Contact John Culclasure, Central Appalachian States Manager
On May 24, the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission approved deer hunting regulation changes in an effort to limit the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) and minimize its impact on Tennessee’s deer herd.
In the three southwestern Tennessee counties where CWD has been confirmed (Fayette, Hardeman and Madison) and in counties within 10 miles of locations where deer have tested positive for CWD (Chester, Haywood, McNairy, Shelby and Tipton), the Commission approved the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency’s (TWRA) recommendation to create a new CWD deer hunting unit. In Unit CWD, the following regulations apply:
The establishment of Unit CWD follows previous action by the Commission aimed at limiting the spread of CWD after the disease was confirmed in Tennessee in December 2018.
A contagious, fatal disease in cervids with no known cure or vaccine, CWD has the potential to severely impact deer and elk populations in the Volunteer State. To date, CWD has been detected in 26 states and several Canadian provinces. Controlling the spread of CWD and providing additional resources for research is a priority for the hunting conservation community with many groups supporting recently introduced federal CWD legislation.
Studies conducted at both the state and federal level have found that the number of hunters and trappers have been on a generally declining trend over the past several decades. To increase recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) of hunters and trappers, which initiative do you think would have the greatest impact?
