What Mississippi deer hunters need to know about MDWFP's plan for wasting disease testing
As chronic wasting disease spreads in deer populations in the Southeast, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks is modifying its strategy for collecting tissue samples for testing.
"We have a list of taxidermists that are cooperating with us statewide that are assisting with taking CWD samples," said William McKinley, MDWFP Deer Program coordinator. "We've offered them $10 per sample for antlered bucks.
"We're putting out a drag-net to try to find this disease. Three-quarters of our positives are bucks, so taxidermists are a great source for gaining samples."
In the past, MDWFP has worked with taxidermists to collect tissue samples. Hunters who wanted their deer tested could request it when dropping off a deer head for mounting with a participating taxidermist and MDWFP personnel would go to the businesses and collect tissue samples for testing.
Under the new plan, taxidermists may choose to collect samples themselves and McKinley hopes it will encourage more taxidermists to participate and provide more hunters a convenient option to have their deer tested. Testing is free of charge for hunters.
"We're trying to detect the spread across the state and it is spreading," McKinley said.
Chronic wasting disease is caused by rogue proteins that effectively eat holes in the brains of white-tailed deer and other cervids. It is always fatal and the first known case in Mississippi was discovered in 2018.
McKinley said all southeastern states where CWD has been detected have found the disease in additional counties in roughly the last year, including in Mississippi. He said Mississippi now has a total of 87 known cases of CWD with four of those detected this deer season.
McKinley said it's important to know where the disease is so CWD management practices can be put in place to slow its spread. In counties where it is detected and adjoining countieswithin 10 miles of the location the disease is found, supplemental feeding and mineral sites are banned. Also, if harvested in a CWD management zone, transporting a deer carcass outside of the zone is banned with exceptions.
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Carcass transportation exceptions for CWD management zones
Meat from cervids that has been completely deboned, or bone-in quarters with no part of the spinal column or head attached.
Antlers, antlers attached to cleaned skull plates or cleaned skulls where no tissue is attached to the skull.
Cleaned teeth.
Finished taxidermy and antler products.
Hides and tanned products.
Any portions of white-tailed deer originating from land outside of a MDWFP-defined CWD management zone between the Mississippi River levees in Arkansas and Louisiana.
Hunters may only transport a deer head outside of a MDWFP-defined CWD Management Zone to a permitted taxidermist participating in the CWD collection program. A CWD sample number must be obtained from the participating taxidermist prior to transporting the deer head outside of the MDWFP-defined CWD management zone. This sample number must accompany the deer head while in transport and be available for inspection by law enforcement upon request. The deer head must be delivered to the participating taxidermist within five days of receiving the sample number.
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Also, hunters within three miles of a location where CWD has been detected may apply for tags allowing them to harvest more deer than the statewide bag limit allows. Hunters who receive tags may hunt with a weapon of choice during deer season. McKinley said the additional harvest in those areas will help reduce transmission of the disease by removing more infected deer.
"Last year those tags resulted in one-third of the positives detected in the state," McKinley said. "This year three of the four positives have been harvested using those tags. That tells me it's working."
McKinley noted that unlike in years past, there are no days when it is mandatory for hunters to submit tissue samples from deer they have harvested because of low participation. Those wanting to have their deer tested may deposit the heads with six inches of neck attached in freezers provided by the agency.
"As we evaluate year after year, we're looking for the most efficient method of sampling," McKinley said. "We have 51 drop-off locations scattered across the state."
