NADeFA Fall 2023 Magazine by VMG Publishing

FALL 2023

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North American Deer Farmer

CONTENTS FEATURES 18

Hemorrhagic Disease in Whitetailed Deer EHDV vs. BTV By Ashley Petersen, M.S.

Thank You For All You Do For The Cervide Industry By Robert Sergi and Jake Badger

Capture Myopathy in Farmed Whitetailed Deer By Juan M. Campos Krauer DVM, PhD

NADR Acquires Game Management Solutions (GMS) By Gary Cook

110

USAHA Farmed Cervidae Committee 2023 Meeting By CHeRI

APHIS Provides More Than $12 Million in Funding to Control & Prevent CWD

2023 Spending Plans for the Farmed Cervid CWD Management and Response Activities

2023 Spending Plans for the Wild Cervid CWD Management and Response Activities

2023 Spending Plans for the Tribal Nations Wild Cervid CWD Management and Response Activities

CWD Genetic Resistance Project at NADC By Eric Cassmann and Justin Greenlee

Pasteurella By Cervid Solutions Member Spotlight: Lincoln J Dice A Deer Farmer in Training

By Glenn Dice 102

Insecticide Resistance By CheRI

110

Special Youth Challenge Hunt / Legends Ranch By The Wildlife Center at Legends Ranch

114

30+ Deer Found Dead in Pennsylvania By Megan Swinney

116

USDA Update on Progress of a Live Animal Test By Davin Henderson and Dr. Siddra Hines

REGISTRATION 32

Booth Map

Donation Form

34-37

Sponsorships

Dart Gun Contest

Antler Contest

Coloring Contest

Photo Contest

40-41 42

President’s Message by Chris Ezell

Calendar of Events

Executive Directors Message By Shawn Schafer

NADeFA Board of Directors

CLF Board of Directors

From The oﬃce

New Members

104

Legislative report By Capitol Hill Consulting

108

Treasurer report by Hank Dimuzio

120

Deer & Wildlife Stores by Keith Warren

PRODUCTS & EQUIPMENT 126 Advertiser’s Index COVER:

Registration Antler Contest

INDUSTRY NEWS

DEPARTMENTS

Texas Deer Association

Kansas Elk and Deer Association

Whitetail Deer Farmers of Ohio

Pennsyvania Deer Farmers Association

North American Deer Farmer

CCR Bingo @ 3

Daryl Simon Crystal Collection Reindeer

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

That Time Of Year Between Moving Stockers and Breeding Season - We Prepare For Next Year Hello everyone, I hope this message reaches you all always please reach out to me or any of our board members doing well. It is the time of year when everyone is moving if there is anything we can help you with or answer any the last of the stockers out and getting ready for breeding questions you have. u season. With the fallow market as hot as ever and everyone I know out of whitetail stock I expect the auction season to Regards, be great. Chris Ezell NADeFA has a lot going on with the program standards opening up for discussion and making new rule changes. As NADeFA President

NOMINATION REQUESTS FOR NADEFA BOARD OF DIRECTORS Nominations of candidates for the NADeFA Board of Directors must be submitted in writing by December 15, 2023 THE FOLLOWING BOARD MEMBERS ARE SET TO EXPIRE: • Brad Heath • Chris Ryckman • Rich Meech

• Juan Lino Garza • Fred Huebner • Steve Munz

Anyone wishing to submit an individual for consideration should first clear the nomination with the individual (must be a member in good standing for at least a year prior) and upon their approval forward the nomination to: RYAN HALFMAN 517-281-2936 OR EMAIL BLACKLABELWHITETAILS@GMAIL.COM

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NADeFA CALENDAR Submit your events to info@nadefa.org NADeFA MISSIoN

2024

KEDA Annual Convention Millford Lake, KS Feb 17, 2024

MnEBA Annual Conference St. Cloud, MN Jan 5 – 6, 2024

ADA Spring Auction Cullman, AL Feb 23 - 24, 2024

DSC Convention & Sporting Expo Jan 11 – 14, 2024 DBC New Year’s Auction Horseshoe Bay, TX Jan 12 – 13, 2024

Minnesota Banquet & Fundraiser March 1 - 2, 2024

For more information on NADeFA and / or to become a member please call (330) 454-3944 or visit www.nadefa.org

Exotic Wildlife Association Annual Membership Meeting San Marcos, TX March 7 - 11, 2024

Deer Farmer is published quarterly by the North American Deer Farmers Association. Graphics and pre-press production for North American Deer Farmer is provided by Verso Media group.

Northern Top 30 Shipshewanna, IN January 17 – 19, 2024 Safari Club International Convention Nashville, TN Jan 31 – Feb 3, 2024 TDA Antler Extravaganza Feb 2 – 3, 2024 NRA – Great American Outdoor Show Harrisburg, PA Feb 3 – 11, 2024

Whitetails of Wisconsin Annual Banquet The Chula Vista Resort March 15 -16, 2024 United Deer Farmers of Michigan Convention Gaylord, MI March 17 - 19, 2024 NADeFA Annual Conference Springfield, IL March 20 - 23, 2024

SAVE THE DATE ANNUAL CONFERENCE & FUNDRAISER March 20-23, 2024 Crowne Plaza Springfield Springfield Illinois

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To foster a greater association among people who raise deer for commercial purposes, NADeFA® is dedicated to the promotion of deer farming and ranching as an agricultural pursuit and serves its members through its educational programs and publications and by providing leadership in setting and maintaining quality standards.

North Dakota Elk Growers Annual Meeting Valley City, ND Feb 16, 2024

Chupp's Premier Whitetail Auction Shipshewana, IN Dec 7-8, 2023

Columnists & Contributors Hank Dimuzio Chris Ezell Shawn Schafer Capitol Hill Consulting Cervid Solutions Medgene Labs CheRI Article submission, photography, reader's letters, story ideas and other correspondence should be sent to: NADeFA 4501 Hills & Dales Rd NW Suite C Canton, OH 44708 tel (330) 454-3944 fax (330) 454.3940 All rights reserved. Photocopying, reproduction or quotation prohibited without permission from the publisher. Unsolicited material cannot be acknowledged or returned.

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

Breeding Season Concludes Amidst Strong Demand for Bucks and CWD Concerns; Medgene Develops EHD Vaccine It is hard to believe another year and industry cycle has passed. By the time this magazine reaches your mailbox, breeding season will be over for the majority of the country, and we will be wondering how many triplet buck fawns will be born next spring! Hunting season is about three quarters of the way through and I am already hearing of ranches looking for more bucks. The stocker buck market was the strongest I have seen in many years and I think a lot of 2-year-olds were sold this year, so I expect the supply of bucks to be low again next year. The Chupp Sale may end the calendar year, but it truly is the beginning of next year’s industry cycle with the sale of many great does, bred for next year’s fawn crop. I would encourage you to not only study the auction catalogs, but also pay attention to the advertising in our Deer Farmer magazine. With the supply of bucks far below the demand, now may be the time to purchase that extra doe or two. Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) and Bluetongue not only hit some of the traditional areas of the country, but they also impacted herds in areas that have never seen either disease, with some farms getting hit by both at the same time. The good news is the Medgene Vaccine is working well for EHD, and Medgene is working hard to develop a commercially available Bluetongue vaccine that will be licensed by USDA. Developing vaccines actually is not that hard, but developing a vaccine that truly produces an antibody response to develop a measurable titer level that will satisfy the guidelines of the USDA/Center for Veterinary Biologics takes a lot more research and development. The good news is, if Medgene is approved to sell it, that you can be assured it will stimulate the immune system to produce protective titers. We must always remember that is only one part of herd health, you still must maintain a healthy animal with a strong immune system. During Hemorrhagic season you should also be working hard on your vector (midge) control, as there are billions of midges looking for an easy meal each evening, and our animals have nowhere to hide, so we must do all we can to lower the number of vectors (and blood meals). Do you vaccinate for EHD, why not? This fall has also been a busy year on the CWD front. We have several states that are working on their CWD programs, and USDA also is updating the CWD Herd Certification Program Standards. I have been very busy doing everything I can to influence the outcome of these rules. Sometimes things go in our favor, and other times we have had to give a little. One thing I am 10

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happy with, is that not one time have we totally lost everything. Dealing with the government, especially wildlife agencies is never fun, but overall, I would say we are gaining momentum on our side of the fence. There is still a lot of confusion about breeding for lower CWD susceptibility. I hate to say this, but 99 % of what you are being told by other breeders or on social media is not based on any science, but is purely driven by marketing. The science tells us to breed for S, H, and K markers and the most negative breeding value as possible. I have heard many debates about which marker is better, when the truth is science again tells us to breed away from 96GG. I don’t care if you are breeding SS, HH, KK or any combination of those, you still should breed for the most negative breeding value as possible. I have had breeders tell me they are breeding for SS but they don’t give any thought to the Breeding Values. My response back is always the same – WHY? What is the down side to breeding a negative Breeding Value? Sure, it is not as easy as breeding one or two markers, and it takes a little longer to move the needle, but that does not mean you shouldn’t at least look at it! The DNA test from NADR comes with both the Markers and the GEBV for a reason, just as it also comes with parentage so you can confirm what you are buying and selling truly is what it is suppose to be. Don’t misunderstand me, I am not saying you should run out and get rid of all your positive Breeding Value deer, what I am saying is that as you are planning your breeding’s, and making your culling decisions, that the markers and breeding values are another factor you should be looking at just like you do antlers, production, and overall animal health. You will be surprised at how fast your herd transitions, while still producing great antlers! I hope to see you all at the auction sales, and in Springfield, Illinois, for the NADeFA 41st conference, please stop me to say hello or introduce yourself. We are also in another NADeFA election cycle, so if you are interested in participating on the national level, or know someone that you think would be a good director, please consider submitting a nomination. u Shawn Schafer Executive Director (651) 212-1315 NADeFA.org

