Pennsylvania Game News - December 2012 - 39

Conservation News
www.pgc.state.pa.us

First Case of Chronic Wasting Disease Found in Pennsylvania Deer

N response to the confirmation of Pennsylvania’s first case of chronic wasting disease, in a captive-born and raised deer on a farm in Adams County, Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe issued an Executive Order outlining a disease management area (DMA), which carries special restrictions in relation to deer within the DMA. The DMA boundaries are shown in the accompanying map, and encompass a nearly 600-square-mile area of Adams and York counties. As part of the order, Roe used emergency regulatory authority to set in place a variety of actions that will impact hunters. Namely: 1) Hunters within the DMA are prohibited from moving high-risk parts outside of the DMA. High-risk cervid parts include: the head (including brain, tonsils, eyes and any lymph nodes); spinal cord/backbone; spleen; skull plate with attached antlers, if visible brain or spinal cord tissue is present; cape, if visible brain or spinal cord tissue is present; upper canine teeth, if root structure or other soft tissue is present; any object or article containing visible brain or spinal cord tissue; unfinished taxidermy mounts; and brain-tanned hides. Parts not considered high-risk include: meat, without the backbone; cleaned skull plate with attached antlers, if no visible brain or spinal cord tissue is present; tanned hide or raw hide with no visible brain or spinal cord tissue present; cape, if no visible brain or spinal cord tissue is present;
DECEMBER 2012

upper canine teeth, if no root structure or other soft tissue is present; and finished taxidermy mounts. To accomplish this, the agency will contract with processors to be available at the check station to serve those hunters who plan to move their harvest outside of the DMA without taking high-risk parts with them. 2. Hunters who harvest a deer within the DMA during the twoweek firearms deer season (Nov. 26Dec. 8) are required to bring their deer to a mandatory check station so that samples can be collected for CWD testing. Deer harvested outside of the DMA will not be eligible for testing at the check station; however, hunters may get their deer checked by the Department of Agriculture’s Veterinary Laboratory, for a fee, by calling 717-787-8808. The check station is the Game Commission maintenance building on State Game Land 249, 1070 Lake Meade Road, East Berlin, Adams County. GPS coordinates for the building are 77.07280 and 39.97018. Check the agency’s website or local news media for updated information about check station hours for the regular firearms deer season, and the late archery and flintlock seasons. The benefit to the hunter is twofold: the Game Commission will cover the cost of having the animal tested, and the hunter will be notified if the deer they harvested is found to be infected with CWD. The benefit to the agency is that it will be able to test a sufficient number of deer with39

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Pennsylvania Game News - December 2012

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