| u are a deer or elk hunter you may have heard of | | | | or whether because the diseases had spread - |
| diseases like Mad Cow Disease. People get Mad Cow | | | | Shortly thereafter the disease was found and |
| Disease from eating infected cattle and beef | | | | appeared in mule deer at a sister research station |
| products. Can you get anything similar by eating big | | | | nearby to the Fort Collins station. At the very worst |
| game? If you hunt deer or elk there is a disease call | | | | in the most densely affected regions In the area |
| “Chronic Wasting Disease”. Chronic | | | | known as the heart of the disease problem - rates |
| Wasting Disease is a member of group of | | | | of infection are as high as 15 % of the mule deer |
| transmittable brain diseases that affect elk and deer. | | | | population and 1 to 2 % of the sparse population of |
| The brains of these animals become riddled with | | | | elk that reside there It is true and can be determined |
| holes and almost look like a sponge – that you | | | | that the big game disease of Chronic Wasting |
| may wipe and clean your S.U.V. with. | | | | Disease is certainly on the upswing and definitely |
| There are other similar diseases that have been | | | | spreading. Reports as far away as Canada are now |
| around for a long time. Scrapie is a disease that | | | | known and reported. However this seems to affect |
| affects sheep. It’s been around a long time | | | | only elk and deer that are in captive game ranches |
| – perhaps 200 to 400 years. Sheep get | | | | and not wild animals endemic to these areas – |
| Scrapie – never humans. Similarly well publicized | | | | and that hunter’s dream of. |
| is a disease known as “Mad Cow | | | | Even though no reports of people getting sick from |
| Disease”. “Mad Cow” is | | | | eating tainted hunted game have been reported and |
| obtained and spread by eating infected cattle. The | | | | as well for a longer term case study – for all |
| disease spreads and takes a long time to appear | | | | the fact that Scrapie diseases in sheep had been |
| – sometimes a decade. However it is only | | | | around for 300 years and no human being has been |
| spread by cattle, and eating infected beef products, | | | | stricken with Scrapie or a similar malady what |
| nothing else. For all the zillions of people who you | | | | precautions can you take to reduce and minimize any |
| know , or do not know , who have eaten beef , only | | | | risks? |
| a relatively small amount have ever come down with | | | | First of all do not shoot, handle or consume any |
| this disease. You have hundred of thousands of | | | | animal that is acting abnormally or appears to be sick. |
| times more chances of the a airline losing your | | | | Best to contact your state or Canadian provincial |
| luggage on the way to your hunting trip to Canada | | | | wildlife department if you se such a case. Next use |
| than getting Mad Cow Disease by eating infected | | | | latex gloves when field dressing your deer or elk. |
| beef. So far it appears that the Chronic Wasting | | | | Bone out the meat from your animal. Do not saw |
| Disease found in America and Canada does not infect | | | | through the brain or spinal cord. |
| or transfer to people who have eaten this infected | | | | It is best practice to minimize the handling of brain |
| meat. It is true that any effects take up to decades | | | | and spinal tissues. After field dressing an animal, wash |
| to appear. Still Chronic Wasting Disease does not | | | | your hands, saws and knifes thoroughly with strong |
| appear to be able to spread by eating infected meat | | | | chlorine, Javex type bleach. |
| – obtained by hunting big game in North | | | | All told if is best to avoid consuming the brain, spinal |
| America. | | | | cord, eyes, spleen, tonsils and lymph nodes of |
| The knowledge of the appearance of Chronic | | | | harvested animals. Lastly if you do have your animal |
| Wasting Disease in big game animals first occurred | | | | commercially processed, request that your animal is |
| when scientists discovered this Chronic Wasting | | | | processed individually without meat from other |
| Disease in a captive mule deer near Fort Collins in | | | | animals being mingled with the meat from your animal. |
| Colorado. This occurred as far back as 1977. Whether | | | | All in all as in the sport of hunting and in protecting |
| it was because it was now a known disease for | | | | the health of yourself, your family and friends as well |
| wildlife biologists, and was there all the time before, | | | | as your hunting buddies it never hurts to play it safe. |