NADeFA Summer Issue 2023

Strengthening Our Industry

And Streamlining the Fallow Registry

Hello, I hope everyone is doing well on their farms. There is a lot going on across the country.

I have spent the last three weekends in Texas showing support for the whitetail battle that they are going through and working on trying to get the fallow registry streamlined to prevent breeders from across the country from being forced to double register animals or buying animals without getting the pedigrees. I feel doing this will protect the integrity of our industry. The fallow market is stronger than ever, and the future is as bright as the sun. The Northern whitetail market is stronger than it has been in years as well.

The Ohio stocker sale started off the season with a bang. I also expect the Indiana sale to do very well. We are working on several things here in Oklahoma that will hopefully influence other states on future laws and regulations that will benefit us all. I’ve missed several calls while trying to make this message and need to get back at it. Thanks to all who are putting in time and effort for the industry we all love. u

Regards,

Chris Ezell NADeFA President

NADeFA CALENDAR

Submit your events to info@nadefa.org

Southern Top 30 Whitetail & Specialty Extravaganza

September 21-23, 2023

Grapevine, Tx

USAHA Annual Meeting

127th Annual Meeting 2023

National Harbor, MD

Oct 12-18, 2023

MnEBA Annual Conference

St. Cloud, MN

Jan 5 – 6, 2024

DSC Convention & Sporting Expo

Jan 11 – 14, 2024

DBC New Year’s Auction

Horseshoe Bay, TX

Jan 12 – 13, 2024

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

NADeFA MISSION

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.

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

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

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.

Embracing the Power of Genomic Markers and Breeding Values

It is hard to believe we are selling stocker bucks, getting ready to wean fawns, and planning for this falls breeding season to make the best combinations for next springs fawn crop. Another season has past, with a new one starting!

I hope when you are planning you breeding for next season you are looking heavily at your CWD genomic markers and breeding values (GEBV). I am not saying to go out and cull drastically or to only buy semen from certain bucks. What I am saying is start looking at your markers and breeding values, so you can use that information as a tool to help make future breeding decisions. How aggressive you get will depend on each farms risk tolerance. I personally am breeding for antlers, body size and health, while at the same time doing my best to breeding towards the most negative score I can and working in better markers for S, H, and K (anything away from GG). Notice I do not favor GEBV over Markers or Markers over GEBV, they go together and cannot be separated! The same goes for S, H, and K, genetic diversity is healthy, but breed for the most negative score possible! We have made whitetail bucks over 4 ft wide; how long will it take us to breed -- 0.8 breeding values and GG free herds?

The big boost in resistance breeding is going to happen once everyone embraces it and starts testing their herds. With most states paying for the genetic testing, which also will give you parentage, there really is no reason not to be pulling tissue punches every time you have your hands on your animals, until your whole herd is complete. Yes, hair and horn can work, but if the animal is available, tissue samples are the best to work with. You can order tissue tubes and the applicator gun from a link on the NADR website or directly from NeoGen. If you have deer that have already been entered into the registry, there is a discount price if you would like them to pull the stored sample and run it for the CWD susceptibility. Not every sample will have enough DNA left but many of them will, especially if they were taken with a tissue tube. Lastly, I would encourage everyone to go examine their semen inventory and look for those foundation bucks that are in the background of todays best markers and breeding values. If you have plenty of straws you can send in an unused straw prior to breeding season, but if not, you can always send in the used straw (I also like to send the cut off end) after breeding season. I promise there are some great Marker and GEBV bucks sitting in everyone’s tanks. Remember what I said earlier, the more options we have to breed with the more diverse our industry will be.

I would like to switch to Hemorrhagic Disease, this includes both EHD and Bluetongue. They are both in the Orbivirus family, so very related, yet totally separate diseases. The good part is the vector is the same midge, so your fogging and misting and mud control measures will apply to both. The bad part is the EHD vaccine will give little to any benefit against Bluetongue. The good news is Medgene labs is working on a Bluetongue vaccine. If you are not vaccinating for EHD, I would strongly suggest it. Now is the time to start, as it is a preventive not a treatment. Once an outbreak is hitting your farm it is too late. If your area has never been hit by EHD, make sure that you visit with your customers and hunt ranches to see if they are in EHD areas. There is nothing more value added than selling animals that stay alive once they arrive in a new area.

