There have been a variety of responses from local deer hunters to the preventative measures proposed by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries in regard to chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer.
A spokesman for the LDWF said the disease, for which there is no cure, has not been found in Louisiana but has been discovered in the bordering states of Texas and Arkansas. During a 10-year period the LDWF has checked more than 7,000 deer in Louisiana and has not uncovered the disease.
An importation ban on carcasses of animals of the Cervidae family (white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, moose, caribou, fallow deer, axis deer, sika deer, red deer and reindeer) harvested out of state has been proposed,
The ban would prohibit the importation of carcasses of these animals except for deboned meat, antlers, clean skull plates with antlers, cleaned skulls without tissue attached, capes, tanned hides, finished taxidermy mounts and cleaned teeth. It was proposed to assist in preventing the introduction of CWD — an infectious and fatal disease of deer — into the state’s white-tailed deer population.
The LDWF reported that the disease can be spread through direct deer-to-deer contact or through contact with urine, feces, saliva and body parts of infected deer or infectious materials in the soil. It also noted that there is no evidence that CWD can infect humans.
An informational meeting was convened Monday for area hunters and other meetings have already taken place in Minden and Woodworth with upcoming meetings in Mandeville Monday) and Lafayette (Tuesday).
Dale Bernard, one of the hunters at Monday’s meeting, said, “First of all, I agree with the LDWF. I am against bringing that disease into the state. Usually I just have the deer quartered, put it on ice and bring it home. Now, all of the processing will have to be done out of state.”
Bernard hunts the Medina area of Texas, about 50 miles southwest of San Antonio, and the 84-year-old said he has been hunting since he was 25.
“We can get our deer processed in Texas, but I can see a problem with our local taxidermists and (meat) processors,” he said.
One taxidermist, Rocke Fournet, said the ban could potentially be devastating to all in his field.
“Most people don’t have the expertise to cut out a deer for mounting,” he said, adding that about 75 percent of his shoulder mounts of deer come from out of state.
He also noted that with local hunters having to get deer heads mounted in other areas, it will have a trickle down affect in his business.
Alex Soileau, who processes deer himself, said, “Overall the changes proposed are consistent with what other states are doing, in particular Arkansas, where I hunt. I think it is good that Louisiana acts in the best interest of our deer herd, which it appears we are trying to do. Now, I would need to debone the deer prior to heading home. I already debone for processing after I am home … just need to do it earlier. The question will come if I ever kill one I want to mount. If I want to use a local taxidermist like Steve German, I will need to cape it out and cut off the skull cap. This is a little different but I will figure it out when that happens.”
Jason Guillory, who hunts in the George West area of Texas (about hour and a half northwest of Corpus Christi), said, “I like to bring my deer to people I know (to get it processed).”
The process of this new proposal is ongoing and hunters can make their opinions known through conversation with members of the LDWF commission which will have to rule on the ban. The chairman of the committee is local lawyer Bart Yakupzack.
Also, comment can be made in writing to Johnathan Bordelon, LDWF Wildlife Division, P.O. Box 9800, Baton Rouge, LA 70898-9000, by email to jbordelon@wlf.la.gov or by phone (225-765-2344).
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