Do not shoot, handle or consume any animal that appears sick; contact the Division of Wildlife in Fort Collins at (970) 472-4300 if you see or harvest an animal that appears sick.

Captive deer and elk herds are required to be fenced according to standards set in our rules. In addition, we recommend that these herds be surrounded by a second fence. The outer fence should be at least 10 feet away from the inner one. We also strongly urge deer and elk farmers to enroll in the surveillance program. Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection, PO Box 8911, Madison, WI 53708-8911

Public health officials advise hunters to take the following precautions when pursuing or handling deer and elk in the endemic area: Do not shoot, handle or consume any animal that appears sick; contact the Division of Wildlife in Fort Collins at (970) 472-4300 if you see or harvest an animal that appears sick. Avoid consuming brain, spinal cord, eyes, spleen, tonsils and lymph nodes of harvested animals.

Deer meat cannot be tested - only brain and neural and lymph node tissue can be tested to detect the presence of CWD. There is no means of testing deer tissue samples for CWD at present.

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) causes damage to portions of the brain of deer and elk. Animals affected with CWD show progressive loss of body condition, behavioral changes, excessive salivation, increased drinking and urination, depression and eventual death. Chronic wasting disease is always fatal for the afflicted animal.

Although the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) suggested that deer would be the primary prey for Mexican wolves, scat analysis shows that wolves are principally killing and feeding upon elk. Since the EIS was published in 1996, elk populations within the reintroduction area have expanded, while deer populations have diminished. The first Mexican wolves were released in 1998 and successfully preyed upon elk within three weeks of release.

BSE is a Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE), a family of similar diseases that may infect certain species of animals and people such as scrapie in sheep and goats, BSE in cattle, chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer and elk, and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) in people. To date, there is no scientific evidence that BSE in cattle is related to CWD in deer and elk.

The Colorado Division of Wildlife has a problem animal hotline at 303-297-1192 or visit their website at www.dnr.state.co.us/wildlife/.

Johne's (pronounced "YO-nees") disease is a contagious, slowly developing and fatal bacterial disease of the intestinal tract. A German veterinarian first described it in a dairy cow in 1895 and the disease was named after him. The disease is also called paratuberculosis. Johne's disease primarily occurs in domestic and wild ruminant species such as sheep, goats, cattle, deer/elk , bison etc. It has also infrequently been reported in non-ruminant species e.g.

Johne's disease typically enters a herd when an apparently healthy, but infected, animal is introduced. This animal contaminates the premises (feed, ground, water) by shedding the organism in its manure. The organism is then ingested by other deer/elk. Calves are thought to be most susceptible to infection - they can acquire the organism by suckling manure-contaminated teats and possibly from the milk/colostrum itself as the dam may shed M.

A.It is unlawful to harvest a deer without checking it in by 10:00 p.m. on the same calendar day the deer was taken by either calling our Virtual Checkstation or going online here. The only exception to this is for counties being surveyed for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) during the Firearm Deer Season and during the Special Chronic Wasting Disease Hunting Season, when hunters must take their deer to the designated County Check Station on the same day of harvest.

Some of the units we have identified to burn are located at higher elevations and in areas that are too moist to burn in the spring. We also do not burn during the summer because of hot temperatures and conditions that would be difficult to manage. We recognize the impact to hunters, and appreciate your patience and understanding of these projects that will improve wildlife habitat.

Hunters should be vigilant for identifying elk or deer displaying CWD symptoms. They should report suspected cases to authorities immediately. Several States have issued specific guidelines for hunters.

Knowledge on the prevalence of this disease is limited, due both to lack of testing and reporting. It has been described in a variety of cervid species and in most countries raising deer and elk. The prevalence is higher in farm-raised vs. free-ranging cervids.

There are two common ways to test cervids for Johne's disease: culture of fecal samples and blood tests for antibodies to M. paratuberculosis. The biology of the disease can make it difficult to detect infected animals, especially those in an early stage of infection.

A resident landowner on his own property can kill the same number of deer as a licensed hunter. A hunter (licensee or landowner) cannot exceed the number of deer allowed in the respective season. No. The hunter may kill his first deer as a landowner; however, if he does not possess a valid Class RG license he cannot kill a second deer on land he or his resident parents do not own.

The wildlife will be displaced for a short time, then return to the area. Big game has been observed re-entering an area as soon as a fire moves through. Habitat will be improved by the project that will result in healthier wildlife populations.

Elk are raised as livestock for medicinal use, meat, breeding stock and trophy bulls. Velvet antler has been used for more than 2,000 years in Asia and Europe and is gaining popularity in the United States. Velvet antler has been shown to improve joint health, increase muscular strength, accelerate muscle recovery, support the immune system and improve energy and stamina. In Asia, velvet antler has been traditionally used to increase libido.

No. Tribal hunters harvest about 8 percent of the harvestable population of deer and elk. According to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife statistics for 1997, non-Indian hunters took approximately 28,062 deer; treaty tribal hunters harvested about 2,440. In that same period, non-Indian hunters took about 4,920 elk; treaty tribal hunters harvested about 427. Most elk herds in Washington are healthy.

No. Bows are legal for deer only during general or controlled bow buck deer (100 series) seasons, deer (600 series) seasons; bows are legal for elk only in general or controlled bow elk seasons.

You cannot hunt any species with a centerfire or muzzleloading rifle without a valid, unused deer or elk tag for that time period and area on your person during: Eastern Oregon controlled buck deer centerfire firearm season, Cascade bull elk season, coast bull elk seasons, Rocky Mt bull or either-sex elk seasons, or standard Rocky Mt antlerless elk centerfire firearm seasons (Nov. 19- Nov. 27). This does not include controlled W High Cascade (119A) or Hood-White Rvr (141A) buck hunts.

When planning to transport the carcass of a deer or elk out of Oregon, check the other state’s importation laws. Then select the Oregon proof of sex option (see page 31 of the 2007 Big Game Regulations ) that allows you to comply with that state’s importation laws.

You need to buy an archery license in addition to your deer and elk license to hunt during the archery pre-season. You do not need to buy separate archery licenses for elk, deer, antelope or whatever other big game you may be hunting with bow and arrow. The archery license is required of all archers who have a regular, not "archery only" license. Holders of archery only licenses do not need the separate archery permit.

This disease is hard to detect in some stages. The signs of Johne's disease are vague and months can pass after infection before they appear. Weight loss in animals with a good appetite and adequate rations may be the only indication. Diarrhea, a common sign for cattle with Johne's disease, may not occur in cervid species. The signs of Johne's disease can be confused with the clinical indications of other conditions such as parasitism, malnutrition or other chronic diseases.

The best way to avoid this chronic infectious disease is to be as certain as possible that animals brought into the herd are not infected with M. paratuberculosis. Johne's disease test-negative herds are the best sources of animals for purchase. Since many herd managers do not yet test for the infection, assess the entire herd (not just the animals you intend to buy) for body condition.

Wolf Haven has a permit to obtain road kill. Deer and elk are the only animals that we deem appropriate for our needs. There are strict criteria that the road killed carcass must meet prior to being fed out. If the carcass is deemed safe to feed to our animals we then freeze the carcass for a minimum of 24 hours to kill all ectoparasites.