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CWD in Kaufman County!

It looks like CWD in Kaufman County has become a reality. Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) was detected on a high fence release site in Kaufman County. This is the first positive detection of CWD in a white-tailed deer in the county.

The buck, harvested at a high-fence release site located in a CWD Surveillance Zone, was delivered to a Hunt County CWD check station in compliance with surveillance zone requirements. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) received notice of the CWD-positive test result from the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) on November 14.

Prior to this detection, the high-fence release site was identified as a “trace herd” property to the Hunt County CWD-positive deer breeding facility reported on March 31, 2021, meaning deer were transferred from the Hunt County facility to this release site prior to discovery of CWD in that facility. 0

Plans to conduct additional CWD investigations are underway. Additional deer could have CWD in Kaufman County. Hopefully, that is not the case.

CWD Transmission in Kaufman County

“The incubation period of CWD can span years, creating disease detection and management challenges as seen in this recent detection,” said Andy Schwartz, TAHC Executive Director and State Veterinarian.

Animal health and wildlife officials will continue investigations to determine the extent of the disease within deer within the property and mitigate risks to Texas’ CWD-susceptible species. Adequate surveillance and quick detection of CWD can help mitigate the disease’s spread.

“The discovery of CWD in Kaufman County on this ranch is an unfortunate situation that TPWD and TAHC take very seriously,” said John Silovsky, TPWD Wildlife Division Director. “Both agencies will respond appropriately to this matter to protect the state’s susceptible species from further disease exposure. Hunters are reminded of the requirement to bring their harvested deer to the check station within 48 hours of harvest.”

Testing for CWD in Texas

First recognized in 1967 in captive mule deer in Colorado, CWD has since been documented in captive and/or free-ranging deer in 30 states and three Canadian provinces. To date, 420 captive or free-ranging cervids — including white-tailed deer, mule deer, red deer, and elk — in 17 Texas counties have tested positive for CWD. Unfortunately, the list continues to grow.

Testing for CWD allows wildlife biologists and animal health officials to get a clearer picture of the prevalence and distribution of the disease across Texas. Proactive monitoring improves the state’s response time to a CWD detection and can greatly reduce the risk of the disease further spreading to neighboring captive and free-ranging populations.

This confirmation is a good reminder to those hunting in CWD surveillance and containment zones to know the submission requirements for CWD susceptible species. Additionally, hunters outside of established surveillance and containment zones are encouraged to voluntarily submit their harvest to TPWD for testing at a check station, for free, before heading home from the field. The presence of CWD in Kaufman County was found through mandatory zone testing, but voluntary testing can also help TPWD know where CWD is and is not.

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Deer Positive for CWD in Hunt County

Another deer tested positive for CWD in Texas. Now hunters get to deal with CWD in Hunt County. Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has been discovered in deer breeding facilities in both Hunt County. This marks the first positive detection of the disease in Hunt County.

The tissue sample was submitted by a deer breeding facility as part of required CWD surveillance program. The sample indicated the presence of CWD during testing at the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) in College Station on March 24 for the Hunt County facility. The National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, has since confirmed CWD in that tissue sample. The sample reported for Hunt County is undergoing DNA testing to confirm animal identification and origin.

­Officials have taken immediate action to secure all deer at Hunt County deer breeding facility and plan to conduct additional investigations for CWD. In addition, other breeding facilities that received deer from these facilities or shipped deer to these facilities during the last five years are under movement restrictions and cannot move or release deer at this time.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) are working together to determine the extent of the disease within the facilities and evaluate risks to Texas’ free ranging deer populations. Quick detection of CWD can help mitigate the disease’s spread.

CWD in Hunt County & Beyond

“Recent CWD discoveries in new locations across the state are deeply concerning and underscore the criticality of redoubling efforts to help arrest the spread of this disease,” said Carter Smith, Executive Director of TPWD. “While it is important to realize that CWD is still not widespread in Texas, complacency is not an option.

The only way to ensure we are effective in combating the further spread of CWD is with the active help of hunters, wildlife managers, deer breeders, and landowners. Clearly, it is imperative that we work together to protect our native deer populations to ensure the health and vitality of one of our state’s greatest natural resources.”

Although animal health and wildlife officials cannot determine how long or to what extent the disease has been present in these deer breeding facilities, both breeding facilities have active CWD surveillance programs with no positives detected until now.

CWD was first recognized in 1967 in captive mule deer in Colorado. CWD has also been documented in captive and/or free-ranging deer in 26 states and 3 Canadian provinces. CWD is a fatal neurological disease found in certain cervids, including deer, elk, moose and other members of the deer family. CWD is a slow and progressive disease.

