Environment DEC
From the October 2005 issue
DEC Reminds Hunters about CWD Protocols
With archery deer hunting season now open in the Northern Zone, Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Acting Commissioner Denise M. Sheehan reminds deer hunters who plan to hunt in the Oneida-Madison counties CWD containment area that new regulations are in effect this fall. The regulations are intended to minimize the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD), a central nervous system disease which affects deer and elk. CWD was documented in two wild deer in the Oneida-Madison counties area last April-the only occurrences in wild deer to date in the state.
The CWD containment area includes Oneida County municipalities, including the cities of Rome, Sherrill, and Utica, as well as the towns of Annsville, Augusta, Floyd, Kirkland, Lee, Marcy, New Hartford, Trenton, Vernon, Verona, Vienna, Western, Westmoreland and Whitestown. In addition, the Madison County towns of Lenox and Stockbridge and the City of Oneida are also included.
Mandatory Checks Required
The new regulations affect how hunter-harvested deer and specific deer parts may be processed, transported and disposed of within the CWD containment area. This includes mandatory checks of hunter-harvested deer. Hunters who harvest deer from the Oneida-Madison containment area are required to bring the whole field-dressed animal to the DEC check station or cooperating facility for examination no later than 5:00 PM on the day after the deer was taken.
During this examination, tissue samples will be extracted for CWD testing and the remainder of the carcass will be returned to the hunter. If desired, the antlers and skull cap will also be returned. Hunters wishing to have their trophy mounted will be referred to a cooperating taxidermist in the containment area who will professionally cape their deer for mounting by a taxidermist of their choice.
Test results will be used to determine the frequency and distribution of the disease, and to guide appropriate deer management decisions. To date, only two of 444 wild deer collected from the containment area have tested positive for CWD. Test results will also be available to hunters after one week. Test results can be obtained via DEC's Website, by looking up the hunters document (DOC) number that appears on the deer carcass tag, or by calling 1-866-NYS-CWD1 (697-2931).
New Deer Check Station
A newly constructed deer check station-located on Hoag Road, three miles southwest of downtown Rome off State Route 365-has been open for seven days per week since September 27, and will remain open through December 21. Normal hours of operation are from noon to 7:00 PM. However, during peak deer harvest periods, such as the Northern Zone muzzle loader season (October 15-25) and the first 10 days of the Southern Zone regular gun season (November 19-28), the station will operate under extended hours, from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Other periods of extended operation are yet to be determined. To contact the check station, call 315-336-4809.
In addition, cooperating venison processors within the CWD containment area will serve as alternate check station facilities. Hunters bringing deer to these processors will be in compliance with the current regulations. The current list of cooperating facilities within the CWD containment area includes:
- Ron Seelman, Marcy, 315-865-5898
- Terri Sciortino, Marcy, 315-865-6404
- MaryAnn Jones, Marcy, 315-865-4311
- Bill Marcellus, Lee Center, 315-336-9145
- Daryl Curtis, Verona, 315-363-2763
- Megosh Custom Cutting, Westmoreland, 315-725-3465
Successful hunters should contact the cooperating facility before delivering their deer. Hunters who have their deer checked at one of the above venison processors will not need to report to the DEC check station.
Other Restrictions
In addition to the mandatory deer check, the new regulations affect hunters by prohibiting the movement of whole deer and certain deer parts, including the spinal cord, specific head parts (brain, eyes, tonsils, lymph nodes) and internal organs (intestinal tract, spleen) from the CWD containment area. This means that hunters who harvest a deer within the CWD containment area will be able to transport their venison outside the containment area only after these parts have been removed. Other provisions of the new regulations include prohibitions on the possession of road-killed deer, and the collection, sale or transport of deer urine taken from within the CWD containment area. These and other CWD-related regulations are detailed on page 31 of the 2005-2006 Hunting Regulations Guide and on DEC's Website.
More Information
For more information, contact DEC's Region 6 Wildlife offices in Watertown at 315-785-2261 or Utica at 315-793-2556.
