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A local resident, Hal Mills, who frequently hunts with his son, Rick, in Tennessee, said he would make the adjustment this season now that an Alabama law forbids bringing a carcass back to Tennessee without pre-treatment.
The law aims to prevent the spread of chronic debilitating disease, said Kim Nix, chief of the information and education section of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources of Alabama.
Nix said Alabama already had a similar law involving the introduction of Mississippi deer. This one extends to Tennessee.
Chronic debilitating disease affects deer, elk and moose, according to information from the Chronic Disease Alliance website, cwd-info.org.
There is no evidence that the contagious neurological disease affects humans, but public health officials insist on caution while they continue to evaluate this possibility.
"They are very careful and I understand them carefully," said Mills. "I would have liked that they limit themselves to not bringing animals killed in states that already had chronic wastes disease in the state."
He said that he will have to find a transformer and a taxidermist in Tennessee. Mills said he had treated the deer alone at home, but he should do it on the ground if he wanted to, because of the new law.
Officer Chris Lewis, of the Alabama Conservation and Natural Resources Department, said that many states, including Tennessee, apply similar laws.
"It's becoming more common across the country," said Lewis. "These are small things we can do to protect the deer herd and we hope to leave the contagious infection where it is."
The archery season in the western half of Tennessee begins this weekend. The muzzle loader and archery start on Nov. 3 and the rifle, muzzle loader and archer begin Nov. 17, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Agency.
This is earlier than Alabama, where the bows season begins Oct. 15 in this state region, according to the state conservation department. The firearms season begins on November 17th.
Lewis said his department launched an advertising campaign to alert hunters about the law and the severity of the chronic debilitating disease.
He said that most hunters are aware of the intent of the law. "Most of them understand the need."
Signs of a chronic debilitating disease include a deer that looks tired and lean, "as it was withering," Lewis said.
"When a deer may be sick, we would like to know that so our biologists can get there and test it," he said.
The regulation will also require hunters to watch the clock. They will have to wonder if it is too late to kill a deer and have time to take it to a processor.
"In the past, if I killed one late in the evening, I could bring him home," said Mr. Mills.
He also fears that some people will pick a deer in the field and lay meat on it.
"If a deer has a chronic debilitating disease, it could make it fall into the ground," Mills said. "I'm going to obey the law, although it makes things a bit more difficult for us."
Joel Peters Jr., owner of Pete's Country Meats, in Loretto, Tenn., Said he was curious about what impact this would have on hunters' decisions.
"In my opinion, if they start going where they can not take deer here or there, people can get to where they will not hunt," Peters said. "Everyone has their favorite place to go for treatment, which could be very detrimental to deer hunting."
Lewis said the new law has no fine.
"Usually, the minimum is $ 25 and maximum $ 500," he said. "It's up to the judge."
Lewis said the law is in place for awareness as well as enforcement. He said that the majority of hunters want to do what is right and that it could help them know the disease and its severity.
"Most of our hunters want to do what is best for the flock and do not want to intentionally break the law," he said.
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