Pratt County became the 21st county in Kansas to confirm the disease.
A nonresident shot a 3 1/2-year-old doe Dec. 1 in Pratt County, Kansas, during rifle season. According to a report from the Pratt Tribune, the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism recently confirmed it tested positive for chronic wasting disease.
The state had already seen CWD recorded in 20 other counties, but this was the first case in Pratt County.
A total of 37 deer tested positive for the disease this year in Kansas, meaning it’s undoubtedly spreading throughout the state.
There have been reports of a possible solution to the nationwide CWD crisis, but as it stands, the disease as much of a problem as it’s always been. The Centers for Disease Control adamantly urges hunters have their deer tested and avoid eating any CWD-positive deer.
“We like to err on the side of caution,” Shane Hesting, KDWPT wildlife disease specialist, told the Pratt Tribune. “We don’t recommend eating any sick wildlife.”
No case of CWD has ever transferred to a human, but biologists fear humans who consume the meat could experience effects down the road.
According to the report, local hunters Rocky and Rusty Robinson each took deer this season in western Kansas. They had never tested deer before, as their Kansas deer always looked healthy. However, after hearing about CWD spreading as much as it has, they decided to play it safe.
To their surprise, both came back positive, so they disposed of the meat at a landfill.
“It’s a tough decision to take it to the landfill. It’s not something we do lightly or like to do,” Rocky said. “I wouldn’t want to feed it to my family.”
Get every deer tested!
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