Posted: 6/27/2007 8:00:43 PM EDT
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One of my friends asked me about going hunting out west with him next year. We used to go every year, but lots of family stuff intervened and we just have not gone in a while. We are looking at two options right now: a ranch we last hunted on 8 years ago and BLM lands. Both areas exceed 20,000 acres and there is plenty of game on both. The BLM property is good and we probably would not see much traffic where we would be going. But, the ranch is much, much better. I have hunted there numerous times in the past and it is truly an epic place to hunt. Great scenery, lots of good hiking in the mountains & valleys, really big game and no motorized vehicles allowed. The catch is that CWD was detected last year in one of the deer taken from the area of the ranch where we would probably be. No CWD detected on animals from the BLM area. I have read up on CWD and understand that it should not be a problem, but still... would the CWD issue sway your decision? Opinions/thoughts??? |
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I never worry about it. If you hunt in an area that is flaged for the disease DOW requires you to submit the head for testing and it's free. If you hunt an area that is not flaged for it then if you want it tested it will cost you $15. I shot a buck a few years ago in an area right next to an area that was known to have infected animals so I had mine tested and it came back negative. |
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Wouldn't deter me from going in the least. However, read up on local state laws on importing game over state lines and into your state. This has become a huge issue in many places. There are several states that have stringent restrictions and specify which states game coming from are affected. You'll still be able to keep your meat, but absolutely no bone is allowed to be transported. Also, if this is a trophy hunt and you're expecting a mount, this could cause issues. Make sure you check into that aspect and factor it into your decision. |