Deer hunting can slow spread of chronic wasting disease

Consistent, high levels of buck hunting over two decades can limit the spread of the deadly chronic wasting disease. In a study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, researchers analyzed chronic wasting disease (CWD) trends across 10 mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) herds in eastern Wyoming that experienced different levels of hunting. “We found that harvesting a high proportion of the adult males in the herd—around 40% every year for 20 years—is expected to keep chronic wasting disease infections at low numbers,” said Wynne Moss, lead author and USGS scientist, in a press release. Lower hunting rates were associated with higher levels of disease. Researchers noted that hunting is more likely to slow the spread of chronic wasting disease than eradicate it, though. Scientists have found CWD in at least six countries, four Canadian provinces and 36 U.S. states. There are currently no vaccines or treatments for the prion pathogen.

Read more at the U.S. Geological Survey.