SHIOCTON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — As the halfway point of Deer Hunt 2023 passes, those taking to the field are asked to help control the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease, or CWD.
The highly-contagious condition impacts the nervous systems of deer, elk, moose, and caribou, and there are recommended ways to dispose of those, or any deer.
The large steel dumpster has been on the job for about a week at the Shadows on the Wolf Clubhouse in Shiocton. Club President Kevin Conradt says it’s the third season the bin is there.
“If we didn’t have this, I’m assuming that a lot of the stuff would be getting dumped in ditches, thrown in the river, or a boat landing, or something else too,” said Kevin Conradt, Shadows on the Wolf President.
After the harvest, hunters are asked to throw away their deer carcass, to help slow the highly-contagious condition called Chronic Wasting Disease. Jasmine Batten is the DNR Wildlife Health Section Supervisor.
“Deer carcass parts can spread CWD. So we highly encourage hunters to make sure that any deer butcher waste that they’re moving, is disposed of, and ultimately ends up in a landfill. We certainly don’t want hunters transporting CWD home with them in the back of their truck,” said Jasmine Batten, DNR Wildlife Health Section Supervisor.
A deer carcass waste dumpster is set up next to a self-service CWD sample site at the Navarino State Wildlife Area in Shawano County. Deer Program Specialist Jeff Pritzl says hunters need to help the situation.
“We encourage people to get their deer tested, because that adds to the data base. That helps us make more informed decisions going forward. But the bottom line, the biggest factor with CWD management, is keep hunting deer, and harvesting deer, because high population densities are probably the biggest problem,” said Jeff Pritzl, DNR State Deer Program Specialist.
Back in Shiocton, this dumpster continues to fill. Kevin Conradt says the big bin is scheduled to be removed on Tuesday.
“One thing that we don’t need is people throwing their tires, or televisions in here, because once this goes to the landfill, and if they see a tv, or a tire, they might not allow us to dump there anymore. So please, if you got deer carcasses, that’s all. It’s for deer carcasses,” he said.
The DNR carcass waste dumpster program began in 2018 with about a dozen containers statewide.
Since then, that number has grown to about 100.
