OCONTO COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The 2019 deer hunt begins in less than ten days, and efforts are underway to keep chronic wasting disease from spreading through the deer population.
The DNR is asking hunters to drop off dead deer in 18-foot steel dumpsters this year. DNR Wildlife Biologist Dave Halfmann says it’s part of an effort to slow the spread of CWD.
“The idea is to keep that deer waste after hunters have butchered their deer, from being dumped back out on the landscape,” Halfmann says.
CWD is a fatal condition affecting the nervous systems of deer, elk, and moose. It’s also highly contagious and can linger in soil or infected dead deer.
Self-serve kiosks are now set up around the state so hunters can get their deer tested.
“Inside the kiosk, or freezer, are all the supplies that they need. There’s a data sheet that’s very important to be filled out. And there’s a garbage bag to put the deer head in,” says Halfmann.
Halfmann says test results should take about nine days.
This all comes as part of the second-year adopt-a-dumpster program. Jim Trochta of the Oconto County Sportsmen’s Club Alliance says they’re sponsoring six dumpsters in the area.
“Every business, or township we went to were very supportive. It was very easy, once they heard about it, they’re saying yeah, let’s do it,” Trochta says, “We have responsibilities, and if we want to continue with our deer hunting heritage, everybody has to step up.”