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NADeFA Executive Committee 2nd Vice President

President Chris Ezell (2026) Dangerous Whitetails 7134 W 420 Rd. Chelsea, OK 74016 918-697-5389 chrisezell@rocketmail.com

Daniel Jennings (2026) Jennings Brothers Farms LLC 143 Beach Hill Rd. New Ashford, MA 01237

1st Vice President

3rd Vice President

Ryan Halfman (2025) Black Label Whitetails 10525 Frost Rd. Portland, MI 48875 517-281-2936 blacklabelwhitetails@gmail.com

Alan Hochstetler (2026) Double H Whitetails 9850 Winesburg Rd. Dundee, OH 44621 elkaldiesel@yahoo.com

Treasurer

Dr. Hank Dimuzio (2025) LedgEnd Farm 1288 Munger St. Middlebury, VT 05753 Phone/Fax: 802-388-3979 Cell: 802-343-8848 ledgendeer@comcast.com

Executive Director

Shawn Schafer Schafer Whitetail Ranch 1223 18th Ave. NW Turtle Lake, ND 58575 Office: 701-448-2002 Cell: 651-212-1315 schafer@nadefa.org

“

NADeFA Board of Directors

Jacques deMoss (2025) Winter Quarters Wildlife Ranch LLC 2231 W Farm Rd 94 Springfield, MO 65803 337-322-2569 jacques.demoss@gmail.com

Steve Munz (2024) Galaxy Whitetail Solutions 847 S Main St Wildwood, FL 34785 352-266-4270 galaxysteve@msn.com

Brad Farmer (2025) Farmer’s Fallow Deer 120 E. Robinson St. Viola, KS 67149 620-584-6634 bradshirlfarmer@sktc.net

Rich Meech (2024) Trophy Rack Reproductions 17424 390th St. Menahga, MN 56464 218-371-0455 rstrr2003@gmail.com

Juan Lino Garza (2024) Ranchos Garza US/MX 2121 Sunset Lane Mission, TX 78572 210-393-5233 jlgarza1@aol.com

Chris Ryckman (2024) Missouri Valley Muley’s 6150 Hwy 1804 S Bismarck, ND 58504 605-848-0209 chrisryckman@yahoo.com

Brad Heath (2024) Orion Whitetails W 13055 Akron Ave. Plainfield, WI 54966 715-335-6080 brad@orionwhitetails.com

Brandon Walker (2026) Cedar Breaks Mule Deer Ranch 19145 Robbs Flat Rd. Midland, SD 57552 608-695-0796 brandon@cedarbreaksranch.com

Chad Jelinek (2026) CJ Whitetails 55312 CR E Eastman, WI 54626 (608) 412-1124 jelinikca@hotmail.com

Troy Zacchini (2026) Troy's Hunt Club PO Box 15 Forest Home, AL 36030 334-346-2255 trzac@aol.com

“

Fred Huebner (2024) Circle H Whitetails 2575 Iowa Keokuk North English, IA 52316 319-530-7824 circleh@netins.net

NADeFA is dedicated to the promotion of deer farming and ranching as an agricultural pursuit and serves it’s members through educational programs and providing leadership in setting and maintaining quality standards.

Mark Cobb (2025) Gobblers Ridge Exotic Animals 215 Eastwood Rd. Ravenswood, WV 26164 304-532-4514 or 304-532-5304 mark.cobb@gmail.com

PHONE: 330.454.3944 | FAX: 330.454.3950 4501 Hills & Dales Rd NW, Suite C Canton, OH 44708

info@nadefa.org

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CLF

Board of Directors

CLF Executive Committee Chairman: Brad Farmer Farmer’s Fallow Deer 120 E. Robinson St. Viola, KS 67149 620-584-6634 bradshirlfarmer@sktc.net

1st Vice Chair: Mark Cobb Gobblers Ridge Exotic Animals 215 Eastwood Rd. Ravenswood, WV 26164 304-532-4514 mark.cobb@gmail.com

Treasurer: Dr. Hank Dimuzio LedgEnd Farm 1288 Munger St. Middlebury, VT 05753 Farm Phone: 802-388-8979 Cell: 802-343-8848 ledgendeer@comcast.com NADEFA Cervid Livestock Foundation exists to serve the deer industry through educational, charitable and scientific purposes relating to deer farming and ranching and the use of deer products. The Cervid Livestock Foundation seeks to influence industry trends and assure a healthy and expanding industry.

Mrs. Carolyn Laughlin Hilltop Whitetails 9025 Bachelor Rd. NW Magnolia, OH 44643 330-866-5421 carolyn@nadefa.org Jacques deMoss Winter Quarters Wildlife Ranch LLC 2231 W Farm Rd 94 Springfield, MO 65803 337-322-2569 jacques.demoss@gmail.com Brad Heath Orion Whitetails W 13055 Akron Ave. Plainfield, WI 54966 715-335-6080 brad@orionwhitetails.com Sam Holley Oak Ridge Whitetail Adventure 7143 Noble Rd. Windsor, OH 44099 440-636-3040 sam@huntoakridge.com

The Cervid Livestock Foundation's mission is to facilitate public education about the agricultural and economic value of raising deer. MISSION:

Educate the public as to the value and benefits of deer and deer products Disseminate information relating to the care and breeding of cervid species Conduct programs to support the education of deer farmers/ranchers regarding the deer industry and venison consumption Support scientific research Promote the expansion of the North American Cervid Industry

Current initiatives - The CLF and NADeFA sponsor a wide variety of educational activities: adult programs, youth programs, scholarships, scientific research, public awareness and marketing of deer products.

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» CERVID HEALTH: EHD UPDATE

HEMORRHAGIC DISEASE IN WHITETAILED DEER

EHDV VS. BTV BY ASHLEY PETERSEN, M.S. ISPRIME MANAGER, SENIOR SCIENTIST

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BACkgrouND The main viral disease of white-tailed deer in the US is hemorrhagic disease (HD). Two viruses are responsible for HD in deer: epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) and bluetongue virus (BTV). These two vector-borne orbiviruses, from the family Reoviridae, are transmitted by biting midges and aﬀect domestic and wild ruminant species around the world. Peak HD season in the US occurs in late summer and fall (July – November). Illness and death from these viruses cause significant economic loss to producers and are detrimental to susceptible populations. Currently, three EHDV serotypes circulate in the US (1, 2, and 6). At least 26 serotypes of BTV have been identified worldwide, with seven of those considered to be established in the US (3, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17). Figure 1 shows BTV serotypes detected by NVSL from 1992-2015, with three serotypes being the most common (11, 13, 17). Figure 1. uSDA NVSL BTV Identification 1992-2015

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» CERVID HEALTH: EHD UPDATE

« FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

specimen degradation, samples should be immediately taken or shipped overnight to a diagnostic lab. Since neither PCR nor virus isolation determines the serotype of the virus, genome sequencing is the best option for defining the exact virus (i.e. EHDV2 versus EHDV6). Whole genome sequencing (WGS) is a laboratory technique that determines the entirety of the DNA sequence of an organism’s genome. Surveillance with WGS allows us to better understand the genetic makeup of the viruses causing HD outbreaks. It also facilitates identification of viral mutations and reassortment events. This is critical information for owners and researchers as it allows for advancement in control measures (updated vaccines) and can assist in predicting new EHDV/BTV outbreaks.

