Kerri Haacke

Biology 1610
Article Summary
This article is about results of a test and cull strategy to control the number of free ranging mule

deer with chronic wasting disease (CWD). The study took place in the western portion of

Colorado’s Game Management unit 20, consisting of Estes Park and the east side of the Rocky

Mountain National Park. Study size of roughly 7000 mule deer which represented about 5% of

the total population. The areas had varying degrees of human development. Chronic wasting

disease (CWD) occurred in the area at least two decades before this study. Tests were done

through tonsil biopsy immunohistochemistry. The study aimed to evaluate a 50% testing level,

but they shot for equal to 55% or more in anticipation that about 10% of the biopsies would be

unusable for one reason or another.

Mule deer were chemically immobilized. Samples were collected, and the deer were marked

with a telemetry device either collar, ear tag or antler tag. The tags were color coded by year and

each deer was given a unique ID number for the duration of the test. Study aimed to capture

unmarked individuals but avoid those that were less than a year and half old as the infection rate

was low in that age group. Positive tested individuals were later on tracked down and culled.

Tonsil biopsy immunohistochemistry was used to detect preclinical CWD in mule deer.

Lidocaine was applied for pain and Gelfoam used to control bleeding. Biopsies were evaluated

microscopically. Any biopsy with more than or equal to 1 lymphoid follicle was regarded as

usable. Nearly 92% of biopsies were useable and about 91% of those had more than or equal to 5

lymphoid follicles. Deer were culled about 3-6 weeks after sampling. All but 2 of these deer

were 2 years or older.

Over all selective culling did not reduce the CWD concentration in the mule deer herd.

Relatively higher annual testing of male’s vs females may also have contributed. Recapture rates

of male deer did not exceed 50%. Continuing the testing and culling over a longer period might

have been more effective or allowed time to detect responses given. It may have been better to

target the full herd instead of only half. Also testing every other year instead of every year.

Difference between sexes may also serve as a cautionary note that focusing CWD solely on the

male deer might not suppress infection among the females. With some modification of this

approach however, the test could potentially be used to augment harvest-based and environment-

based disease managements in the future.

http://www.jwildlifedis.org/doi/full/10.7589/2018-01-015?code=wdas-site

Article Reflection

In reflection on this article it was interesting to read how close to home this is because my

husband and I both hunt mule deer. But we had never heard much about CWD here in Utah. It

was a little shocking to see the numbers that were culled at the end of the test and how they were

culled. I would hope that some if not most of the meat was donated to food banks or shelters. It

was mentioned that in the regular season hunts a mix of the deer were taken infected or not, so it

makes me wonder if any of the deer that we have harvested in our hunts have had CWD. With

this test being up in Colorado it makes me wonder what the numbers would be like here in Utah

if the would be about the same or vastly different even though much of the same mountain range

is shared between the states. Reading and looking at the tables for this article make me wonder

more about it in that they mention that at a younger age (less than 2 years old) there is a low
chance of infection being found. Im curious if that is because of the herd or group that they are

with for the first few years or if it takes that time for CWD to mature in the deer. I would have

liked to have seen more of those tested and listed in their own group just to be sure on that. I also

wonder at what percentage the tagged deer were culled during the regular season hunts and how

those were tracked if at all. As it was mentioned in the article that they were marked with a

telemetry device of one type or another if those were reported back to the group or left as an

unknown. I feel like there were still quite a few ends left untied or questions unanswered in this

test.