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My grandmother in law had a 14 pt. buck as a pet.
The game wardens came to take it away and used tranq. darts.
They used to much and killed it.

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If you have ever seen what a supposedly "tame" deer will do to a person during the rut, it will change your mind on keeping them for a pet.

Deer can be extremely dangerous and will mess you up.

ETA: What the officers did was way over the top.  I'd like to see charges brought up on them.

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A Bison / American Buffalo is considered by some to be the most dangerous animal in the world (I agree) yet several ranches near me raise them.

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Then stop talking shit.

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ALL of the spread of CWD has been due to game farms.  I'm betting there is a bit more to this story––like a lack of cooperation from the landowner.  

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He's uncooperative! Quick, storm the place and shoot anything that can't get chronic wasting disease!

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And that was the correct response.



Only way to test the deer was to kill them.



State of NC acted.

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White tail I would agree with you, however read the USDA report that I posted on page 1.

 

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He had white tail and fallow deer apparently.



I still think the state acted in the best interest of the resource. Sucked but the guy was violating the law.



I think CWD is bad stuff. but I also think people should be allowed to keep deer within the law. Some of these captive deer regulations may be overrreaching/overracting.

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A Bison / American Buffalo is considered by some to be the most dangerous animal in the world (I agree) yet several ranches near me raise them.

Meanwhile, we have such a bad problem with deer and elk that you can see them standing in open fields by the dozens, especially during winter. Yet strangely, you cannot pen them and raise them. Like most things the government does, it makes no fucking sense at all.

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So you support destroying his property without giving him the opportunity to contest it's destruction before a court of law?  

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Yes. If those deer have CWD they need to be tested ASAP.

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The killing of the 7 Fallow deer seems to be out of line.

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Judging by the article, it's doubtful in the extreme they have CWD.

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I really fear for the day when the people decide they won't put up with this sort of thing anymore.

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I'm also surprised Amos Moses hasn't popped up a little more often.  Of course, if something did happen, they'd know exactly where the officer was and whose land he was on.  Wouldn't have to look far for suspects.
 

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How are the state biologists to know that?

If they did have CWD would you still support not killing them?

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What about all the deer out in the wild?  Should the state hunt them all down and exterminate them just to test the corpses for a disease?

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Isn't that already done in Virginia where CWD already exists?

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Yes, he should have been able to go to court.

Sometimes people don't put up with this stuff.   The saying 'Revenge is best served cold' comes to mind.

Think Granby, Colorado


ETA: I am NOT advocating ANY type of violence here.

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At this point I'm surprised they didn't herd them into a barn and set it on fire

Dear Wildlife Stakeholder:

Recent actions by the N. C. Wildlife Resources Commission to confiscate and euthanize deer prompted numerous responses, some of which are based on incomplete or inaccurate information.  Our actions were performed in the interest of wildlife conservation and public safety.  Our officers and biologists implemented agency policies in strict accordance with state law and with the utmost professionalism, respect, and consideration.  In keeping with the agency’s mission to conserve wildlife resources and to communicate the importance of healthy wildlife, I offer the following clarification of the reasons those actions were undertaken.

White-tailed deer are native wildlife that are important to the ecology of North Carolina and belong to all citizens of the State.  To safeguard this public trust, it is unlawful for individuals to hold or confine deer without a permit.  Requirements for holding deer in captivity are necessary to safeguard the health and safety of wildlife resources, livestock, and humans.  North Carolina law requires that any deer, elk or other member of the family Cervidae held in captivity must be in a facility licensed by the WRC.  Strict record keeping of the origin and movement of cervids, as well as health, status, and disposition of animals in a licensed facility is required.  These requirements are in place to minimize the potential for transfer of dangerous wildlife diseases, including Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) and tuberculosis.  They also are designed to provide early detection and containment of diseases should they be discovered. In addition to testing captive cervids, the Wildlife Resources Commission also tests free-ranging white-tailed deer in accordance with surveillance protocols established in North Carolina’s Chronic Wasting Disease Response Plan.  For video information about CWD, click here.

Since the 1980s CWD has been detected in 19 states, including West Virginia (2005), Virginia (2010), and Maryland (2011).  CWD is a fatal and debilitating disease that has caused serious ecological and economic impact in areas where it has become established.  Due to the severity of the potential impacts from CWD, extensive surveillance programs that monitor CWD distribution and prevalence have been instituted nationwide. In order to minimize the threat of its importation and establishment, North Carolina in 2003 implemented stringent requirements and restrictions on importation and confinement of cervids.  These requirements are instrumental in preventing the establishment of CWD. Modeling research in the state of Wisconsin where CWD was detected in 2002 suggests that, if left unmanaged, CWD will spread throughout Wisconsin resulting in an infection rate in adult deer of at least 40%. These research results are mirrored by current data in Colorado and Wyoming, where in some areas average infection rates exceed 40% across thousands of square miles, suggesting the disease continues to spread widely across the landscape. Our actions are intended to avoid these consequences in North Carolina.