CLINICAL SIgNS For both EHDV and BTV infections, ill animals exhibit varying clinical signs, with disease progression characterized as peracute, acute, and chronic. Peracute is known as the rapid form, with animals showing severe edema (swelling) of the head, neck, tongue, eyelids, and lungs, making breathing very difficult. If animals don’t clear the peracute form, the acute or classic hemorrhagic form occurs. These animals will present with edema but also have hemorrhage (bleeding) and/or congestion in the heart, pulmonary artery, oral mucosa, rumen, abomasum, or intestines. There may be lesions or ulcers on the dental pad, tongue, palate, rumen, omasum, and abomasum. The chronic form can occur if animals survive the acute form. The chronic form is noted by growth interruptions of the hooves and possible sloughing of the hoof wall. Other Why DoES IT MAttEr? It is important to understand that even though these chronic lesions may include oral ulcerations, emaciation during the winter due to scarring of the rumen, and in rare viruses are related, there is enough genetic difference between and among EHDV and BTV that vaccines need to target the cases, antler malformations. exact virus to be useful. Figures 2 and 3 depict the phylogeny of specific target proteins from EHDV and BTV serotypes. DETErMININg ThE DIFFErENCE Although a tentative HD diagnosis can be made with a Phylogeny is defined as the relationship between biological field necropsy and clinical history, a confirmed diagnosis of lineages related by common descent. In principle, the longer EHDV or BTV infection requires testing for the detection of the distance or number of branches on the tree, the higher viral nucleic acids by PCR (polymerase chain reaction) or genetic diversity between the viruses. When comparing through virus isolation at a diagnostic laboratory. PCR is a EHDV and BTV, you will see greater genetic diversity in rather quick test that can determine if EHDV or BTV is EHDV serotypes versus BTV serotypes. You may also note present in a sample. Virus isolation requires more time and that for the two different target proteins, the extent of diversity may not be as successful as PCR. The preferred specimens is not necessarily the same. All these potential genetic from a fresh carcass for these tests are refrigerated spleen, variations require vaccines to be rather targeted to ensure the lymph node, lung, or whole blood in anticoagulant. To reduce immune system appropriately responds to each virus. 20

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Figure 2. Phylogenic Tree of Protein 1 for EhDV and BTV

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» CERVID HEALTH: EHD UPDATE « FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Figure 3. Phylogenic Tree of Protein 2 for EhDV and BTV

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Figure 4. Medgene’s ISPrime Process

MEDgENE’S DEDICATIoN To SErVICE AND SurVEILLANCE As Medgene’s mission states: To be a world-class Immunological Services Provider to leading livestock integrators, we not only strive to provide the best vaccine options, but we also strive to provide other services such as serology testing and assistance with diagnostic testing. These additional oﬀerings allow us to 1) ensure our vaccines are performing well in the field and 2) conduct surveillance to determine if new viruses or pathogens are emerging. We work directly with owners/veterinarians to establish vaccination schedules, explore more aspects of our current vaccines along with testing new vaccines, assist with blood collections when needed, test samples for antibody titers, direct proper sample collection

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during necropsy, assist with selecting appropriate diagnostic labs, ensure proper testing is conducted, and create new vaccines when demand requires. We believe this approach is revolutionizing herd health across all species that utilize Medgene products (Figure 4). Medgene wishes all producers a safe and successful 2023 breeding season! We will have a booth at the upcoming Northern Top 30 event in January. Please stop by to chat about our current vaccines, potential studies for 2024, and other herd health concerns you may have. Any questions or comments can be sent to Ashley at ashley.petersen@medgenelabs.com, 605-697-2608 or 605690-2316. To order EHD vaccine, please contact orders@medgenelabs.com or 605-697-2600. Please allow at least two weeks from order to shipping. u

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SuMMEr

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FROM THE OFFICE

NADeFA Updates The NADeFA Annual Conference will be held at the Crowne Plaza Springfield in Springfield, Illinois on March 20 - 23, 2024. Please see the conference packet inside this issue for more details. We will continue to share updated information on the NADeFA website, Facebook page, and in the next issue of the magazine.

• If you have any changes such as farm name, address, phone number or email address it is important that you let us know right away so that the directory will be as accurate as possible. • We are selling limited advertising space in the directory. If you are interested in placing an ad in the Directory, please call Lisa @ (330) 880-

DIrECTory We know that you are anxiously awaiting an updated Membership Directory and we are working diligently to get it into your hands as quickly as possible, however, time is running out and we need your help with the following:

6159 to discuss. • UPDATES & ADS MUST BE RECEIVED BY DEC 15, 2023. PLEASE CALL Marci henry (330) 454–3944 or Lisa Weinsheimer (330) 880-6159.

uPDATE your MEMBErShIP DIrECTory INFo It’s time for the NADeFA Oﬃce to complete the Directory for our members and we need your help to ensure your information is accurate. Please notify NADeFA ASAP only if you have additions or corrections to be made. You can do this by mail using the form below, call/text to Lisa at 330-880-6159, the oﬃce at 330-454-3944, or by email lisa@nadefa.org or info@nadefa.org. Name: ____________________________________________________________ Spouse: ______________________________ Company/Farm: __________________________________________________________________________________________ Address: __________________________________________________________________________________________________ City/St./Zip: ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Cell Phone: ________________________ Alternate Number: ________________________Fax: ________________________ Website: ____________________________________________________________Email:________________________________ Services you offer other than breeding: ______________________________________________________________________ Do you own a Hunting Preserve or Ranch?: __________________________________________________________________ Do you market Venison?____________________________________________________________________________________ Scent Collection? __________________________________________________________________________________________ Species: __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Species: W = Whitetails, A = Axis, E = Exotics, F = Fallow, M = Muntjac, MD = Mule Deer, PD = Pere David, R = Reindeer, RD = Red Deer OK TO PUBLISH INFORMATION IN ANNUAL DIRECTORY

m Yes

m No

RETURN TO: NADEFA 4501 HILLS & DALES RD. NW SUITE C CANTON, OH 44708 26

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» NADeFA WORKING FOR YOU

Thank You For All You Do For The Cervide Industry

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MARCH 20-23, 2024 - SPRINGFIELD, IL

2024 NADeFA CONFERENCE EXHIBIT BOOTHS ENTRANCE

BOOK YOUR ROOMS Crowne Plaza Springfield Springfield, IL Block Group Code: (Room Ends Feb 27th, N4B 2024)

217.529.7777

101 102

104

103

105

140

PREMIUM BOOTHS $1000.00 139

STANDARD BOOTHS $700.00

138 137

Press Option #1 for Reservations

or book online www.NADeFA.org

106 107

108

109

201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208

301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308

112

401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408

115

116

117

118

119

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Discount

134

133

on 2 or more booths

132 131

ELECTRIC $25

129 128 127

113

114

135

130

110 111

136

501 502 503 504 505 506 507 508 601 602 603 604

605 606 607 608

126 125 124

123 122

120 121

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Custom Embroidery Cust C Custo om E Embro id dery

Mary Volk “ The Ma ask Lady ”

320.23 32.7493 cuddliez@o outlook.com

D eer Mask s • C aps • K oo ozies • Apparel p

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» CERVID HEALTH

Capture Myopathy in Farmed Whitetailed Deer By Juan M. Campos Krauer DVM, PhD.

Yearling bucks recently worked to cut their antlers. This is crucial to keep bucks together in the same pen during the rut season. Credits: Dr. Juan M. Campos Krauer

White-tailed deer farming is a rapidly growing industry in rural North America. Deer farming involves housing, handling, and transporting deer to new enclosures, preserves, or other farms. However, regardless of the management strategy or technique used, the process of capturing, handling, and transporting the animals can cause significant stress. While this stress may not be immediately evident, it can lead to a complex degenerative disease of the skeletal muscle, known by various names but referred to here as capture myopathy (CM). This condition can occur not 46

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only in white-tailed deer but also in ungulates, some species of birds, reptiles, and fish. Capture myopathy is a noninfectious, metabolic disease of wild and domestic animals that can lead to significant morbidity and mortality, generally directly associated with the stress of capture, restraint, and transportation. In ungulates (hoofed animals), the syndrome is characterized clinically by depression, muscular stiﬀness, lack of coordination, paralysis, metabolic acidosis, and death. Pathologically, capture myopathy resembles the NADeFA.org

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myodegenerative disorders of domestic cattle, sheep, horses, and swine. One of the earliest reports of lesions consistent with CM was reported in a white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus ) in 1955. Later, CM became widely recognized in Africa in the late 1960s and early 1970s when many rare animals died during or soon after capture. Subsequently, it was described once more in white-tailed deer and many other North American species, such as black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus), in Moose (Alces alces), Pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana), Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) and elk (Cervus elaphus). HoW DoES IT oCCUr? WHAT CAUSES CAPTUrE MYoPATHY? One of the most common causes of this disease is muscular exhaustion. Prolonged muscular exertion changes the metabolism from aerobic (uses oxygen) to anaerobic (uses stored energy in the muscles without oxygen). This change in metabolism leads to the production and buildup of lactic acid, causing acidosis. Lactic acid flows in the bloodstream and drops the pH in the body affecting heart muscle output which decreases the efficiency of blood flow. If the heart does not pump sufficient oxygen to the muscles, they will start to die. When the muscle dies over several days, it releases a product called myoglobin (a breakdown product of muscle) that flows to the bloodstream. Excessive myoglobin damages the excretion portion of the kidney, producing kidney failure and ultimately death of the animal.