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Taxidermists participating in CWD testing program
Crisp, Tucker, 601-597-4821, Adams County
Thrasher, Jeremy, 662-664-1000, Alcorn County
Anders, Brian, 601-248-6945, Amite County
Piraino, Greg, 601-300-9536, Amite County
Watts, Jewel, 601-783-0242, Amite County
McElroy, Chris, 662-385-3994, Attala County
Holder, Tony, 601-416-4571, Attala County
Putt, Rodney, 601-416-4070, Attala County
King, Jeff, 662-223-676, Benton County
Nelson, Jim, 662-721-3726, Bolivar County
Belcher, Jay, 601-917-2910, Clarke County
Wimberly, Luke, 601-845-6822, Clarke County
Bridges, John Mark, 601-826-7888, Copiah County
Walker, Jeffery Nick, 601-517-3509, Covington County
Williams, Hunter, 901-413-4643, Desoto County
Turner Brothers, 601-583-2638, Forrest County
Bateman, Carl, 601-320-6209, Franklin County
Crane, Ty, 228-990-1997, George County
Taylor, Michael. 228-493-4805, Hancock County
Vuyovich, Dale, 228-697-3169, Harrison County
Heasley, Dan, 601-259-7826, Hinds County
McGuire, Jimmy, 601-405-1077, Hinds County
Hogue, Troy, 662-255-6070, Itawamba County
Hughes, Greg, 662-282-5154, Itawamba County
Mears, Ben, 662-282-4594, Itawamba County
Davis, Terry Joe, 228-475-7576, Jackson County
Mallette, Lester, 228-588-2442, Jackson County
Morrison, Jesse, 228-219-3977, Jackson County
Stephens, Tyler, 601-319-2418, Jones County
Harper, Walter. 601-596-6018, Lamar County
Myrick, Stacee, 601-543-3609, Lamar County
Ingraham, Donald Justin, 601-507-1635, Leake County
Lewis, Ty, 601-728-0882, Leake County
Carr, Brian, 662-213-1651, Lee County
Alderman, Hunter, 662-299-1228, Leflore County
Melton, Jerry G., 662-451-1458, Leflore County
Shute, John, 662-299-5443, Leflore County
Boyd, Billy, 601-757-1354, Lincoln County
Morgan, Allen, 601-835-8542, Lincoln County
Opdyke, Brent, 601-624-0574, Lincoln County
Studdard, Jerry, 662-356-6231, Lowndes County
Underhill, James, 662-251-7351, Lowndes County
Jenkins, Kenneth, 601-503-4697, Madison County
Hill, Jason, 901-828-9879, Marshall County
Allen,Tim, 662-544-1321, Marshall County
Smith , Ray, 662-640-5628, Monroe County
Surrett, Darrell, 662-312-1339, Montgomery County
Atkins,Tommy Luke, 601-416-0350, Neshoba County
Heflin, David, 601-656-3036, Neshoba County
Murphey, Edward, 601-513-4813, Newton County
Atkins, Luke, 601-416-0350, Newton County
James, Leland D., 662-418-8707, Oktibbeha County
Wilson, Benjamin, 662-609-9974, Panola County
Capwell, Tony, 662-563-8038, Panola County
Hoff, Robert, 662-654-0518, Panola County
Beebe, Robert, 601-798-9532, Pearl River County
Huye, John III, 601-749-3796, Pearl River County
Fauver, Dylan, 662-760-7495, Pontotoc County
Dye, Joseph, 662-760-9954, Pontotoc County
Rogers, Rodney, 662-488-1294, Pontotoc County
Russell, Gene, 662-419-1199, Pontotoc County
Hopkins, Chris, 769-218-7800, Rankin County
Necaise, Samuel, 601-916-1789, Rankin County
White, James, 601-540-4759, Rankin County
Key, Jackie, 601-750-9889, Rankin County
Solomon, John Ellis Jr., 601-824-0476, Rankin County
Woods, Tim, 662-873-4648, Sharkey County
Brown, Bobby, 601-847-5518, Simpson County
Howe, Amanda, 662-292-0651, Tate County
Fletcher, Kenny, 870-872-7501, Tate County
Savage, Lamar, 662-719-6527, Tate County
Thompson, Mason, 417-293-2521, Tate County
Bateman, Randy, 662-512-8512, Tippah County
Nelson, Trent, 662-396-1238, Tippah County
Busby, Carolynn, 662-279-7710, Tishomingo County
Burcham, Hayward D., 662-279-4955, Tishomingo County
Witt, Paul, 662-454-3519, Tishomingo County
Ausburn, Steve, 662-538-5249, Union County
Windham, Sheldon, 662-534-0382, Union County
Fuson, Michael Ray, 601-218-1875, Warren County
George, Steven, 601-831-0789, Warren County
Cochran, Jerry, 601-735-5415, Wayne County
Russell, Johnathan, 225-245-0092, Wilkinson County
Belk, Robert, 601-218-1714, Yazoo County
Permitted taxidermists wanting to participate should call 601-432-2199 or visit www.mdwfp.com. As more taxidermists participate, they will be added to the list available at www.mdwfp.com.
Contact Brian Broom at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com. Follow Clarion Ledger Outdoors on Facebook and @BrianBroom on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: What Mississippi deer hunters need to know about CWD management plan