Texas Parks and Wildlife Department met for a work session on January 20, 2016. This report covers only the update on the Department’s Response to Chronic Wasting Disease. The full agenda can be seen here.
CWD Response, Clayton Wolf
- Update on CWD Response
- June 30, 2015 CWD was confirmed at breeding facility in Medina County
- Temporarily halted all deer movement because vast majority of facilities were connected to this facility by at least two degrees
- Since June, 128 of 177 facilities have been cleared and 49 still have hold orders
- September 19, CWD was found at Lavaca Deer Breeding Facility
- Previously we were sampling about 2,400 samples a year, but now we are aiming for about 8,000 a year
- We are currently over 10,000 samples and have more to go
- We are below target in Lower Panhandle area and will continue to target MLD properties and road kills, but for vast majority of Texas, we have done great job of getting samples
- We have outsourced some samples to keep up with the number and different testing methodologies are under consideration
- Proposed to Deer Management Permit Regulations Process
- Emergency rules are effective initially for 120 days and can be extended up to 60 extra days
- Commission is scheduled to adopt new rules this Spring
- We are seeking adoption of interim DMP rules tomorrow
- March 21 is when we hope to come with DMP, TTT, TTP, and Carcass Transport Rules, but DMP rules are the priority
- DMP rules
- TC 1 deer do not have to be tested
- Some testing is required for TC 2 deer – 50% of hunter harvested answers
- TC 3 deer, 100% of hunter harvested deer must be tested
- Breeding facility takes on classification of lowest tier facility that it has received deer from
- Question: are all DMP properties high fence?
- Yes
- Question: Have there been any additional cases of CWD?
- Only the cases in the Medina County and the Lavaca County facilities
- In addition to our 10,000 samples we are sending in, deer breeders are also sending samples
- Question: What are the costs of the test samples?
- We pay $30/sample because of a deal we have
- We have a federal aid grant that covers 75% of the costs
- We’ve been “scratching around” for state match
- Question: How do we treat situations where a portion of a contiguous land mass has some low fence area and some high fence area
- Would have to get somebody else to get that answer because that is something we have wrestled with
- Question: How large is the Lavaca County Facility
- It is just a deer breeding facility, not a release site, so there is not much acreage
- Proposed rules will be heard tomorrow for public comment and action