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Other organs are aﬀected as well. Lungs become congested and bleed. The liver can become swollen and pale. If any of these organs fail, the animal dies. In severe cases, death may occur in only a few hours. In less severe cases, animals may have damage to skeletal muscle and internal organs and may finally succumb to the disease days or weeks later due to kidney failure. Young or old animals as well as those that are in poor physical condition or overweight are more prone to develop capture myopathy than healthy adult animals. Similarly, preexisting diseases, infections, and severe parasitosis can predispose animals to capture myopathy. Female animals in their final trimester of gestation may also be at greater risk of developing capture myopathy. CLINICAL SIgNS Signs to be aware of: • Depression • Debilitation • Lethargy • Muscle stiﬀness • Tremors • Ataxia (lack of muscle control or coordination of voluntary movements) • Firm stepping (muscle tremor is evident in muscles of back and legs that progress to muscle rigor, and CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE»

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» CERVID HEALTH « FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

• • •

• •

airflow. Consider the use of oxygen if the animal is not breathing well. the animal is reluctant to move) • Consider using oximeters (an instrument for Tachycardia (heart beats faster than normal measuring oxygen saturation of the circulating blood). while at rest) Currently, oximeters are widely available and can alert Open-mouth breathing handlers if low blood oxygenation is detected. Hyperthermia (elevated body temperature), • Always check the animal’s temperature. Use good whitetailed deer have a normal body temperature of 38.5°C (101.4°F) and hyperthermia is considered at ventilation and damp cloths if required. Overheating can have deadly consequences. temperatures over 40.6°C (105°F). • If it is transported, use trailers designed for deer, Red-brown urine Unresponsiveness to human presence always supervising the temperature inside the trailer. • Vitamin complex of selenium and Vitamin E is suggested as a prophylaxis (prevention) or treatment for CM, however, the eﬃcacy of these supplements is unclear. • Preferably, all animal work should be done by or under the supervision of a veterinarian. HoW IS CAPTUrE MYoPATHY TrEATED? Capture myopathy is very diﬃcult to treat, so prevention is critical. Treatment consists of removing animals from the stress, administering intravenous (IV) tranquilizers and fluid therapy to correct acidosis. Surface cooling and oxygen supplementation are recommended. Treatment should always be done by or under the supervision of a veterinarian.

HoW To MINIMIZE THE rISK oF CAPTUrE MYoPATHY? • Plan the work and have all the necessary equipment, tools, and staﬀ to minimize animal handling time. • Always work during the coldest hours of the day (early morning) or on days when the ambient temperature is lower. • It is always better to trap animals rather than chase them. If animals have to be pursued, never do it for prolonged periods • Once the animal is immobilized, blindfold and reduce noise to the minimum. • During anesthesia or when recovering, ensure the animal is in a position where it can breathe easily, and never place the mouth or nose close to objects that can block

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HoW CAN YoU KNoW IF YoUr DEEr DIED FroM CAPTUrE MYoPATHY? On occasions, animals that die due to capture myopathy can have areas of pale skeletal muscles on the heart or thigh muscular mass and dark brown, turbid urine suggestive of myoglobinuria. However, without a detailed animal history, a complete necropsy, and specific histopathologic testing, it can be challenging to clearly identify CM as the cause of death. DIFFErENTIAL DIAgNoSES Conditions that could resemble or share similar signs or symptoms to CM in wildlife may include white-muscle disease (named because of its characteristic pale coloration of the muscle, caused by selenium deficiency in areas where the mineral is scarce in the soil), Some plant toxicities such as found in Cassia occidentalis (coﬀee senna), Cassia obtusifolia, can also resemble CM as well as, early tetanus, hypocalcemia (low calcium levels in the blood), and myositis (a disease that makes the immune system attack the NADeFA.org

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indirect muscle injury, kidney failure, and elevated body temperatures. Currently, there is no cure for capture myopathy. At present, preventing the condition is the best approach. Deer capture and immobilization events should be carefully planned, taking all possible preventive measures CoNCLUSIoN Capture myopathy is a condition that can cause the to minimize risks and decrease animal handling time. death of many species, including white-tailed deer. Despite Remember to Always work with your veterinarian for being frequently reported by veterinarians, the condition is planning your immobilization work and for any animal still poorly understood. It is characterized by severe direct or treatment. u muscles). Conclusive diagnosis of CM depends on history, clinical signs, clinical pathology, and gross and microscopic pathology.

rEFErENCES Abbott CW, Dabbert CB, Lucia DR, et al. 2005. Does muscular damage during capture and handling handicap radiomarked northern bobwhites? The Journal of Wildlife Management 69: 664– 670. Amy C. Dechen Quinn; David M. Williams; William F. Porter; Scott D. Fitzgerald; Kevin Hynes. (2014). Effects of Capture-Related Injury on Postcapture Movement of White-Tailed Deer. J Wildl Dis (2014) 50 (2): 250–258. Antognini, Joseph F., Eisele, Pamela H., and Gronert, Gerald A. (1996). Evaluation for Malignant Hyperthermia Susceptibility in Black-tailed Deer. Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 32(4) : 678-681. URL: https://doi.org/10.7589/0090-3558-32.4.678 Beringer, J. et al (1996): Factors affecting Capture myopathy in White tailed deer. Journal of Wild life Management 60(2):373-380 https://doi.org/10.2307/3802238 Breed D, Meyer LCR, Steyl JCA, Goddard A, Burroughs R, Kohn TA. (2019). Conserving wildlife in a changing world: Understanding capture myopathy-a malignant outcome of stress during capture and translocation. Conserv Physiol. 5;7(1):coz027. doi: 10.1093/conphys/coz027. PMID: 31304016; PMCID: PMC6612673. Businga NK, Langenberg J, Carlson L (2007) Successful treatment of capture myopathy in three wild greater Sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida). J Avian Med Surg 21: 294–298. Chalmers GA, Barrett MW. 1977. Capture myopathy in pronghorns in Alberta, Canada. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 171:918– 923. Chalmers, G. A. and M. W. Barrett. 1982. Capture myopathy. Pages 84–94 in Noninfectious diseases of wildlife, G. L. Hoff and J. W. Davis, editors. Iowa State University Press, Ames. Clarence M. Fraser (1991). The Merck Veterinary Manual. Merck & Co. Inc. U.S.A. Dorothy Breed, Leith C R Meyer, Johan C A Steyl, Amelia Goddard, Richard Burroughs, Tertius A Kohn. (2020). Conserving wildlife in a changing world: Understanding capture myopathy—a malignant outcome of stress during capture and translocation. Conservation Physiology, Volume 7, Issue 1, coz027, https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coz027 Hadlow WJ. 1955. Degenerative myopathy in a white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus . The Cornell Veterinarian 45:538– 547. Haigh JC, Stewart RR, Wobeser G, et al. 1977. Capture myopathy in a moose. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 171:924– 926. Hamidieh, H., Alhami, A., and Mirian, J. (2011): Capture myopathy in red deer and wild goat. Archives of Razi Institute, Vol. 66, No. 2, 147149 Harthoorn AM, Young E. 1974. A relationship between acid-base balance and capture myopathy in zebra, Equus burchelli , and an apparent therapy. The Veterinary Record 95:337– 342. Harthoorn AM. 1973. Physiology and therapy of capture myopathy, 2nd annual report. Pretoria, South Africa: Transvaal Nature Conservation Division, Pretoria. Herráez P, Espinosa de los Monteros A, Fernández A, Edwards JF, Sacchini S, Sierra E (2013) Capture myopathy in live-stranded cetaceans. Vet J 196: 181–188. Jarrett WFH, Jennings FW, Murray M, et al. 1964. Muscular dystrophy in a wild Hunter’s antelope. East African Wildlife Journal 2:158– 159. La Grange M, Van Rooyen J, Ebedes H (2010) Capture myopathy In Bothma J d P, Du Toit J, eds, Game Ranch Management, Ed5th Van Schaik Publishers, Pretoria, pp. 556–565 Lewis RJ, Chalmers GA, Barrett MW, et al. 1977. Capture myopathy in Elk in Alberta, Canada: a report of three cases. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 171:927– 932. Montane, J., I. Marco, X. Manteca, J. Lopez and S. Lavin, 2002: Delayed Acute Capture Myopathy in Three Roe Deer. J. Vet. Med. A 49, 93– 98 ISSN 0931–184X Nielsen, L., 1999: Postcapture management. In: Nielsen, L. (ed.), Chemical Immobilization of Wild and Exotic Animals, 1st edn, pp. 161–187. Iowa State University Press, Ames. Nunez CM, Vickers ML, Thomas LF, Trotter KE, Cook WE. 2020. Successful Treatment of Severe Hyperthermia in Captive White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Poult Fish Wildl Sci 8:210. doi: 10.35248/2375-446X.20.8.210. Spraker TR. 1993. Stress and capture myopathy in artiodactyls. In: Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine, Current Therapy , 3rd ed. (ME Fowler, ed.), pp. 481– 488. Zoo Animal and Wildlife Immobilization and Anesthesia, edited by Gary West, et al., John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 2014. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ufl/detail.action?docID=1747517.

