Chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer is about like having a life-threatening disease in humans. In the case of deer, veterinarians are constantly looking over their collective shoulders to be sure all the bases have been covered lest the disease becomes more prevalent.
On the other hand, human beings with cancer, in remission or supposedly cured, always have the thought or fear in the back of their mind. Will this come back?
Speaking from experience on the cancer level, every new ache or pain, small bump pr bruise, gets the mind to shifting gears thinking, ah, yes, the cancer has returned just in a different form. No matter what the medical people tell us, its difficult to relax once you have gone through this crappy disease.
Nothing new has been heard from Lansing. And so far, no new cases of cwd have been discovered. But as we move closer to the fall hunting seasons the mind wanders and wonders if more deer will be found to have been contaminated.
Because more people will be in the fields and woods, if there are sick deer about, this should be the time they will be found out just due to more observers.
Wildlife Biologist Tim Payne who covers southeast Michigan and now days probably even more has said more deer will be closely examined for cwd this fall.
"Look for road killed deer and those brought to check stations to be thoroughly examined for cwd," he said.
In the past, DNR officials have encouraged hunters to have their deer checked at one of the many deer check stations around the state to help manage the deer herd.
This year and on it becomes even more important to make a quick stop and have your deer checked. The one you have strapped to the roof may be disease-free but on the other hand, it could be a new case in a different area.
By you stopping for an inspection, heading off a larger field of contamination for cwd or other diseases may have saved the day.
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