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