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» TECH UPDATE

NADR Acquires Game Management Solutions (GMS)

As the deer industry evolves, the North American Deer Registry (NADR) is evolving right along with it. What began in 2007 as a cooperative eﬀort between the Texas Deer Association (TDA) and the North American Deer Farmers Association (NADeFA) for the purpose of validating the industry by providing pedigree verification, NADR continues to utilize technology to move the industry forward. Combining GMS along with NADR’s recent technology upgrades, including NADR Online and NADR Interactive, will allow breeders to utilize technology to create a more eﬃcient process from sample submission to receipt of results. NADR will assemble a team of power users and technology veterans to work over the next 6 months to create a web 54

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based mobile friendly application that all breeders can benefit from. GMS subscribers should continue to use the current GMS platform until the transition is made in the Spring of 2024. We are excited about this new feature and will have updates as we get closer to the rollout. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to call the NADR Oﬃce. Sincerely, Gary Cook Executive Director, North American Deer registry NADeFA.org

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» CWD UPDATE

USAHA FARMED CERVIDAE COMMITTEE 2023 MEETING _______________________________ Viral Diseases of Florida’s Farmed Cervidae By Savannah Grace, PhD Student Cervidae Health Research Initiative University of Florida

In October, I had the honor of presenting the latest update on the Cervidae Health Research Initiative (CHeRI) to the Farmed Cervidae Committee during the United States Animal Health Associations 127th annual meeting. CHeRI is a state-funded program at the University of Florida that promotes interdisciplinary science, education, and outreach to improve the health and production of farmed cervids in a sustainable manner, while also advancing the health of native wildlife and the ecosystems in which they live. At the forefront of our research is the battle against hemorrhagic

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disease (HD), caused by both epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) and bluetongue virus (BTV). The urgent need for our research and technical support for deer farmers is emphasized by the severe consequences of HD, which include substantial mortality and economic losses. CHeRI’s comprehensive workflow involves a multifaceted approach that aﬀords us access to many whitetailed deer samples and the ability to conduct thorough diagnostic testing. Florida deer farmers benefit from our initiative, receiving complimentary necropsies of their

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deceased animals and diagnostic testing to determine the presence of HD or other potential pathogens. Between 20182023, we were able to collect samples from 1639 individual white-tailed deer, 26.6% (436) of which tested positive for either EHDV or BTV. Through our collaborative efforts with Florida’s deer farmers, CHeRI has successfully identified the specific types of EHDV circulating in the state and assisted manufacturers in developing vaccines that protect against two types of EHDV. Currently, our team is dedicated to gaining a better understanding of BTV in Florida’s farmed white-tailed deer in hopes to develop an effective vaccine. Our efforts are focused on characterizing the types of BTV present in Florida and assessing their genetic variation within farmed white-tailed deer. Additionally, we are interested in investigating the impact of different environmental and climatic factors on BTV distribution in Florida and how these dynamics may change over time. In addition to tracking HD, our CHeRI workflow has been designed to discover additional new and often underestimated pathogens within Florida’s farmed whitetailed deer. For example, we identified 41 cases of mule deerpox virus (MDPV) through a retrospective study spanning 2017-2023. These cases were dispersed throughout the entire state and appeared to largely impact young fawns. Moreover, multiple additional viruses similar to EHDV and BTV have also been identified, including three previously undiscovered viruses (CHeRI orbiviruses 1-3). Although it is unclear whether these viruses cause HD-like symptoms, understanding their potential impact is vital. In a recent cross-state study, we were able to identify the presence of these additional viruses, along with EHDV and BTV, in FALL 2023

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insects capable of transmitting viruses to deer. These examples of our ongoing research demonstrate the importance of understanding how new and emerging pathogens could potentially affect Florida’s farmed deer population. While research is a significant focus within CHeRI, we also take pride in the diverse outreach and extension initiatives we offer to deer farmers. For instance, we have established an integrated pest management and best practices plan that enables our team’s wildlife veterinarian to conduct on-site evaluations of farms facing challenges related to HD and other diseases. During these visits we assess the issues at hand and provide tailored recommendations to mitigate disease incidence. By providing practical solutions, we empower farmers to improve their farm’s overall health and productivity. Additionally, we actively participate in field trials aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of deer vaccines. Our objective is to provide evidence of their efficacy to encourage farmers to utilize them for the benefit of their herds. Finally, we have developed an online interactive dashboard that provides farmers with real-time information on cases of EHDV and BTV in farmed deer throughout the state. CHeRI’s commitment to advancing knowledge and our collaborative efforts with deer farmers and key stakeholders places us in a unique position to make significant contributions to cervid health and well-being. We remain dedicated to the pursuit of meaningful discoveries and the development of practical solutions to the challenges faced by Florida’s farmed cervid community. u North American Deer Farmer

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» APHIS

APHIS Provides More Than $12 Million in Funding to Control & Prevent CWD

The North American Deer Farmers Association (NADeFA) played a crucial role in obtaining around $12 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) for the management of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). To ensure that the voices of its members were heard and represented, NADeFA board members traveled to Washington DC to engage with influential members of Congress and committees. WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is providing approximately $12 million to state and Tribal partners to further develop and implement Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) management and response activities in wild and farmed cervids (e.g., deer, elk). “Chronic Wasting Disease continues to present a risk to deer, elk, moose and other cervids,” said Jenny Lester Moffitt, USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs. “These collaborative efforts between and state and Tribal partners help find and implement new solutions for safeguarding U.S. agriculture and natural resources.” CWD is an infectious, degenerative disease of cervids that causes brain cells to die, ultimately leading to death. The disease has spread widely and the limited number of tools, as well as their effectiveness, impacts the ability to effectively control the disease. New tools and approaches will enable improved 62

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management of wild and farmed cervids at risk for the disease. APHIS based its funding allocations on the following priorities, established collaboratively with state agricultural and wildlife representatives, Tribal officials and the cervid industry: • Improving CWD management of affected farmed herds and wild cervid populations; • Improving CWD management of affected areas or premises; • Conducting additional research on the use of certain sensitive testing technology, known as amplification assays, for CWD; • Conducting additional research on predictive genetics; and • Developing and/or delivering educational outreach materials or programs. APHIS gave priority to State and Tribal governments that have already detected CWD or border CWD endemic areas; and have either implemented monitoring and surveillance programs or propose to do so. u For more details on the individual projects, see: 2023 Farmed Cervid Spending Plan (see page 66) 2023 Wild Cervid Spending Plan (see page 70) 2023 Tribal National Wild Cervid Spending Plan (see page 76) NADeFA.org

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» APHIS : 2023 Farmed Cervid Spending Plan

2023 Spending Plans for the Farmed Cervid CWD Management and Response Activities 2023 Cooperative Agreements USDA APHIS Veterinary Services (VS) is awarding $5.27 millioni through 20 Cooperative Agreements to 12 State departments of agriculture and five universities. The funded projects listed below will allow recipients to further develop and implement CWD management, response, and research activities in farmed cervids, including surveillance and testing. u

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i APHIS used the remaining $980,000 announced in the farmed cervid opportunity to fund awardable proposals submitted to the wild cervid or tribal funding opportunities due to a lack of awardable farmed cervid proposals. ii APHIS funded the Florida and Michigan cooperative agreements non-competitively due to a lack of awardable farmed cervid competitive proposals. FALL 2023

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APHIS : 2023 Wild Cervid Spending Plan

2023 Spending Plans for the Wild Cervid Chronic Wasting Disease Management and Response Activities 2023 Cooperative Agreements USDA APHIS WS is awarding $6,012,192 through Cooperative Agreements to eighteen State Departments of wildlife (totaling approximately $3,085,808), sixteen universities (totaling approximately $2,900,070) and one Tribal government (totaling approximately $26,313). These projects will allow recipients to further develop and implement CWD management, response, and research activities in wild cervids, including surveillance and testing. Funded projects are listed below.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 70» 70

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» APHIS : 2023 Farmed Cervid Spending Plan « FROM PAGE 68

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APHIS : 2023 Tribal NationsWild Cervid Spending Plan

2023 Spending Plans for the Tribal Nations Wild Cervid Chronic Wasting Disease Management and Response Activities 2023 Cooperative Agreements USDA APHIS WS is awarding $967,807.88 through Cooperative Agreements to ten Federally recognized Native American Tribal governments to combat CWD on Tribal lands across ten diﬀerent states. These projects will allow recipients to further develop and implement CWD management, response, and research activities in wild cervids, including surveillance and testing on Tribal lands. Funded projects are listed below. TrIbAL NATIoNS WILD CErvID CWD MANAgEMENT ProjECTS

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» CWD RESEARCH

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CWD UPDATE:

Genetic Resistance Project at NADC

By Eric Cassmann and Justin Greenlee Virus and Prion Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center / US Dept of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service Ames, IA In March of 2020, we began a study to examine the susceptibility of whitetail deer with rare prion protein genotypes to chronic wasting disease (CWD). In the sequence of amino acids that make up the deer prion protein, there are several locations that are variable. These variations are sometimes called polymorphisms. In the data collected from depopulations, whitetail deer with certain prion gene polymorphisms were not positive for CWD. In 2019, Dr. Nick Haley published a paper that showed H95/S96, HH95, and S96/K226 deer from depopulated herds in the US were not CWD positive. Based on the overall low number of deer with these genotypes we’re unable to determine if they were resistant to CWD or if there were too few deer with these genotypes to be statistically represented in the positive cases. It’s also possible that they could be partially susceptible with longer incubation times than deer with generic (wild type) prion genotypes. Samples gathered at depopulation represent a snapshot of the herd. It is possible these rare genotypes FALL 2023

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were exposed, but had not yet accumulated abnormal prion protein to a level detectable by the detection methods used. The NADC susceptibility study was initiated to help answer these questions. We studied deer with polymorphisms at 3 amino acid locations (codons): 95, 96, and 226. Wild type deer are QQ95GG96QQ226. Whitetail deer with wild type prion genotypes were inoculated with CWD and co-housed with other whitetail deer (contact deer) that had rare prion protein genotypes. The genotypes of contact deer included QH95GS96QQ226, QH95GG96QK226, QQ95GS96QQ226, QQ95SS96QQ226, Q95GS96QK226, and QQ95GG96KK226 (bolded text indicates a prion gene polymorphism). During the first year, we collected feces, saliva, nasal swabs, skin, blood, and rectal biopsies from the inoculated and contact deer to determine if deer are CWD positive and the period of CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE» North American Deer Farmer

» CWD RESEARCH

Figure 2. Each icon represents a contact whitetail deer. The genotype of deer that have tested positive for CWD is written below each icon. Deer are housed in groups of three (one inoculated and two contacts) in separate rooms.

