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Pete Warner | BDN
This group connects to a nearby group of hunters in northeastern Somerset County during the October 2017 moose hunt.
Wildlife officials in Maine Thursday put in place an emergency rule to protect the Maine deer herd after the discovery of a case of chronic debilitating disease in a captive deer in Quebec.
An exemption allowing the importation of deer carcasses from Quebec and other provinces into Maine has been removed, according to the Maine Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. The new rule makes it illegal to put on carcasses or deer parts, except as follows:
– boneless meat, correctly identified and labeled;
– hardwoods;
– caps with or without wood, freed of their brain and other tissues;
– Capes and skins without skull;
– The teeth;
– The finished taxidermy is mounts.
The rule also prohibits the importation into Maine of carcasses and parts of cervids that are transported by Maine to the Canadian provinces and other states, with the exception of New Hampshire.
Chronic wasting disease is a fatal neurological disease that affects white-tailed deer, moose and other deer, including caribou and elk. It was not detected in deer in New Hampshire or Maine, although it ended up in New York. Earlier this year, he was found at a deer's captive herd located north of Montreal.
"Chronic debilitating disease is the most serious threat to our deer and moose populations in modern times," DIF & W Commissioner Chandler Woodcock said in a statement. "If left unchecked, this disease could devastate Maine deer and moose populations and ravage Maine hunters and wildlife watch communities."
Research shows that the disease is caused by a mutant protein called prion, which can spread in saliva, blood, urine, stool, velvet antler and body fat, according to the Wildlife Department . There is no cure or treatment for the disease.
The department urges hunters to help stop the spread of the disease by following the guidelines below:
– Do not use lures or urine-based fragrances. Chronic debilitating disease can be introduced into the soil with these odors and lures and remain dormant for years before infecting a herd of deer. Many, if not all, of these products are derived from deer in captivity, where the risk of infection is greatest. Although currently legal, avoid using these products to protect the Maine moose and deer herd.
– Comply with the laws and rules for the importation of deer, moose and elk harvested from any state or province (except New Hampshire). The disease is transmitted in the brain and spinal cord of infected deer. It is extremely important that these parts are not transported across state and provincial borders.
– Report deer that appear sick, weak or hungry to the Maine Wildlife Department so that the animal can be screened for chronic debilitating disease. Early detection is the key to stopping its spread.
– Avoid feeding deer and encourage your friends and neighbors to do the same. The diet artificially concentrates the deer, creating conditions increasing the risk of disease transmission. The diet also attracts deer long distances, increasing the likelihood that the disease will establish in Maine.
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