More deer have tested positive for chronic wasting disease in Alberta, bringing the total number of cases to 53.
Six mule deer and one white-tailed deer tested positive last fall from 5,170 animal heads that hunters submitted for testing.
During February and March, Alberta Sustainable Resource Development staff shot 3,406 deer in an attempt to control the spread of the disease. Fifteen mule deer and one white-tailed deer tested positive from that hunt.
Darcy Whiteside of Sustainable
Resource Development said the results point to the need for continued hunts to control the spread of the disease from Saskatchewan to Alberta, but added the findings also have a bright side.
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“We’re still happy. It’s a low percentage.”
Most of the animals that tested positive for CWD were killed in a narrow stretch along the Saskatchewan border.
One of the positive cases was a deer shot by a hunter near Marwayne, north of Highway 16. It’s the first time a deer has tested positive for the disease that far north.
“We were hoping we wouldn’t see it that far north, but we have.”
Whiteside said he hopes the detection and elimination of animals testing positive for CWD will help convince residents of the need for the special hunt. Some residents and hunters in the area worried the hunt cost too much money, did little to control the disease and prevented professional outfitters from making a living in the area.
“We never expect to get 100 percent support for all the action we do, but we do hope there is an understanding. If we don’t do anything we know the percentage will increase. It’s a nasty disease,” Whiteside said.
“Now it’s in quite a contained area of the province and it’s only contained to deer. We don’t want it to spread to elk or across the province. It’s very important work we’re doing. We know it’s not nice work.”
The provincial government is also changing the rules to allow hunting on Sundays across most of the province.
As well, a special early primitive weapon hunt will be opened in the CWD affected area as a way to increase hunter participation. Primitive weapons include bows, black powder muzzle loaders and shotguns.