Figure 1. Whitetail deer in with wild type prion protein genotypes that were inoculated with CWD. These deer serve to expose the contact deer to biologically relevant levels of CWD shedding. The number below each deer indicates the survival time (incubation period) defined as months post-inoculation (MPI) until euthanasia.

« FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

CWD shedding. After the first year, we started collecting rectal biopsies annually on the contact deer, but all other samples are still collected every three months. Eight out of ten (8/10) inoculated deer developed clinical signs for CWD and tested positive after necropsy (Figure 1). The average time from inoculation to euthanasia of these eight inoculated deer was 23 months. Two inoculated deer are still on-study; one of these deer has tested positive for CWD on rectal biopsy IHC. To date, two deer from the contact group have developed CWD clinical signs and tested positive (Figure 2). The positive deer from the contact group had the GS96QK226 and 84

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KK226 genotypes. We have detected CWD prions in rectal biopsies with IHC in three other contact deer as of October 2023. Their prion genotypes are GS96, QH95GS96, and GS96QK226. As the experiment continues, we hope to answer 2 main questions. (1) Are there any prion protein polymorphisms that make deer resistant to CWD, and (2) what are the CWD shedding dynamics in deer with detectable CWD. One potential outcome of the study would be identifying genotypes with very long incubation periods that, while susceptible to CWD, still could be used to manage CWD. u NADeFA.org

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

NADEFA Shines at USAHA Convention, Ohio Veterinary Lab Breaks Ground Things in Ohio seem to be going great. I just returned home from Washington DC where I attended the USAHA convention to represent our state. I have been a member for about 20 years and its amazing how things have changed. When I first started going there were only a handful of us that attended each year. That number grew over the years to maybe as many as 15 or 20 individuals from states all across the country representing our industry. Ever since Covid that number has dwindled to only a few of us that make the trip. The group this year included Darrell, Lori, Travis, Mark, Charlie, Shawn, and me. Although the group is much smaller, I can assure you that the industry is represented. Over the five days that I was there I had the chance to renew acquaintances and meet many new, interesting people that will have a direct impact on our industry. In my opinion this event is one of the most important events that give us the most direct access to the individuals that impact our industry the most, for better or worse. 90

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Believe me when I say that I am not trying to blow Shawn's horn or make his head any bigger, however I feel that I should let you know that spending the last few days with him at USAHA is always an enlightening experience. We can all be proud that he is the individual representing us and speaking for us as NADEFA S voice. The sheer amount of individuals that know and recognize Shawn and the respect he has earned in that community always amazes me. We talked on Saturday about an amendment that he has been wanting to introduce to move TB state accreditations for cervids to modified accredited advanced. This would allow us to move a single animal on a single test. We spent Saturday night talking with individuals about what this might look like and how to move forward. I cannot impress on you enough how important the legwork ahead of time helps these resolutions move through committee much faster. The working conversation we had ahead of time helped to reduce that resolution from

four pages to 2. The resolution passed through the TB committee and the cervid committee without a hitch. In the general assembly on Wednesday only one question was asked and answered, and it moved through there also. I should also mention here that that does not mean this will happen tomorrow. The resolution simply stated that USDA needs to look at and inform us of what that will take to make that happen. One thing I have learned over the years is the government moves painfully slow and usually the pain is all ours. I returned home to find an invitation to a groundbreaking ceremony for the new veterinary lab in Ohio. The industry here in Ohio supports the new lab and is very hopeful that this will speed up testing and hopefully streamline some past problems. I would also like to inform you that the decision has been made to combine the Ohio trophy buck auction and the Indiana trophy buck auction into one huge event. It will be in Mount Hope NADeFA.org

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Ohio August 15 and 16th. This will be in conjunction with our annual meeting and fundraiser and our theme for the year is a nostalgia event. My hope is to find as many of the old original bucks and does that have built our industry. I will be reaching out to many of you just to see if you have mounts or pictures of these animals. This is just in the planning stages at the moment, but my intentions are to make this a can't miss event. Please consider putting it on your calendar as a penciled in date so you don't miss it. We will try to do extensive advertising to let everyone know about the event. Buck prices have been strong over the past three or four years, it is our hope that by putting them together it makes it easier and more beneficial to preserve buyers to only have to show up at one sale. For those of you that don't know, we welcome other trophy species in the sale. If the preserves have an interest in buying it it is welcome in our sale and very much appreciated. If you do have questions about the sale please contact Mark Mast, he runs the sale for us and does a great job. In closing I will say that this has been one of the nicest falls in Ohio that I can remember and I hope that you all had great success with your AI programs and look forward to seeing the results in

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Less Fighting Dr.Shipley

GenMax, LLC malemaxx.com

(217) 493-2958 cshipley@illinois.edu

Dr.Balsbaugh

ZenMax

(217) 653-1420 rbalsbaugh@yahoo.com

CALMING AGENT

years to come. u Thanks, Terry FALL 2023

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

Greetings Fellow Deer Farmers It is with great humility that I write this message as the new President of the Pennsylvania Deer Farmers Association. Let me properly introduce myself. My name is John Manta. I am Co-Owner and operator of Julie Acres Deer Farm along with my wife Julie. Our farm is located in Carlisle PA. My wife and I are both prior service active-duty Army oﬃcers. Our service to this great Nation has made me proud to say I am an American. After my retirement from active duty, I started an Electric contracting business, until the deer farmer bug bit me. While hunting turkey on our property in northern Pennsylvania I came across a fawn not more than a few hours old. I couldn’t get that fawn out of my mind. I started to research to learn all I could about deer farming in PA. After many hours spent with a number of deer farmers in the area, I retired from Sparky Electric in 2012 and began deer farming. I am very blessed to have the support of so many people who have years and years of deer farming experience. I look 92

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forward to meeting as many deer farmers as possible and reaching out to you all for ideas and suggestions on how we could make PDFA even better than it already is. I would like to introduce you to the rest of the PDFA Executive Board. My Vice President is Llyod Stoltzfus, Treasure is Bruce Snyder, Isaac (Ike) Martin is the Secretary. Newly elected to the Board of Directors are: Mick Goodman, Bob Byers, Irvin Brown, John Fisher and Tucker Sellinger, along with our former PDFA presidents Josh Newton and Jerrad Berry. I could not have asked for a more professional board. Although I have superstars to work with, we cannot do it alone. We collectively need your help. Get involved and let us know where you can help. u John S. Manta President PDFA NADeFA.org

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CERVID HEALTH

Pasteurella by Cervid Solutions

WHAT IS IT? Pasteurella are gram negative bacteria that are nonmotile and aerobic in nature. Pasteurella Multocida and Bibersteinia (formerly pasteurella) trehalosi are both seen in Cervid. Pasteurella Multocida has been known to cause septicemic pasteruellosis. Bibersteinia trehalosi was formerly included in a single species of Pasteurella haemolytica but was recently reclassified as B. trehalosi, it is associated with systemic pasteurellosis or septicemia (blood poisoning) in lambs and respiratory diseases in small ruminants.

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WHAT SYMPToMS ArE TYPICALLY SEEN IN CErvID? Pasteurellosis, also known as hemorrhagic septicemia or shipping fever, is an infectious disease usually caused by P multocida. P multocida is thought to be part of the normal flora of the upper respiratory tract of many animals. In stressed, young or compromised animals it also causes upper respiratory infections and bacterial pneumonia. B. Trehalosi has been shown to cause respiratory disease and septicemia.

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HoW IS IT SPrEAD? Disease is spread and perpetuated by a number of stressors, including but not limited to high temperature, humidity, subsequent infections and nutritional deficiencies. When stressed these bacteria are shed through mucous membranes. Outbreaks occur when there is direct contact with oral or nasal secretions with infected carriers or it is spread through contaminated water and feed sources.

in a clean, minimal stress environment and not overcrowding them will decrease the spread of the disease. Stress such as heat, cold, overcrowding or poor nutrition predispose to infection. • As usual, follow a procedure of quarantining new animals for 30 days before introducing to your herd and vaccinate before transferring them in. • Introduce and maintain a vaccination protocol.

