Officials taking action over CWD concerns
State agriculture officials depopulated a Mineral Point deer farm last week over chronic wasting disease concerns, the second such action at a Wisconsin captive cervid facility in two months.
In the most recent move, 103 deer were killed at Windy Ridge Whitetails in Mineral Point.
The facility had the animals contained in a 15-acre fenced area.
The deer were lethally-removed because 11 Windy Ridge animals sold last year to a shooting preserve in Waupaca County were determined to be CWDpositive, according to the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
The shooting preserve, Hunt’s End Deer Ranch near Ogdensburg, has had at least 12 deer test positive for the disease but is still operating. It allows paying customers to shoot deer in a fenced, 84acre area.
Windy Ridge Whitetails has kept deer since 2003, according to state records.
The Mineral Point depopulation comes on the heels of the removal of deer from a Bayfield County shooting preserve called Copper Hills.
That facility drew scrutiny after a deer in its Washington County source herd tested positive for CWD.
As of May 18, 16 white-tailed deer had been killed at Copper Hills, according to state officials.
In addition, four deer were found dead in the 100-acre enclosure, which leaves four deer unaccounted for.
Chronic wasting disease testing has been completed on 17 of the Copper Hills animals; all were negative, according to the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
Two test results are pending and one animal was found too decomposed to be tested.
Both the owners of Copper Hills and Windy Ridge Whitetails will receive compensation for the depopulations.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is paying indemnity for the Bayfield County depopulation, according to state officials.
Windy Ridge Whitetails will be paid from a combination of state and federal funds, said Paul McGraw, a state veterinarian. The amount of compensation hasn't been determined.
State statute allows a maximum payment of $1,500 per animal in such cases.
Prior to this year, the most recent deer farm depopulation occurred in November 2015 at Fairchild Whitetails in southeastern Eau Claire County. The agency killed 228 deer at the facility; more than two dozen deer tested CWD-positive.
The state paid Fairchild Whitetails $298,000 in indemnity in that case.
Despite the two recent deer farm depopulations, McGraw said there has been no change in the agency's policy.
"Each (CWD-)positive farm is evaluated on a case by case basis and is treated according to state statute and administrative rule," McGraw said in an email.
As of March 8, Wisconsin had 376 registered deer farms, including 64 shooting preserves.
Thirteen captive herds in the state have been depopulated due to disease concerns.
No license or park pass required: Saturday and next Sunday is Free Fun Weekend in Wisconsin.
No fishing license is needed to fish any state waters. This includes inland trout and Great Lakes trout and salmon fishing, which normally would require a trout stamp in addition to a license. Fishing rules such as size and species limits still apply, however.
In addition, no fee will be charged to use DNR-owned state trails or enter state parks.
Further, ATV registration and trail pass fees are waived.
Fishing equipment is available for loan at more than 50 state parks, DNR offices, and partner organizations, and free fishing clinics are scheduled at many state parks and popular waters, including High Cliff, Kohler-Andrea, Lakeshore state parks and the southern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest.
More information is available at