takes years to display symptoms versus the 21 days for Ebola and apparently can be transmitted from deer to deer during all of those years while displaying no symptoms.


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

> I wouldn't call it a waste of time, the ODNR imposed a 5 year quarantine.


I understand that but if CWD can be carried for years with no visible sign and passed from mother to infant at birth, what about those infants that are born 2,3,4 years into the quarantine that don't show sign but start showing sign after quarantine has been lifted? 
Hope the quarantine works as well and 'this time', Ohio dodges a big bullet. Too, hope there are much stricter guidelines in progress as we speak. We may not dodge the next one. 



> These deer farms are private, for profit businesses but once their operation threatens the public resource it is time to ensure that doesn't happen. There should have been no quarantine of these locations with suspected CWD infected deer in Ohio. They should have disposed of all of the animals on these farms and implemented the no import law until such time there is a test that can be performed on a living deer to determine if it has CWD prior to import into Ohio.





> I realize that this would have a devastating effect on many of these deer farmers that depend on this for their livings, but in the big picture view it would have been the safest path to choose. I hope the quarantine works.
> 
> In a small way this is like a travel restriction for Ebola except this disease takes years to display symptoms versus the 21 days for Ebola and apparently can be transmitted from deer to deer during all of those years while displaying no symptoms.


Agree.

Also agree with the comparison to the ebola restrictions and was thinking the same thing as I was researching CWD. Ebola has no known cure,vaccine and has killed many humans, CWD has no cure/vaccine and has killed many cervids. Just didn't want to go there... When those of us that suggested flight restrictions from ebola stricken countries and restricting anyone who's been in those countries for the last say 30 days from entering the US, we were accused of having our tin foil hats on too tight. Those same people would probably think our head were shrink wrapped in aluminum foil for wanting to stop importing deer into Ohio because of CWD.


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## jray (Jan 20, 2006)

Does anyone know if there are provisions in place to send in samples from deer we harvest? I haven't seen any that show signs but it seems worth the effort to me if we could send in samples you could make sure it isn't in the wild herd already.


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## The Outdoor Connection (Jan 21, 2012)

ezbite said:


> the ODNR KNOWS about it??.. mind baffling.. wow IMO whoever made that decision needs to step down.


Because of the seriousness of this matter, Mike Tonkovich will be on with us this Saturday morning (5-6 & 8-9am) to DISPEL ANY RUMORS. Listen locally or Stream it live > http://www.wone.com/onair/outdoor-connection-418/


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

The Outdoor Connection said:


> Because of the seriousness of this matter, Mike Tonkovich will be on with us this Saturday morning (5-6 & 8-9am) to DISPEL ANY RUMORS. Listen locally or Stream it live > http://www.wone.com/onair/outdoor-connection-418/


I'm not spreading ANY RUMORS.. Just
Going off what the OP posted. Thanks for your concern though..


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## TomC (Aug 14, 2007)

I know there was one possible case of CWD last season. Two guys reported and killed buck that was standing doing circles for over 15 min. They approached the deer, got within 20yrs and it continued doing circles for another 15min. 

Then where I hunt in Fayette Co, we believe we got hit with it on the family farm land. We found 13 dead deer, 7 being nice bucks all dead along a 1/4 mile stretch of creek.


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## Misdirection (Jul 16, 2012)

TomC said:


> I know there was one possible case of CWD last season. Two guys reported and killed buck that was standing doing circles for over 15 min. They approached the deer, got within 20yrs and it continued doing circles for another 15min.
> 
> Then where I hunt in Fayette Co, we believe we got hit with it on the family farm land. We found 13 dead deer, 7 being nice bucks all dead along a 1/4 mile stretch of creek.


That was more likely EHD, not CDW...if you found them down by the creek in numbers like that.


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## Papascott (Apr 22, 2004)

Wasn't world class whitetails the place that had a damaged fence and lost some deer 2 or 3 years ago? I seem to recall a big buck being shot and the owner called in the deer as escaped only after seeing pictures of it dead.


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## harleydan1956 (Mar 13, 2010)

Carpman said:


> Isn't that the pen where Brantley Gilbert went hunting last month? On a not so lighter note, no reason these whitetail should even been aloud in the state.
> 
> Fishguy 888 - they charge like 5k to hunt in the fence. They make big money off rich guys. That's why they exist.


