Expansion of deer wasting restrictions proposed

Concerned about a fatal disease that can decimate deer and elk populations, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is proposing to expand import restrictions on deer, elk, moose and caribou carcasses.

The TWRA now does not allow whole carcasses into Tennessee from 25 states and two Canadian provinces where chronic wasting disease has been documented.

Hunters now can only bring out-of-state deer, elk, moose, or caribou back home from those states and provinces if they have been butchered or prepared based upon strict criteria, according to Tennessee Outdoor News. They may bring back meat that has bones removed, cleaned antlers, skull plates and teeth, finished taxidermy, and antler products and hides or tanned products.

The agency now is proposing to keep out whole carcasses from the entire U.S. and Canada, according to a new release.

“This change will make our import restriction rule easy to understand,” Chuck Yoest, an assistant chief in TWRA’s Wildlife Division, said in the release. “No matter where a hunter travels outside of Tennessee, import restrictions must be followed. It also helps strengthen our message about how serious this disease is.”

Chronic wasting disease is a contagious and deadly neurological disorder that affects members of the deer family known scientifically as cervids. Prions — misfolded or abnormal proteins — are responsible for transmission.

Prions are found throughout a diseased animal’s body, but are concentrated in an animal’s eyes, brain, tonsils, spleen and lymph nodes. Animals can pick up the disease from other animals or from contaminated food, water or environment. While it is considered 100 percent fatal once contracted, it is not known to harm humans or livestock.

The import restrictions aim at protecting native herds of white-tailed deer throughout Tennessee and the small population of elk in the eastern portion of the state.

“We have hunters who often return from trips with an elk, deer, moose, or even caribou carcass,” Yoest said. “We don’t want hunters to unintentionally introduce [chronic wasting disease] to Tennessee through infected tissues.”

Greg Gallman owns Sportmaster Taxidermy in Chatsworth, Ga., and said many of his customers are in the Chattanooga area. Georgia also has restrictions, and heavy fines, against bringing in whole carcasses, he said.

“I can see both sides of it,” Gallman said Friday. “I’ve had discussions with Game and Fish agents here. What happens, inevitably, is that people aren’t going to obey the law [and] carcasses are going to end up out in the woods.”

But he noted that chronic wasting disease recently has been documented in Mississippi, and the TWRA said Arkansas also has found the disease.

“It’s definitely moving east. If it ever hits here I’m out of business. Ninety-five percent of my business is deer, so I’d probably be on board with that.”

Yoest said states that have documented the disease are attempting to contain it, which is expensive and difficult.

“We also have a [chronic wasting disease] plan ready for use, but it implementing it will mean changing the way we manage our deer and elk herds and be very expensive,” Yoest said.

The amended rule will now be sent from the 13-member Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission to the state attorney general’s office for review.