Clinical signs may include, progressive weight loss, stumbling or tremors with a lack of coordination, excessive thirst, salivation or urination, loss of appetite, teeth grinding, abnormal head posture, and/or drooping ears.

“The incubation period of CWD can span years creating disease management challenges,” said Dr. Andy Schwartz, TAHC State Veterinarian. “Response staff are diligently working to address each herd affected by these new detections to manage further spread.”

To date there is no evidence that CWD poses a risk to humans or non-cervids. However, as a precaution, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization recommend not to consume meat from infected animals

Hunting: Testing Exotics for CWD

One of the lesser known exotic hunting regulations in Texas is that Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) testing is mandatory on all properties. With fall here and hunters headed to field, we are reminding Texas landowners of exotic CWD susceptible species rules for the 2019-20 hunting season. Hey, we’re just trying to help you stay out of trouble.

“When CWD was first discovered in far West Texas in 2012, Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) took important steps toward preventing the spread of the chronic disease by establishing CWD zones and implementing surveillance and movement rules,” said Dr. Susan Rollo, State Epidemiologist. “On May 30, 2017, TAHC enhanced the surveillance and movement requirements for exotic CWD susceptible species in Texas.”

Exotic Susceptible Species

Fortunately, not every exotic species in Texas is believed to be susceptible to CWD. With that in mind, the list is shorter than it could be. Exotic susceptible species include:

• North American elk or wapiti
• Black tailed deer
• Red deer
• Reindeer
• Sika deer
• Moose
• Any associated subspecies and hybrids.

White-tailed deer, mule deer and other native species are under the jurisdiction of TPWD.

Landowners can find all of the necessary report forms here on the TAHC web site.

CWD Testing Requirements for Susceptible Exotics in Texas

Premises where Exotic CWD Susceptible Species are Hunter Harvested

Owners of high, low, or no fenced lands where exotic CWD susceptible species older than 16 months of age are hunter harvested, are required to submit a mortality record to the TAHC. Mortality record forms are due to the TAHC on or before April 1 of each year.

Every calendar year, landowners must have eligible mortalities CWD tested until such time that three animals are tested. An eligible mortality is a death from any cause of an exotic CWD susceptible species that is 16 months of age or older.

This includes hunter harvested mortalities or herd culling, natural mortalities, or animals moved directly to slaughter. Once valid CWD test results are obtained, they are to be submitted to TAHC and accompanied by a test submission form.

Owners Moving or Transporting Live Exotic CWD Susceptible Species

Any person engaged in the business of buying or selling exotic CWD susceptible species in commerce must maintain records for all exotics transported within the state or where there is a transfer of ownership. This data can be recorded on the TAHC movement record form.

All live exotic CWD susceptible species moved or transported within the state must have official identification. Contact TAHC ADT department for more information on official ID.

An owner of a premises where exotic CWD susceptible species are located within a high fence must keep an estimated annual inventory for all exotic CWD susceptible species. Annual inventories are due to TAHC on or before April 1 of each year.

Texas CWD Requirements for Hunters, Landowners

In addition to the TAHC’s statewide movement and surveillance requirements for exotic susceptible species, hunters should be aware of the CWD zones that have been established in Texas by TPWD.

The CWD Containment and Surveillance Zones include the Trans-Pecos zone, Panhandle zone, and South-Central Texas zone. Mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, red deer, or other CWD susceptible species hunter harvested within the zones are REQUIRED to bring their animals to a TPWD check station within 48 hours of harvest.

Texas Quail Hunting On-Point

It’s finally starting to feel like fall, so time to review the 2019 Texas quail hunting forecast. Quail hunting season opens Saturday, Oct. 26 statewide and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) wildlife biologists predict average to above-average prospects across most of the state.

“Habitat and weather can cause dramatic shifts in bobwhite and scaled quail populations from one year to the next,” said Robert Perez, quail program leader for TPWD. “Although last year’s quail season was not very productive, quail have an uncanny ability to quickly bounce back when habitat conditions are good. Thanks to favorable weather conditions earlier this year, hunters can look forward to productive quail hunting across most of the state this season.”

Quail Nesting Equate to Quail Hunting

For the core quail range in Texas, this year’s El Nino weather pattern translated to above average rainfall and below average temperatures, resulting in an above average bobwhite quail season in most of South Texas, average to slightly above average scaled quail season for the Trans Pecos region, and good prospects for scaled quail and bobwhite in the Panhandle above Interstate 40.

