OCONTO COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – An effort to manage a deadly deer disease is getting results in the Northwoods.
By throwing deer carcasses into big metal bins, the Department of Natural Resources hopes to slow the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease and help lessen roadside pollution as well.
At the Oconto Falls Ranger Station, Dennis DeJardin tells FOX 11 he’s tossed away what’s left of what he calls a successful Deer Hunt 2019.
“This is a good deal here, to bring them over here to be able to get rid of them.”.
The Adopt-a-Dumpster Program is part of a DNR initiative to help manage the spread of CWD. The deadly affliction affects the nervous systems of deer, elk, and moose.
DNR Wildlife Biologist Dave Halfmann tells FOX 11 CWD is highly contagious, and throwing away carcasses can keep the disease from spreading. There are 86 dumpsters statewide, including eight in Northeast Wisconsin.
“The dumpster program was a huge success. All the dumpsters generated at least some waste. A couple of spots have been dumped twice already so, tons of waste basically have been for sure properly disposed of.”
Halfmann says the dumpsters serve another purpose as well.
“We talked to conservation wardens in the area, and they’re not seeing the usual waste, deer waste, put on roadsides and town roads.”
The DNR says there was some concern other items would end up in the dumpsters, but Halfmann says so far, so good.
“There’s been some other debris. People cleaning out their cars, or their garage a little bit. But for the most part, it’s probably 80-90 percent deer waste.”
Dennis DeJardin agrees.
“It just stops a lot of people from dumping them on somebody else’s property, or I see them laying along the road quite a bit here through the years, so yeah, I think it’s a good deal.”
Two deer dumpsters will be open until December 18th at the DNR offices in Oconto Falls, and Peshtigo.
Many of the other bins have been hauled away because of weather concerns.
