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