I would like to toot the NADeFA horn a little. These past couple of months have been very wearisome, while working with state and federal agencies, to help farms clear quarantines and get animals moving before hunt season. We have had some great success, and we have had disappointments. I was feeling a little down after one of the farms was denied, until the owner said to me “we did everything we can do, and no matter how much we try, we are not always going to be able to change the opinions of those working against us”. That is so true, and many times I dwell on the failures without celebrating the successes. We have gained a lot of ground and did a lot of good, but there are circumstances that sometimes are out of our control. What we can and will continue to do, is work for better rules and regulations to remove some ammo from the agencies that are working against us. At the same time, we need to embrace the technology and tools that we have been working for such as live testing and genetic resistance. I am excited about pending blood tests and vaccines that are being worked on while you are reading this. We have technology on our side!

In closing, I would like to draw attention to the success of the stocker buck auctions. WOW, the prices were record setting. The end market for our animals is the strongest ever!

As always, feel free to call me if you are having issue with your state, or just to answer any questions you may have. u

Shawn Schafer Executive Director (651) 212-1315

NADeFA Executive Committee

President Chris Ezell (2026)

Dangerous Whitetails 7134 W 420 Rd. Chelsea, OK 74016 918-697-5389

chrisezell@rocketmail.com

1st

517-281-2936

NADeFA Board of Directors

Mark Cobb (2025)

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

Jacques deMoss (2025)

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

Brad Farmer (2025)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

CLF Executive Committee

Chairman: Brad Farmer Farmer’s Fallow Deer

120 E. Robinson St. Viola, KS 67149 620-584-6634

bradshirlfarmer@sktc.net

CLF

Board of Directors

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.

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.

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

TICKS CAN CARRY INFECTIOUS LEVELS OF CWD

by Eric Galatas

Stuart Lichtenberg - research scientist at the University of Minnesota and co-author of a new University of Wisconsin at Madison-led report - said the team wanted to find out if deer ticks that were found on white tail deer killed by hunters carried prions, the misfolded proteins that spread the disease.

"We were actually able to detect what we called 'transmission relevant doses' of CWD prions," said Lichtenberg. "That is to say that there is enough prions present in those ticks that it could cause disease in an animal that is

susceptible to CWD."

Lichtenberg warned that scientists still do not completely understand how CWD spreads, but this new research shows potential options for mitigating transmission if ticks are in fact a major contributor.

Chronic wasting disease has been found in 30 U.S. states including Wyoming, and four Canadian provinces.

It was first identified in 1985 in southeastern Wyoming mule deer, in elk the following year, and has since spread to

the majority of the state.

Lichtenberg said while there are concerns that CWD could spread to humans, there is no solid evidence showing the neurological disease can or will do so.

"It's essentially the same thing as mad cow disease from the early 90's," said Lichtenberg. "But it takes place in white tail deer, mule deer, elk. It is inevitably fatal, and untreatable."

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department offers hunters a wide range of options for testing their harvest for CWD.

Lichtenberg said this is an important step hunters can take every year to protect themselves, their families and Wyoming's iconic big game.

"It gives them the peace of mind that their harvest is safe," said Lichtenberg. "But it also provides a lot of useful information for those departments of natural resources that they can then use to make management decisions based upon what hunters are seeing out in the wild." u

Scientists are gaining ground in the race to understand what is causing the spread of chronic wasting disease, or CWD, in deer and elk.

NADeFA Magazine's Commitment to Excellence

I want to thank everyone that I have spoken to (or communicated with via email) about advertising or providing content for the magazine that you are holding.

There’s a lot of work that goes into getting this magazine out timely. It would not be possible without your commitment to the North American Deer Farmers Association (NADeFA) and the industry.

It is my hope that the magazine gets better with each issue. If you have any suggestions for improvement, please let me know!

