CWD Explosion: Protecting Deer Hunting in Connecticut

0:00It's April 28th. This is Hartford News today, driven by AI. Chronic wasting disease that fatal brain disorder hitting deer hard is exploding across the US, now in 36 states including neighbors like New York, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. It's caused by rogue preion spreading through saliva, blood, urine, and feces, wiping out deer, elk, and mousse with no cure or vaccine in sight. Officials call it the biggest threat to deer hunting ever. In Connecticut, we're still clear, no confirmed cases here or anywhere in New England. We've been testing since 2003, pulling over 10,000 samples from taxidermists, all negative. This year alone, they'll check around 400 deer heads sent to a lab in Pennsylvania. Hunters and wildlife folks are on high alert because symptoms like stumbling, drooling, and emaciations show up late after 12 to 18 months. Without a weird acting deer, reported to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection could be rabies or something else, but better safe.

1:03States are cracking down with bands on bringing in high-risk deer parts or whole carcasses from infected areas. Connecticut's strict, no imports from positive zones, and hunters caught hauling Pennsylvania bucks get busted. Federal cash, $70 million a year, through 20-28, funds research to stop the spread. Bottom line, stay vigilant out there, debone your out-of-state kills properly, test the meat before eating, and keep CWD from crossing our borders. Hunting's future depends on it.