Report deer on deer to help the government control the spread of deer disease | Outside

The Arkansas Game and Fisheries Commission will intensify its disease surveillance efforts starting September 17 and will be asking motorists to help by reporting any stags killed on Arkansas roads and highways.

Deer killed on the road allow biologists to monitor chronic debilitating disease throughout the state without the need to kill deer for samples.

Chris Middaugh, research biologist for the AGFC, says that road samples allow biologists to detect where CWD may have spread.

"Deer killed on the road showed a higher probability of being tested for CWD than random sampling, because deer suffering from the disease may be less suspicious of danger or react more quickly to the car. ". "Because of this greater probability, the road samples are very useful for detecting the extent of the disease."

According to AJ Riggs, wildlife health biologist for the CFGA, the increased effort in the spring and fall is correlated with the increase in the number of deer collisions during these periods.

"In the first year of sampling, which took place throughout the year, we had two peak periods for the road samples," said Riggs. "As the fawns begin to be weaned and the annual cycle of ruts starts in dollars. Deer activity increases during these periods, resulting in more collisions. "

In addition to increasing sampling opportunities, fall temperatures help preserve viable samples until staff can collect them.

"In the summer, samples can degrade in less than a day because of the heat," Riggs said. "Cooler weather definitely gives us a better percentage of viable samples through effort."

Chronic debilitating disease is a fatal neurological disease that affects members of the cervid family. It is similar to "mad cow disease" in cattle. Infected animals will not show signs of illness for a long time, but during the process they will be thin and may have weakness, abnormal behavior, excessive thirst or excessive salivation. The animals usually die shortly after the onset of these signs. To date, 355 white-tailed deer and 14 elk have been tested positive for CWD.

Report any traffic accidents to the AGFC at 1-800-482-9262 as soon as possible. Also call this number if you see deer with signs of CWD. All test options for hunters are available at www.agfc.com/cwd.