CWD Discovery

That’s great!

Is it really not safe for human consumption? Should EVERY deer be checked, because I didn’t have mine tested this year?
 
Originally Posted By: Flesh EaterThat’s great!

Is it really not safe for human consumption? Should EVERY deer be checked, because I didn’t have mine tested this year?

as i understand it - as long as you're not eating the CNS - spine/brains/etc, you should be fine. MIDNR says there is no evidence that CWD can be passed on to humans - there has never been a documented case since the disease was discovered back in the late 60's.

Ignore the "zombie deer disease may transfer to humans" click-bait articles that are floating around. If you read into them, buried 5 or 6 paragraphs down is the statement that basically says "CWD has never been transferred to humans, but lab testing in some monkeys who were fed infected meat shows that it may be possible to transfer to humans at some point in the future if the disease were to mutate" or that "scientists have been able to artificially evolve/alter the prions that cause the lab modified CWD to effect human proteins in test tubes"

the takeaway from all those stories is - that "Somewhere, sometime in the undetermined future, this disease may possibly have a chance under perfect circumstances to mutate and then it could, possibly, theoretically be in the correct form to maybe make the leap to people, probably because of global warming, you meat eating, gas guzzling bastards!"



so enjoy your boneless venison, as long as you're not grinding the brains into your hamburger after lab modification of the disease from an infected animal is reinjected into them anyway
sick.gif
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Michigan regulations require deer in the CWD management/containment zone are either required to be processed by a local butcher or not allowed to leave without the brain/spine removed first if you're processing yourself. carcasses must be disposed of under special regulations (not just thrown out in a field, etc). they also require heads to be submitted for testing w/in 24 hrs. If your head tests positive they will notify you by phone. there are special regulations for keeping a head/skullcap with antlers attached for mounting.


HTH
 
Running a saw lengthwise down the spine is gonna smear spinal cord onto the backstraps. You may want to carve the backstraps out (and tenderloins) rathe than make chops.
 
There is a lot of information out there on the topic. Some is complete b.s. and some is not. Personally I prefer to believe wildlife biologists not Ted Nugent.
In Colorado this last season, tests were done in areas that had not been required previously, in some areas infection rates were near 60%. The disease is spreading and not slowly. Where I live the deer and elk herds are way down and have been declining for about a decade, but testing for CWD has not been done with any statistical significance.
It is true that no case of a person contracting CWD has been documented. However, do you want to be the first? Have your brain turned into swiss cheese? There are many diseases similar to this that have been known to cross species. But, just because CWD doesn't show up in humans does not necessarily mean that it has no effect. There could be other health issues that show up that seemingly have no relation to CWD, but somewhere down the line a link could be shown.
I submitted 3 heads for testing this year, a cow moose, and two buck deer. One of the deer tested positive, I suspected the other would as well because for its age it was very skinny, but the test did not come up positive. But, I watched a video about CWD testing in Wyoming, it was stated that the animal can be infected for several months without the test showing a positive.
In those three animals, I removed the head so that I could present a sample for testing. To do so, I had to cut through the spinal cord, that put my knife and hands in direct contact with spinal fluid and the spinal cord. Perhaps later I wiped my face with my hands, is that enough to transmit hazardous biological material?
I will be testing my animals in the future. Any animal that comes up positive will be incinerated. I choose not to eat something that, though the odds are low, could be deadly.
 
6724 I share your thoughts also. I have followed CWD for years. Unfortunately government in Pa. did not act when they should have. When Pa.Game Commission was discussing what to do to prevent it showing up here, their thoughts were to shutdown the game farms. I totally agreed ! The federal government stepped in and took over. I think it was DNR.

My belief is that the game farms were already big business back then. Of coarse you can’t hurt big business ! Well guess what, transportation of game animals from other states ( that were infected ) into our CWD free state is now why we have this disease which is one more reason deer hunting in Pa. is being ruined !

As in other states that have it, CWD is spreading and now our elk herd is also going to be infected ! Very soon venison will not be part of my diet anymore, so sad.
 
Interesting on what folks opinions are.
No venison,elk,deer, etc on ones menu that they “harvested” them selves.

I process all my own. I have always boned everything and never hacked or sawed through bone, except maybe a pelvis or two.

We will all go to the grocery store, restaurant fast food etc and feel perfectly safe eating there? I have been in a few kitchens of various businesses and other establishments. They have doors on them for a reason to keep prying eyes out. Those in the food industry, don’t take it personal, you know what I speak of though it does not happen at all places of business.

Have we forgotten about the mad cow issue of years past?

Do as you please and what makes you feel healthy and safe. But one should really really take a good look and think about where the food came from and how it was treated before was served or packaged.

FYI, you better add squirrels to the list. Just a while back a person dined on some and contracted some disease.
Jeff
 
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