5K?? The one in Wisconsin charges 10K and UP.... yeah.. for the armchair bank execs...


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

Not just rich guys that hunt the high fence operations.

Average hunter a few years ago killed one and then checked it in as a bow kill, ego exists in all socioeconomic levels.

I knew this guy, he belonged to the same bow hunting club as me.

_2/11/09


COLUMBUS, OHIO - Rob McCarley of Circleville pleaded guilty to providing false information to a check station for checking in a hunting preserve buck as a wild deer during the 2008 archery deer hunting season, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. 

McCarley reported to a deer check station that he killed the buck, which green scored 220, on Monday, December 8 with a longbow on private property in Franklin County. State wildlife officers were later informed that the deer was taken legally, but on a pay to hunt preserve in northeast Ohio and that McCarley paid $12,500 for the deer and shot it with a rifle. 

McCarley had previously killed seven deer that would qualify for the Buckeye Big Buck Club, two of which were over 185 inches. The Division of Wildlife discovered that one of these deer, a 191 class deer, was also killed on a shooting preserve in 2006 and then falsely checked as a fair chase, wild deer killed with a bow in Franklin County. He admitted to this violation and as part of the plea agreement the Division of Wildlife will not pursue charges on any other deer or make recommendations to other agencies to pursue charges provided- McCarley gives a full disclosure statement on all deer killed on a shooting preserve and falsely checked as a fair case, wild deer- and permanent metal tags, if available, from falsified deer are returned to the Division of Wildlife (note: McCarley's attorney advised the Division of Wildlife representatives that after being interviewed by officers, McCarley burned all of his deer mounts). 

Judge Gary Dumm in the Circleville Municipal Court honored the plea agreement between the prosecution and McCarley's attorney. McCarley was given the following maximum sentence for a fourth degree misdemeanor: $250.00 fine plus court costs, 30 days jail - suspended, two years probation with no related wildlife violation, three years hunting license revocation, and an apology letter to sportsmen. 

Anyone observing wildlife violations may report illegal activity by calling the Turn In a Poacher hotline toll free at 1-800-POACHER. 



_


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## Sciotodarby (Jul 27, 2013)

^^^^^ That put a slight dent in his ego.....


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## fishwendel2 (Nov 19, 2007)

Update: 
State orders euthanization of deer at Holmes County hunting preserve


Even as the weeklong gun hunting season for deer kicks off today, the state had decided to kill what could be hundreds of deer on a private Holmes County hunting preserve because its owner did not abide by the rules of a mandated quarantine on his potentially sick herd. 

In October, a deer at Daniel Yoders World Class Whitetails farm tested positive for chronic wasting disease, the first time the brain-attacking disease has been found in Ohio. 

State agriculture officials say there are no signs that the disease has been transmitted to Ohios wild deer herd but still are taking extra precautions during this weeks hunting season. Among other requirements, hunters are not allowed to remove deer harvested in Holmes County from that county, and they can be processed only at certain collection sites. 

In addition, wild deer within a six-mile radius of Millersburg are now being closely monitored and randomly tested, with sampling of dead animals at various stations where hunters bring the animals and planned testing of deer killed by vehicles. At least 700 deer have been tested since October and no other evidence  aside from that one positive test  has been found, said Erica Hawkins, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Agriculture. 

The state had been monitoring the deer on Yoders farms  and at dozens of others  since April, after officials learned 125 potentially-infected deer had been brought here from Pennsylvania. 

When a deer at Yoders private hunting preserve tested positive in October, the state disclosed the news for the first time. But even then, no one talked publicly about the possibility of euthanizing the remaining deer at his farm, near Millersburg. 

However, in a letter sent to Yoder and dated Nov. 26, the Ohio Department of Agriculture said the states Division of Animal Health had ordered all the deer be killed because all white tail deer present at the preserve have been exposed to a dangerously contagious and infectious disease and therefore endanger the health and wellbeing of animal populations in the state of Ohio. 

The letter goes onto say that Yoder did not abide by the quarantine rules that should have prevented the movement of any deer on or off the property at his two breeding facilities, also in Holmes County. 

Yoder could not immediately be reached. 

