The North Dakota Game and Fish Department will continue its chronic wasting disease Hunter-Harvested Surveillance program during the 2005 deer season.
Hunters are encouraged to provide samples from their deer by stopping at any of the department’s district offices and three participating national wildlife refuges – Tewaukon NWR at Cayuga, Arrowwood NWR at Pingree, and Devils Lake Wetland Management District.
Department personnel will also operate two collection sites opening weekend in Belfield at the Tesoro truck stop, and Conoco convenience store, both at the intersection of Interstate 94 and U.S. Highway 85. In addition, Game and Fish is relying heavily on cooperating meat processors, fur buyers and wildlife clubs in the 2005 surveillance units.
Meat processors participating in surveillance efforts are Aneta Meats Service, Aneta; B’s Catering, Beach; West Dakota Meats, M&M Sausage and Meats, Bismarck; K&E Meats, Cando; Barton Meats, Barlow Meat, Carrington; Double R Meats, Carson; Casselton Cold Storage, Casselton; Schmitty’s Deer Processing, Davenport; Skyberg’s Meats Inc., Devils Lake; Dean’s Meat Market, Dickinson; Karey’s Custom Meats, Dunn Center; Edgeley Meat Processing Plant, Edgeley; Ellingson Meats, Edinburg; Maple Valley Lockers, Enderlin; Prime Cut Meats, Fargo; Kuntz Butcher Shop, Glen Ullin; Manock Meats, Great Bend; Hazen Meats, Hazen; Dakota Packing, Hettinger; Mike & Vi’s Custom Sausage, Dakota Country Meats, Jamestown; LaMoure Lockers, LaMoure; Hickory Hut, Langdon; Butcher Block Meats, Mandan; Milnor Locker, Milnor; Larry’s Meat Processing, Mott; New Salem Butcher Shop, New Salem; Weber’s Meats, Reynolds; Wolf’s Processing, Scranton; Brenno Meats, Sheyenne; Valley Meat Supply, Valley City; Sagebrush Smokehouse, Watford City.
Heads will be removed on site, or hunters may drop off heads at one of the sites. Tags will remain on the ear or antler, and carcass tags will remain with the deer. Hunters will be given a temporary tag for transportation purposes.
Samples from hunter-harvested deer will be taken from animals this fall in 25 deer hunting units: 1, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F1, 2F2, 2G, 2G1, 2G2, 2L, 3B2, 3D1, 3D2, 3E1, 3E2, 3F1, 3F2, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E and 4F.
Heads can be dropped off through November at Game and Fish offices in Williston, Dickinson, Bismarck, Riverdale, Devils Lake, Harvey (Lonetree) and Jamestown.
To date, CWD has not been diagnosed in wild or farmed deer or elk in North Dakota. Test results for CWD on more than 4,000 wild deer and 80 elk harvested during the 2002-04 hunting seasons were negative.
Chronic wasting disease affects the nervous system of white-tailed deer, mule deer and elk and is fatal. Scientists have found no evidence that CWD can be transmitted naturally to humans or livestock.