18px 24pxFenced Hunting Doesn’t Spread Disease
Printed in the IndyStar
July 30, 2014
Skip Hess shot wide of the mark in his column that condemned hunting deer inside fenced preserves (“Blame the hunters in the captive deer controversy�). For starters, these operations are large and can be hundreds of acres and in many cases thousands of acres in size, allowing for a “fair chase� hunt and the ability of the animal to escape. Because they are private facilities, they are more appropriately regulated by the agriculture department and not the natural resources department.
Hess is mistaken to imply that these operations are a worrisome risk for spreading chronic wasting disease. There are strong regulations in place to mitigate the risk of spreading CWD by transporting deer. The U.S. Department of Agriculture requires deer farms that want to ship animals interstate to test all eligible mortalities for a minimum of five years before they are eligible to ship interstate, and then continue testing at that level to remain eligible for interstate movement of their animals.
Whether you prefer hunting deer in a free-range situation or private conservation ranches, deer and elk farming contributes an estimated $4 billion to the U.S. economy. It shouldn’t be regulated to death by a state bureaucracy.
Charly Seale
American Cervid Alliance
Ayr, Neb.
http://www.indystar.com/story/opinion/readers/2014/07/30/fenced-hunting-spread-disease/13372105/
24pxYour Opinion: Farmed Deer Should be Classified as Livestock
August 13, 2014
NewsTribune.com
Missouri's Capital City News
Charly Seale, Media Review Committee Chair, Ayr, Nebraska
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Brandon Butler takes aim at deer farmers in his recent column supporting Gov. Nixon’s veto of two bills that would have shifted regulatory oversight of deer farms from the Missouri Department of Conservation to the state Department of Agriculture. Why is Butler opposed to the switch? Deer are obviously wildlife, he says.
Most deer in Missouri are wildlife because they are free-ranging. But when you have deer in a private facility that’s fenced in and the deer are harvested for velvet and meat, or hunted in a private ranch, then the situation changes. These deer are not free-ranging animals, but more like livestock.
That’s the basic difference. But there’s more backstory.
Recently, MDC has proposed draconian regulations for deer farming. The reason given for this is that MDC wants to mitigate the risk on chronic wasting disease spreading in Missouri.
The risk of the spread of CWD is already low due to federal regulations administered by the USDA. Before a facility can transport deer between states, it must be from a CWD-certified herd which is achieved by having every eligible mortality tested for CWD for a minimum of five years. Herd owners must individually identify animals, have fencing in place and conduct regular inventories.
Further, MDC talks out of both sides of its mouth on wildlife disease. MDC over the last few years continues to import elk from Kentucky that originated from CWD-positive states for a relocation project in a manner that does not comply with federal CWD entry requirements administered by the USDA. The elk that were imported were not from CWD-certified herds, which is the requirement for private farms — a requirement MDC is now trying to ignore with its proposed blanket ban on deer imports.
MDC’s agenda is really to put deer farms out of business — and this isn’t supported by the hunting community. A recent Outdoor Life poll of over 3,000 respondents found that 62 percent believe that deer farms are a legitimate business. Only 17 percent thought they should be banned.
MDC cannot be impartial in its oversight of deer farms. Many states already recognize that deer farms should be regulated by agriculture departments and not wildlife departments, and others are considering similar moves. Missouri would be wise to follow in their steps.
http://www.newstribune.com/news/2014/aug/13/your-opinion-farmed-deer-should-be-classified-live/
Printed in the IndyStar
July 30, 2014
Skip Hess shot wide of the mark in his column that condemned hunting deer inside fenced preserves (“Blame the hunters in the captive deer controversy�). For starters, these operations are large and can be hundreds of acres and in many cases thousands of acres in size, allowing for a “fair chase� hunt and the ability of the animal to escape. Because they are private facilities, they are more appropriately regulated by the agriculture department and not the natural resources department.
Hess is mistaken to imply that these operations are a worrisome risk for spreading chronic wasting disease. There are strong regulations in place to mitigate the risk of spreading CWD by transporting deer. The U.S. Department of Agriculture requires deer farms that want to ship animals interstate to test all eligible mortalities for a minimum of five years before they are eligible to ship interstate, and then continue testing at that level to remain eligible for interstate movement of their animals.
Whether you prefer hunting deer in a free-range situation or private conservation ranches, deer and elk farming contributes an estimated $4 billion to the U.S. economy. It shouldn’t be regulated to death by a state bureaucracy.
Charly Seale
American Cervid Alliance
Ayr, Neb.
http://www.indystar.com/story/opinion/readers/2014/07/30/fenced-hunting-spread-disease/13372105/
24pxYour Opinion: Farmed Deer Should be Classified as Livestock
August 13, 2014
NewsTribune.com
Missouri's Capital City News
Charly Seale, Media Review Committee Chair, Ayr, Nebraska
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Brandon Butler takes aim at deer farmers in his recent column supporting Gov. Nixon’s veto of two bills that would have shifted regulatory oversight of deer farms from the Missouri Department of Conservation to the state Department of Agriculture. Why is Butler opposed to the switch? Deer are obviously wildlife, he says.
Most deer in Missouri are wildlife because they are free-ranging. But when you have deer in a private facility that’s fenced in and the deer are harvested for velvet and meat, or hunted in a private ranch, then the situation changes. These deer are not free-ranging animals, but more like livestock.
That’s the basic difference. But there’s more backstory.
Recently, MDC has proposed draconian regulations for deer farming. The reason given for this is that MDC wants to mitigate the risk on chronic wasting disease spreading in Missouri.
The risk of the spread of CWD is already low due to federal regulations administered by the USDA. Before a facility can transport deer between states, it must be from a CWD-certified herd which is achieved by having every eligible mortality tested for CWD for a minimum of five years. Herd owners must individually identify animals, have fencing in place and conduct regular inventories.
Further, MDC talks out of both sides of its mouth on wildlife disease. MDC over the last few years continues to import elk from Kentucky that originated from CWD-positive states for a relocation project in a manner that does not comply with federal CWD entry requirements administered by the USDA. The elk that were imported were not from CWD-certified herds, which is the requirement for private farms — a requirement MDC is now trying to ignore with its proposed blanket ban on deer imports.
MDC’s agenda is really to put deer farms out of business — and this isn’t supported by the hunting community. A recent Outdoor Life poll of over 3,000 respondents found that 62 percent believe that deer farms are a legitimate business. Only 17 percent thought they should be banned.
MDC cannot be impartial in its oversight of deer farms. Many states already recognize that deer farms should be regulated by agriculture departments and not wildlife departments, and others are considering similar moves. Missouri would be wise to follow in their steps.
http://www.newstribune.com/news/2014/aug/13/your-opinion-farmed-deer-should-be-classified-live/