“Favorable weather conditions spurred calling and pair formation in the majority of South Texas counties, and land manager and staff reports suggest an average to above average season,” Perez said. “Scaled quail in the Trans Pecos also look better than average, so it’s a good year to put on some tennis shoes and chase this elusive game bird.”

Quail Hunting in the Texas Rolling Plains

In the Rolling Plains, field reports indicate a very active roosting calling period in the spring and pairs spotted throughout the summer. Quality habitat across the region provides plenty of nesting and brooding cover and plants like dove weed and ragweed provide chicks with the protein-packed insects they need.

“The Rolling Plains appears to be up from last year but still below average, although our surveys may have underestimated the population due to dense roadside vegetation and extreme heat, which may have influenced habitat use,” Perez said. “Overall, the Rolling Plains has the potential to have an average year. And an average year in Texas is better than just about anywhere else in the country.”

Texas Quail Surveys

TPWD projections are based on annual statewide quail surveys that were initiated in 1978 to monitor quail populations. This index uses randomly selected, 20-mile roadside survey lines to determine annual quail population trends by ecological region. This trend information helps determine relative quail populations among the regions of Texas.

Comparisons can be made between the mean (average) number of quail observed per route this year and the 15-year mean for quail seen within an ecological region. The quail survey was not designed to predict relative abundance for any area smaller than the ecological region.

A regional breakdown of this year’s TPWD quail index survey, including highlights and prospects, is available online.

Quail hunting season runs through Feb. 23, 2020. The daily bag limit for quail is 15, with 45 in possession. Legal shooting hours for all non-migratory game birds are 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. The bag limit is the maximum number that may be killed during the legal shooting hours in one day.

Public Land Quail Hunting in Texas

Hunters can find public quail hunting opportunities at several wildlife management areas located within the core quail range, including Elephant Mountain, Black Gap, Gene Howe, Matador, Chaparral and James E. Daughtry.

Additionally, hunters can search for Texas quail hunting opportunities on public and leased land with an Annual Public Hunting Permit.

Antler restrictions for mule deer will be a new addition for hunters chasing mule bucks this fall in Briscoe, Childress, Cottle, Floyd, Hall, and Motley counties this year. The new antler restriction regulations prohibit the harvest of any mule deer buck with a main beam outside spread of less than 20 inches.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is implementing the new experimental regulation with the goal of improving buck age structure and sex ratios in these counties by reducing excessive hunting pressure on younger bucks. A similar antler restriction for white-tailed deer has been in place for a number of years in other parts of the state, and has successfully shifted the age class structure toward older bucks.

Managing mule deer hunting and harvest is one part of herd management that can be controlled through hunting regulations. The other part falls on landowners and hunters, by maintaining good mule deer habitat and staying within the law while in the field.

Mule deer archery-only season in the antler restriction counties occurs September 29 – November 2, with the general firearm season occurring November 17 – December 2. Information about hunting licenses can be found online.

Mule Deer Antler Restrictions

To protect young bucks, TPWD has set the minimum legal outside spread of the main beams at 20 inches based upon many years of harvest data. In other words, any buck having main beams with an outside spread smaller than 20 inches is NOT legal to harvest.

Additionally, any buck with at least one unbranched antler (e.g., spike) is NOT legal to harvest, unless the outside spread of the main beams is 20 inches or more in width. Based upon data collected by TPWD, the average ear-tip to ear-tip spread of 2 ½ to 8 ½+ year old mule deer bucks with ears in the alert position is about 21 inches.

This information on ear-tip to ear-tip measurement can be a useful guide to mule deer hunters attempting to field-judge mule deer bucks with at least a 20-inch main beam outside spread.

Experimental Antler Restrictions

The experimental antler restriction will be conducted for four hunting seasons. TPWD wildlife officials will collect age and antler measurements at voluntary hunter-harvest check stations to assess the effects of the regulation on buck age structure. Annual aerial surveys will be used to document sex ratios. Based on findings after four years, TPWD will either propose to extend the regulation, modify the antler restriction, or permanently terminate.

Mule Deer Antler Restriction Incentives

To gather the most harvest data possible, TPWD will offer incentives to hunters who check their harvest. Hunters who bring their harvest to a check station will be entered in drawings for items such as rifles, lifetime hunting licenses, and gift cards donated by Dallas Safari Club, the Texas Panhandle Chapter of the Dallas Safari Club, the Mule Deer Foundation, and Houston Safari Club. These data are essential to effectively evaluate the success of the experimental antler restriction.

More information is available online regarding mule deer seasons, the experimental mule deer antler restriction regulation, check station locations, dates and hours of operation, check station incentives, and drawing results.