Pennsylvania Game News - November 2018 - 23

PENNSYLVANIA'S DMAS
Disease Management Areas are drawn to provide a buffer around CWD-positive animals that have
been detected. Because of this, the boundaries sometimes expand due to new CWD detections. The
boundaries of both DMAs 2 and 3 have expanded since last year at this time, and a new DMA - DMA 4
in parts of Lancaster, Lebanon and Berks counties - was established due to a CWD-positive deer being
detected at a captive deer farm. With the recent expansions, DMA 2 now includes parts of Juniata, Mifflin
and Perry counties, in addition to all or parts of Adams, Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Clearfield, Cumberland,
Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon and Somerset counties. DMA 3 now includes parts of Armstrong, Cambria
and Clarion counties, as well as parts of Clearfield, Indiana and Jefferson counties. The most up-to-date
DMA maps and descriptions always can be found on the CWD page at www.pgc.pa.gov. Hunters always
should check recent changes to DMA boundaries that might affect how they must handle deer they harvest.

And, surely, any impacts on deer would
have impacts on deer hunters.
If CWD were to spread statewide and
deer numbers, in fact, dropped as a result,
hunter participation could decline. And
while there's never been a documented
human case of CWD, escalating health
concerns over CWD and eating venison
could have the same impact.
That would negatively affect all of
Pennsylvania's wildlife.
The conservation of all wildlife is
funded primarily through the sale of hunting and furtaker licenses, and excise taxes
placed on sporting arms and ammunition.
Deer hunting plays a huge role in that.
And while the Game Commission is
responsible for managing CWD among
free-ranging deer, and managing all of
the state's wildlife for current and future
generations, it is the public who ultimately
will determine the disease's fate.
"In order to be successful at managing this disease, the Game Commission
needs hunters' support in efforts to
minimize chronic wasting disease risks
to Pennsylvania's deer and elk herd," said
Christopher Rosenberry, who supervises
the Game Commission's deer and elk
section. "The risks are significant, and the
potential outcomes, if nothing is done, are
not encouraging."
NOVEMBER 2018

CWD's slow-creeping nature might
leave many with the impression the
threat it poses isn't imminent. It might
be difficult for some to understand the
importance of preventing the disease from
spreading.
But not only is preventing CWD's
spread to new areas the best way to protect
deer and preserve the deer-hunting status
quo elsewhere in the state, it's the best
way to eradicate the disease if a cure is
ever developed, Game Commission elk
biologist Jeremy Banfield said.
"There is still hope that a live-animal
test, or perhaps even a cure, could be
developed in the future," Banfield said.
"Mitigating the impacts of chronic wasting disease to Pennsylvania deer and elk
to the greatest extent possible will benefit
us as new technologies and approaches to
controlling the disease become available.
"We have a responsibility to do what
we can now to reduce risks, so it's potentially that much easier to combat in the
future," he said.
By preventing the spread of chronic
wasting disease now, we are not only
protecting our deer herd, but also fighting to protect the tradition of hunting for
future generations.
Courtney Colley is the Game Commission's CWD Communications Specialist.
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Pennsylvania Game News - November 2018

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