Pennsylvania Game News - August 2019 - 40

go to www.pgc.pa.gov. While the 201920 Pennsylvania Hunting & Trapping
Digest once again is being provided
free-of-charge to license buyers, in part
to increase awareness of CWD and CWD
management, updated DMA information
could not be included because it wasn't
available by the print deadline.
DMA 2 now covers more than 6,715
square miles, an expansion of 2,101
square miles since last year. DMA 2
now includes all or parts of Adams,
Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Centre,
Clearfield, Cumberland, Franklin,
Fulton, Huntingdon, Indiana, Juniata,
Mifflin, Perry, Snyder, Somerset and
Westmoreland counties. This expansion
largely is due to the discovery of two
new CWD cases in Juniata and Perry
counties. Each of these cases is 20 miles
or more away from the nearest previously
documented case. Both of these deer were
adults and one was displaying clinical
symptoms of CWD at the time of death,
which suggests CWD is established in
the area and other deer in the area might
already be infected.
CWD-infected deer, on average, do not
display clinical symptoms of disease for
18 to 24 months.
DMA 3 has expanded by 203 square
miles and now covers more than 1,119
square miles, due to the discovery
of CWD in a captive deer facility in
Clearfield County. The captive facility
will remain under quarantine for five
years from the date the positive test was
confirmed. DMA 3 now includes all or
parts of Armstrong, Clarion, Clearfield,
Jefferson and Indiana counties.
The Pennsylvania Department of
Agriculture in February announced that a
buck tested positive for CWD on a hunting
preserve near Curwensville. Shortly after,
the Game Commission warned the public
40

that this positive would push the DMA
into the elk range. However, after careful
consideration, the Game Commission has
opted to keep DMA 3 south of Interstate
80 and out of the elk range.
Game Commission CWD Coordinator
Jared Oyster explained the justification
behind this decision.
"Our first thought was to extend the
DMA boundary into the elk range,"
Oyster said. "However, after looking into
the issue further, we decided it was best to
keep the DMA boundary at I-80.
"If we would have extended the
boundary into the elk range, it would
have created several difficulties and
risks, including the fact that elk hunters
would not legally be able to transport
their carcass to the mandatory check
station, located in Benezette," Oyster
said. "Deer hunters within the DMA
also would have been able to legally
transport high-risk parts into a portion
of the elk range, increasing the chance
of CWD being introduced to that area.
And, there were very few meat processors
and taxidermists in that area to help. All
of that said, we have plans to increase
surveillance and collect additional CWD
samples in the portion of the DMA
bordering the elk range, so if it is present
we can detect it as soon as possible."
Hunters are prohibited from exporting
high-risk parts from DMAs. High-risk
parts include: the head (more specifically
the brain, eyes, tonsils, lymph nodes);
spinal cord/backbone; spleen; skull plate
with attached antlers, if visible brain or
spinal cord material is present; cape,
if visible brain or spinal cord material
is present; upper canine teeth, if root
structure or other soft material is present;
any object or article containing visible
brain or spinal cord material; and braintanned hide.
http://www.pgc.pa.gov
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2019

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