STEVENS POINT, WI (WSAU) — A deer farm in Portage County has been depopulated of its 30 deer after 6 of them tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease.
CWD is a fatal, neurological disease of deer, elk, and moose caused by an infectious protein called a prion that affects the animal’s brain. Testing for CWD can only be performed after the animal’s death.
Leeann Duwe a public information officer for State Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection says the farm now has to follow specific instructions to make sure CWD doesn’t spread after the depopulation.
“So it’s an 11-acre property and now that all of the deer are gone the owner has to clean the property. They have to maintain the fencing on the property. And they will not be able to have any other deer on the property for 5 years.”
Duwe explains that each case of CWD at a farm is different. And that a risk assessment is made to see if depopulation is needed. “So if there is high risk then that is what leads towards depopulation. If there is low risk, or no risk that there’s no animal movement going on and if the animals are remaining where they are. Then there’s the option of them to be able to remain without depopulation.”
After a depopulation like the one in Portage County, the DNR will decide if anything needs to be done to protect wild deer from CWD according to Duwe. “That would be addressed through the Department of Natural Resources. Who monitor the states wild white-tailed deer population for CWD. And through their process, they would determine if any other testing or any other measures need to be taken from their perspective.”
Duwe says there have been a couple other deer farm depopulation’s like this throughout the year. The deer farm in Portage County was depopulated on May 1st. Once the farm is certified clean of CWD, the farmer will receive compensation for the lost deer from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
