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