The letter, which was signed by state veterinarian Steve Forshey did not say how soon the animals might be destroyed. 

Hawkins said because it is a hunting preserve, officials must figure out how many deer there are and determine the best methods for euthanizing them. 

She said that in recent weeks, at least two deer harvested in other areas have had deer tags that indicate they came from World Class Whitetail Farms and state investigators are still trying to figure out what that means: whether they had at some point escaped or if something else is happening, Hawkins said. 

But it is now imperative that we move forward with the destruction of the herd because we have an owner who willfully broke a quarantine and we have to minimize the risk, Hawkins said. 

Chronic wasting disease has been a huge problem in deer herds in other parts of the county, largely out west, but Ohio had until now escaped. The disease attacks the brains of infected deer, elk and moose and eventually kills the animals. The sick deer lose weight, stumble, tremble and act oddly, often allowing humans to get unusually close. 

There has been no evidence that if someone eats the meat of an infected deer, the human will get sick. Still, wildlife and agriculture officials are this year telling hunters that if they have any concern at all, they can have their harvested deer tested.


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## chadwimc (Jun 27, 2007)

Its been my experience that fish and game laws mean nothing to those furniture makers...


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## AEFISHING (Apr 25, 2004)

https://www.wideopenspaces.com/ohio-deer-farm-ordered-kill-300-bucks/


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

The state should have went in there and killed all the deer immediately. Yoder can't be trusted. 


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

While it's a shame to have to kill that many deer, I agree with you 100% *bobk*

Seems from the article *AEFISHING* posted, Yoder could care less about his own herd or Ohio's deer herd as a whole and it's nothing but a money game to him. 
He needs put out of business and kept that way. 

Of course, guys like that will just open up at another location under someone else's name.


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## Lucky Touch Charters (Jun 19, 2011)

ezbite said:


> That facility and 42 others across the state, including several in Holmes County, had been quietly quarantined in April after the state learned that 125 potentially infected deer had been transported to them from Pennsylvania.
> 
> this is what bothers me the most about this, why keep it a secret, get the info out there so people QUIT using them. ive killed a pig at a high fench preserve, enjoyed the hell out of it, the kill and eating the pig... but id REALLY, REALLY like to know if theres something "potentially" wrong with the animals im paying to kill and the ODNR KNOWS about it??.. mind baffling.. wow IMO whoever made that decision needs to step down.


Agreed. The state should share the knowledge of this. It is not right for a consumer to pay money to kill an animal that has been quarantined. The state should have ordered those animals to go back to where they came from.


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by ezbite View Post
> That facility and 42 others across the state, including several in Holmes County, had been quietly quarantined in April after the state learned that 125 potentially infected deer had been transported to them from Pennsylvania.
> 
> this is what bothers me the most about this, why keep it a secret, get the info out there so people QUIT using them. ive killed a pig at a high fench preserve, enjoyed the hell out of it, the kill and eating the pig... but id REALLY, REALLY like to know if theres something "potentially" wrong with the animals im paying to kill and the ODNR KNOWS about it??.. mind baffling.. wow IMO whoever made that decision needs to step down.





> Agreed. The state should share the knowledge of this. It is not right for a consumer to pay money to kill an animal that has been quarantined. The state should have ordered those animals to go back to where they came from.



Unfortunately, this, along with many other things the state and ODNR does, such as not answering simple questions referring to the hot topic of Ohio's deer herd on other threads, is how ODNR has chosen to deal with issue's. For some reason over the years these state agencies have been let by us to forget whom they work for and represent... the 'state'... which is us. 
Same as the Fed. govn't has forgotten the same.

Outdoorsman need to bombard our state representatives and officials demanding more 'honest' transparency in what is actually happening and letting them know our concerns and frustration. After all, we are the ones helping to support the current, secretive agenda by continuing to purchase our fishing / hunting lic. and all hunting/fishing access. without demanding some answers.


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## M R DUCKS (Feb 20, 2010)

Anyone see the article about the 30 point buck that escaped from a high fence area being killed by a Ulrichsville young man?
They do get out!


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## Misdirection (Jul 16, 2012)

I did, and good for the kid. I think the article stated that would have been a $19,900+ deer to have shot on the game preserve.


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