SIgNS AND SYMPToMS • There was an outbreak of pasteurellosis at the National Elk Refuge in Wyoming in the late 1980’s, most of the Elk were found dead or showed severe depression less than 24 hours before death. • Some signs could be animals hanging head low with ear drooping and excess salivation • In Wyoming at that time, tremors were seen in 2 of 120 animals that died • When observed in the form of pneumonia, severe respiratory signs are seen and often result in acute death. Sometimes the only visible signs of pneumonia are flared nostrils and increased respiratory rate. • Coughing and nasal discharge can be absent. • Decreased food intake of animal may also be noted.

PoINTS To rEMEMbEr • Pasteurella multocida is part of the normal flora of the upper respiratory tract in healthy animals, but in stressed, young or compromised animals it can cause bacterial pneumonia • Bibersteinia Trehalosi has been known to cause respiratory disease and septicemia • Both bacteria are spread through direct oral contact between animals or through contaminated water and feed sources • Pasteurellosis, when observed as pneumonia, has a quick onset of symptoms and often results in acute death

• Proper management along with a vaccination protocol DISEASE MANAgEMENT • Proper management is important to minimize disease is important in prevention. Pneu-Vac 2 covers Pasteurella and reduce the contagiousness of the bacteria. Keeping deer Multocida and Bibersteinia Trehalosi u

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» MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Lincoln J. Dice A Deer Farmer in Training

“Our treasured memory is the lasting gift of time well spent” -Tim Fargo, American Author.

Memories are made and not forgotten. They are powerful because most of the time memory serves us well, forming the foundation of our knowledge of the world and of ourselves. This ‘Family Spotlight’ was sent in by Glenn Dice whose 11-year-old son, Lincoln, was given a school assignment to write about one of his childhood memories. Here’s the memory that Lincoln recalled from when he was just 5-years old. u 98

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Lincoln with his older brother Archer.

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» CHeRI UPDATE

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C,%&+B.)/1B+:.,)70#%-%,%2D)E.F%&.#%&D3)G0+81&'+#D)%H)C,%&+B.4)

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CAPITOL HILL REPORT

United States Animal Health Association 2023 Annual Meeting On October 17, I attended the annual United States Animal Health Association (USAHA) meeting held in National Harbor, Maryland. The goal of the conference is to strategize and discuss solutions regarding animal disease control programs. Additionally, key conversations centered around discussing approaches that can help guide the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) when making policy decisions. I attended the last day of the conference and sat in on presentations from the Committee on Wildlife, the Committee on Sheep, Goats, and Camelids, and the Committee on Animal Welfare. The committee on Wildlife presentation was specifically on Elk Hoof Disease, a disease that causes deformed, overgrown, or broken hooves in elk. While it seems that the disease is centralized to the Northwest portion of the country, it was first discovered in Southwest Washington. The presenters explained that the disease is caused by a bacterial infection, however elk may be more susceptible to 104

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the disease due other factors like vitamin absence. The next presentation discussed the respiratory diseases in wild sheep, specifically in bighorn sheep. Bighorn sheep are becoming increasingly susceptible to pneumonia and outbreaks are increasing within the population. According to recent findings, the mycoplasma ovipneumoniae bacterium is the main common reason bighorns get pneumonia as wild sheep are not adapted to the bacteria, compared to domestic sheep. Once a sheep is infected, they can spread the disease to lambs and spread the disease to uninfected herds. Currently, there is still no preventative vaccination or successful treatment. The last presentation in the Committee on Wildlife Disease, was presented by the Cervid Health Director. The conversation discussed revisiting the Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Herd Certification Program Standard, due to increasing scientific advancement and congressional request by the CWD Research and Management Act which NADeFA.ORG

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was passed due to eﬀorts by NADeFA member engagement and Jack Victory from Capitol Hill Consulting Group. The program is requesting comments and oﬀering five listening sessions on the issue, with a deadline of November 13th. The proposed standard is expected to be published by Summer of 2024. In the conference, I was also able to speak with Terry Klick, Executive Director, Whitetail Deer Farmers of Ohio, and Dr. Dennis Summers, State Veterinarian, Ohio about funding necessities for their state, and had the privilege to meet key players from USAHA and USDA. Attending USAHA’s annual conference was a great opportunity to continue learning about the issues within the livestock and deer farming communities. I look forward to learning more about NADeFA’s key issues and working toward solutions for CWD. By Caroline Herrera Capitol Hill Consulting

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TREASURER REPORT

Fiscal Year 2023 Ends in the Red, GMS Sold to NADR As I write this, Halloween is approaching, and you will most likely get this to read around the time your turkey dinner is being readied. First, a little spooky news. Although we ended the year with almost 200K in the bank accounts, our FYE2023 was in the red. This was primarily due to accounts receivable over 60 days not being collected/paid. You’ve read my comments before and I’ll not repeat them but leave it up to your collective consciousness to resolve. As you are now aware, we have sold GMS to NADR. We purchased it in 2017 to keep it within the industry, rather than with outsiders. It was a good tool but started to show its age and needed significant upgrades, including becoming an online subscription platform. By selling to NADR, we keep it within the industry and NADR will be able to take it to the next level. I am happy to report that over the time we owned it, we had a lifetime profit of just under $2,000.00. It may not seem like much, but much of the revenue was used to fix server crashes, coding problems, etc., causing us and our GMS users much grief and downtime. So, to be profitable at the very end is satisfying. With COVID firmly behind us, I’m looking forward to this new fiscal year and the new venue in Springfield, IL. Happy holidays to all. u

INCOME: TOTAL: $640,878.71

EXPENSES: TOTAL: $657,559.31

Respectfully submitted, Hank Dimuzio Treasurer NADeFA

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» CHALLENGE HUNT

Special Youth Challenge Hunt Legends Ranch 2023

Traveling to Legends Ranch in Bitely, Michigan by planes, boats, cars, wheelchair, leg splints and on crutches was no easy feat for six amazing kids under the age of twenty, to hunt big bucks, in the Youth Challenge Hunt. These kids came from Alabama, Minnesota and Wisconsin and they didn’t travel alone. Parents and even a grandad traveled with them. Many of these kids have never hunted and to be given this experience of hunting at the 110

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world renown Legends Ranch and Wildlife Center in Bitely, Michigan is definitely a great place to start. The Youth Challenge Hunt was a four day adventure, starting August 29th ending with a big closing ceremony on Friday September 1st. On the first day after everyone settled into their five star accomodations and after a delicious lunch prepared by Chef Jason, the hunting guides were introduced to their young NADeFA.ORG

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hunters. The guides were filled with heart, soul and a good sense of humor. On the first day everyone seemed a little awkward and formal, trying to get adjusted to their new surroundings. By Friday it was a totally changed atmostphere, it seemed like a big happy family with a lot of jocularity going on. By Friday morning all the hunters had great success in harvesting a big trophy buck. Some of the youth hunters even took a doe. One of the Dad’s got into the action and shot his first deer. At the closing ceremony when presentations were made by the guides to their hunters short speeches were made. One guide stepped up to the mic with his story about his young hunter. He said he would ask his hunter “are you ready?” The young hunter in his leg braces, with his crutches beside him, looked up at his guide and said “I was Born ready!” One of the young hunters was in a wheelchair. I asked his Dad what had put his son in a wheelchair? He said “Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy” and that he has two more sons back home also in wheelchairs dealing with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. I enjoyed watching and listening to this father and son. They had a great sense of humor and admiration for one another and boy can that young man hunt! At the tender age of ten years old another one of the hunters was diagnosed with Becker Muscular Dystrophy. He is now 15 years old and really handsome and spends a lot of time on his cell phone texting his girlfriend, just ask his hunting guide. I had noticed one of the young hunters as being very quiet. His father said he is losing his hearing. Yes, this is very sad, but his world is going to open up in many big ways. I was raised with a deaf brother and he had an amazing life, with lots of friends and oppertunities. One of the young hunters could play a guitar like a Rock Star. Rock on Garrison! I saved the best for last, our only female huntress. FALL 2023

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Katelyn comes from the great state of Wisconsin. Katelyn loves to dance and Legends Ranch Director Robert Sergi promised her we would have a one minute dance off at the closing ceremonies. Robert kept his promise and at the closing everyone was up dancing! These young hunters all have amazing parents. I would like to mention Katie and Garrisons adoptive parents. Gary and Elli raised two biological children, then they were foster parents for twenty years. Then came a little baby boy with Down Syndrome, he has been with them for almost twenty years. After the baby boy came a baby girl diagnosed with Down Syndrome, she has been with them and will be starting high school as soon as she returns from the Youth Challenge Hunt at Legends Ranch. You might wonder why we offer this opportunity to these kids for free. It gives these kids something to look forward to, instead of hospitals and surgeries, they look forward to being out in nature. These kids were chosen from United Special Sportsman Alliance (USSA) , a non-profit wish-granting charity. If you would like to make a donation or volunteer email The Wildlife Center at Legends Ranch at www.wildlifecenter mi.org or USSA at www.childswish.com. The Wildlife Center at Legends Ranch offers a variety of programs to support conservation and education backed by a rich legacy of hunting, family, and conservation.