There are two types of authorized facilities for holding deer in North Carolina.  Both are required to be permitted or licensed and inspected for humane care and compliance with requirements for thorough record-keeping and disease testing.  Fawn rehabilitators are specially trained to rehabilitate injured or orphaned white-tailed deer fawns. They are authorized to temporarily hold fawn deer for release back into the wild. Free-ranging adult deer held in captivity even for relatively short periods, can lose their natural fear of humans.  These deer are not suitable for reintroduction into the wild and pose serious public safety risks including human injury and death.

The other authorized type of facility for holding deer in North Carolina is a captive cervid facility. North Carolina has more than 50 licensed captive cervid facilities including deer farming operations. These facilities operate within established guidelines, and the licensees recognize the need for proper enforcement in order to protect their property, as well as the public’s wildlife, from potentially devastating diseases.

Protecting and conserving the wildlife resources of the State is an important responsibility.  In August 2011, our staff became aware of an individual possessing captive deer in Randolph County without license or permits.  The facility operator had been notified on several occasions, dating back to 2003, that licensure and strict operational guidelines were required to hold deer in captivity.  In February 2004, the operator was sent notification that he was ineligible to possess cervids in captivity. After learning of the presence of captive cervids at this location, we conducted due diligence in investigation, initiating legal process including obtaining a warrant, and continued close monitoring.  In September 2011, nine deer were confiscated and euthanized with rifles and a shotgun so they could be tested for CWD.  Firearms such as these are accepted forms of humane euthanasia for wildlife, and all personnel involved had been trained in the practice by a licensed veterinarian.  Euthanasia was required because the origin of these deer could not be verified, and because continuous containment within the facility could not be assured. Unfortunately, there is no approved testing procedure available for live deer because protocol for CWD testing requires either a lymph node or brain tissue sample. Furthermore, the CWD incubation period can range from 16 months to five years; therefore, a negative test result for an individual deer from a group provides no assurance that the remaining deer in the group would test negative.

Also in August, our staff learned of deer held in an unlicensed facility in Surry County.  In this instance, two fawns had been held in captivity for several months with an adult male deer of unknown origin.  If the fawns had been turned over to a licensed facility for rehabilitation when they were found they most likely could have been returned to the wild with a high chance for survival.  However, due to the intense level of human interaction, all three deer were unlikely to survive in the wild. Additionally, because the fawns were commingled with a deer of unknown origin, their origin and health status could not be verified. As a result, the animals were euthanized with immobilizing drugs and a bolt gun.  

The risks to wildlife resources and public safety from disease transmission and human habituation are very serious.  It is unfortunate that the actions of otherwise well-meaning persons can result in the destruction of these resources.  The WRC urges all NC citizens to learn more about issues associated with holding wildlife in captivity by visiting our website www.ncwildlife.org or calling 919-707-0050 for more information.  

Gordon Myers

Executive Director

September 30, 2011

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What about all the deer out in the wild?  Should the state hunt them all down and exterminate them just to test the corpses for a disease?

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My grandmother in law had a 14 pt. buck as a pet.
The game wardens came to take it away and used tranq. darts.
They used to much and killed it.

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Have you ever heard the expression, "He who knows the least always knows it loudest"?

The fact is, wild deer are routinely tested for CWD.  They are not, however, killed for that express purpose (usually).  Deer that are killed by hunters are voluntarily submitted for testing (head cut off and taken for testing by DNR personnel), then the hunter is later notified if the deer tested positive so he can decide if he wants to consume the meat.  If he decides against it he or she is usually issued a new tag/permit.  CWD has NOT been known to transmit to humans, but most of us wouldn't take the chance on a known infected animal.

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If you have ever seen what a supposedly "tame" deer will do to a person during the rut, it will change your mind on keeping them for a pet.



Deer can be extremely dangerous and will mess you up.



ETA: What the officers did was way over the top.  I'd like to see charges brought up on them.

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You think your degree in park management makes you an expert in cervid diseases?  Really??  

I respect your knowledge and experience, but a man needs to know his limitations.  

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Edit:  Screw it, not worth it.  

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You know.  Everybody has a breaking point.  And that is what he was illustrating.

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How are the state biologists to know that?

If they did have CWD would you still support not killing them?

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Degree in park management ex-park ranger here,  you were saying what?

CWD is a natural occurring illness for deer,  it's self regulating,  we have too many as it is,  let nature do it's thing.

It's good that hunters have a way to test meat that they have harvested for it even though properly prepared venison has almost no chance of harming you.

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They haven't been ruled out, but it's now thought they may not be the cause of CWD.  It is simply not known.