CONTACT INFORMATION: Telephone: (231) 745-8000 Contact Email: Legends@legendsranch.com Robert Sergi, Manager: Robert@legendsranch.com Mailing address: 2022 West 14 Mile Road Bitely, Michigan 49309 North American Deer Farmer

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Chuck Blain - Owner, SoDak Prairie Acres Ashley Petersen - ISPRIME Manager, Medgene

It’s a new day for Cervid Animal Health! We’re proud to be in the fight against EHD.

SCAN TO VISIT FALL 2023 NADeFA.ORG www.medgenelabs.com/deer

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» INDUSTRY NEWS

30+ Deer Found Dead in Pennsylvania Due to Spread of Disease

By Megan Swinney

Dozens of deer have been found dead in a Northern Pennsylvania county due to an outbreak of a deadly disease, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission. On September 8, 30 to 40 deer were found dead near State Game Lands 214 in Sadsbury and North Shenango townships. Oﬃcials said the deer died from hemorrhagic disease (HD), which is spread through biting midges. Midges are small flies with 114

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single wings that look similar to mosquitos and are often found by water. Hemorrhagic disease is caused by one of two viruses: either bluetongue virus or epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus. According to the Game Commission, outbreaks of these diseases typically happen in fall. Much like mosquitos transmitting West Nile virus, midges pick up the virus from an infected host and transfer it to the next

deer they bite. Thankfully, there is no human transmission nor deer-to-deer transmission of the disease. Both deer and elk herds are susceptible to the infection, though whitetail deer are most likely to contract the disease and die, according to data the Commission has collected over the last couple of years. According to a press release, the Game Commission monitors "HD to keep track of what viral strains occur NADeFA.ORG

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from year to year, as well as determine if there are population-level implications." So far, there haven't been any negative impacts on deer populations. Every time an outbreak hits, the population recovers. Over the last couple of years, the Game Commission notes, midge distribution has expanded northward, from traditionally moist environments to higher, drier regions. As a result, the disease is aﬀecting deer and elk populations that have never encountered it before. Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Nebraska have all seen recent outbreaks. Minnesota saw its first outbreak in 2019. According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the disease has a 5-10 day incubation period, and deer or elk die within 36 hours of exhibiting symptoms. The feverish deer are driven toward water and die from internal lesions and hemorrhages. The Pennsylvania Game Commission does point out that HD is not a risk to humans or pets but "urges the public to remain at a safe distance when observing wildlife and to not handle wildlife unless they are hunting, trapping, or otherwise authorized to do so." Don't eat the meat of an infected deer or elk. The Commission is still collecting information on animals aﬀected by the disease and is asking the public to report suspected cases of two or more deer. Dead deer can be reported by calling the Commission at 1-833PGC-WILD or through the Commission's Wildlife Health Survey tool. Citizens can report other sick or injured wildlife through the site as well. u FALL 2023

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» CWD RESEARCH UPDATE

USDA UPDATE ON PROGRESS OF A LIVE ANIMAL

CWD TEST By Davin Henderson Ph.D

At this year’s USHA farmed cervid committee meeting Davin Henderson Ph.D. from CWD Evolution and Siddra Hines DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM from VMRD presented recent progress on the USDA approval for RT-QuIC CWD testing. Numerous stakeholders form USDA, the farmed cervid industry as well as wildlife diagnostic lab representatives were excited by the progress and welcomed a new tool for the diagnosis of CWD and especially a test 116

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that can detect CWD in live animals.

Data in the

presentation showed that RT-QuIC testing of rectal biopsy tissue in both deer and elk detected 80-90% of post-mortem IHC positive CWD diagnoses. VMRD has submitted the initial documents to the USDA outlining production and testing methods for the proposed test kit and hope to have approval in 2024. u

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DEER & WILDLIFE STORIES

Why Do You Hunt? The Great Hunting Theater By Keith Warren Most hunters and even conservation organizations defend their reason to hunt by using the word conservation. And yes, conservation is certainly the best way that I’ve found that helps explain why hunting is so important. This explanation is how we as hunters defend our actions to those that oppose it. It is a logical explanation. It does seem that those that oppose hunting do not use logic to form their decision. If they did, then certainly they’d come over to our side and support hunting as though it would seem. But they oppose hunting with closed minds and out of emotion and it seems clear that nothing we can say or do will change their emotion mindset towards hunting. Emotion is a powerful thing.

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Why do you hunt? Why do any of us hunt? For me, the reason I hunt today is the same reason I hunted for the very first-time years ago and it was not about conservation or meat or antlers. It was and is and will always be for the entire experience. As a lifelong deer hunter, I never tire of sitting in the woods soaking up everything God places before me. It’s like going to a theatrical play every day for me as I sit in the stand quietly waiting for the actors (all God’s creatures) to show up. Before daylight, while it’s still dark I sit there in anticipation, waiting for the curtain of this great play to rise and the sun once again begins to reveal what’s on the stage in front of me. Slowly I start to notice and recognize things

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on the stage. The stars are dimming away as nighttime ends. A coyote oﬀ in the distance lets me know he’s there and likely already been in this area before I got here. Darkness does play tricks on the eyes and imagination. I catch movement and trying to identify what actor has shown up for this play. Then I recognize a raccoon as it heads home to take a nap for the day after a long night of trying to find something to eat. Then, more movement and another actor shows up. This time it’s a deer! My senses are getting aroused and the daily play for the hunter is starting to unfold. This great play we call hunting happens each and every time I go to the woods. Whether or not the conditions in the theater that day are cold or wet or even uncomfortably windy, I get totally immersed in the play and try to soak up every bit of it that I can. All the while hoping that the main actor (my target animal) will show up for the play.

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Most of the time, the main actor is “my buck”. “My buck” would be the one buck that I decide turns me on. One that for whatever reason, if just for a moment causes me to gasp and think, WOW! That’s “my buck”. Each deer hunter secretly knows that feeling that happens the instant they see “their buck”. This feeling for me is instant and once I feel it, game on. I’m not second guessing myself. I’m over that as I’ve second guessed myself too many times and eaten a tag at the end of the season. So, I take aim and fire. As I admire “my buck” all kinds of thoughts run through my head. I sit by the downed animal, admiring it from one end to the other and I inspect it at the same time, looking for clues that can tell me more about “my buck” and I wonder about the life he had. I look for clues that will help me connect with “my buck”. Mud in the hooves tell me he may CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE »

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DEER & WILDLIFE

« CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

You can learn a lot about a deer when you start to look at it this way. It does make things more fun for me every time have just been getting a drink. The area on his rump where a large patch of hair is missing tells me he likely was in a big I retrieve “my buck”. I may look at hunting diﬀerently than others. I may not fight. The cloudy eye makes me think that perhaps he lost vision in it early in life in a fight or maybe, just maybe it was first choose to defend my reason for hunting to be signs of a cataract meaning this would be an old buck. Fresh conservation. It’s much deeper than that. It’s the entire shavings deep inside the burrs of his antlers indicate he experience of not just going to Mother Nature’s finest play probably was one of those bucks that would angrily rub his but being an active part of that play. From planning when antlers out of frustration in the rut. The split in his ear could you’ll go, to the packing, the travel, perhaps the physical have been torn from an intense fight of some kind. It’s like I training, the anticipation, the frustration, the excitement, the put on my thinking cap to try to connect with “my buck” the disappointments and so on. And yes, in the end claiming best way possible. your animal. Whatever it is you are after.

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Each hunter knows what drives them to the woods. For me it’s an invisible force of nature that is deep inside in my DNA that calls me to be outside. It’s the connection to nature that is indescribable to those that don’t hunt. It’s the entire experience that makes it something I want to do over and over again, and I never tire of going. My question to you is why do you hunt? That is what anti hunters want to know and they need to know the answer. Because if they do know, then maybe, just maybe they’d realize that it’s like a spiritual connection hunters have with our creator. Hunting is good! And it’s good for so many reasons. Hunting is like the fountain of youth for me. Each and every time I experience that play we call hunting, I’m reminded of how excited I was to attend my first play as a child many years ago. That memory is etched deep in my heart and mind, and it is brought to life again each time I hunt.

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I am a hunter, and I am proud to know that as a hunter, we all share feelings both good and bad during the play. It’s those memories and emotion that drive us, motivate us, and cause us to cherish every moment when we are in the theater we call “hunting”. As I end this article, I find myself dreaming of where the next play will be and what will it be for? Who will the actors be? Will it be whitetail, black bear, elk, maybe African plains game? I’m always looking for that next adventure and what’s exciting is I’m looking forward to sharing that experience with our viewers encouraging them to get outside and experience for themselves this great play we call hunting. u Keith Warren is host of two outdoor programs broadcasting online and on television. For more information log on to www.highroadhunting.com.

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