NEw MEMBERShIP DIRECTORy IN ThE wORKS

Marci and I have been working on retaining and growing the NADeFA Membership. We attended the auction at Mt. Hope, OH and the Hoosier

at Nappanee, IN where it was a pleasure to speak to existing members and to sign up a few new ones. We are also working on the Membership Directory. If you have any changes such as farm name, address, phone number, or email address it’s important that you let us know as soon as possible. There's a membership update form at the bottom of this page. We are excited to begin working on the Annual NADeFA Conference. Please save the date March 20 – 23, 2024. More info will be coming soon! u

Marci henry (330) 454 - 3944 and Lisa weinsheimer: (330) 880-6159

MEMBERShIP DIRECTORy

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.

Do you own a Hunting Preserve or Ranch?:__________________________________________________________________

Do you market Venison?____________________________________________________________________________________

Species: W = Whitetails, A = Axis, E = Exotics, F = Fallow, M = Muntjac, MD = Mule Deer, PD = Pere David, R = Reindeer, RD = Red Deer

Head Honcho

Safeguard

NADR# 312755

Darin Witmer

Coldspring Whitetails

The Ace

NADR# 321553

Lester Eicher

Springfield Whitetails

2 year olds

Trendsetter

NADR# 356886

Daryl & Earl Hershberger

Clear Creek Whitetails

Simply Irresistible

NADR# 305982

Brad Hassig

Prime Acres Whitetails

3 year olds

Pre-Heat

NADR# 333761

Samuel Stoltzfus

Sunnyburn Whitetails

Real World

NADR# 324657

Eddie Ray Borkholder

Pine Creek Deer Farm

Silverstar

NADR# 323038

Hank Corbell

CC Bar Whitetails

Crown Jewel

NADR# 299756

Brent Geistweidt

White Ghost Ranch

North American Deer Farmer

Gladiator

NADR# 12109

Grant Garner

Lonehollow Whitetails

Storm Express

NADR# 155385

Eddie Ray Borkholde

Pine Creek Deer Farm

Back In Black

NADR# 282313

Brad Hassig

Whitetails of Prime Acres

Inception

NADR# 296320

Jesse Boger

Limitless Genetics

Mule Deer

Big Sexy

NADR# 27476

Lee Smith

Brandon Walker Manager

Cedar Breaks Mule Deer Ranch

Black Hawk

NADR# 249046

Chris Ryckman

Missouri Valley Muley's

Solaris

NADR# 363486

Chris Ryckman

Missouri Valley Muley's

Lakota

NADR# 274770

Lee Smith

Brandon Walker Manager

Cedar Breaks Mule Deer Ranch

Rockstar

NADR# 264436

Travis McGuire

McGuire Ranch

SFR Chief

NADR# 306929

Colby Stephens

Sola Fe Ranch

SFR Mighty Moose

NADR# 306933

Colby Stephens Sola Fe Ranch

Chris & Randy Steward

3-S Texas Outdoors Thunderboy

3-S Texas Outdoors

Odin

Chris & Randy Steward

NADR# 114525

John True Big Rack Ranch

Lone Star

NADR #95232

Gene Thompson Thompson Trophy Whitetails

Mariachi

NADR# 258733

John True Big Rack Ranch

Gladiator Sunset

NADR# 58113

NADR# 321560

Lester Eicher

Springfield Whitetails

Aaron Keng Republic of Texas Whitetails

H-10 Bold Ruler

NADR# 294134

Randy Froehlich Heritage 10 Whitetails

The General

NADR #268767

Catlin Dutschmann

Hatada Whitetail Ranch

Torres

NADR #298716

Brent Geistweidt White Ghost Ranch

212 Degrees

NADR #296324

Eddie Ray Borkholder

Pine Creek Deer Farm

Emperor

NADR #268756

Catlin Dutschmann

Hatada Whitetail Ranch

Custom Made

NADR# 205575

Sharp Run Whitetails

Reuben Schlabach

Sprocket

NADR# 337475

Tyler Schmidt

Rocky Meadow Whitetails

Wide Rack

Forgiven

NADR# 243000

Whitetail Syndications

Nappanee, IN

LandMark

NADR# 212841

Kathy Smith, Keeper Ranch

Bryant Kern, Manager

Wide Rack

Nufaze

NADR# 356884

Daryl & Earl Hershberger

Clear Creek Whitetails

Black Ice

NADR# 365013

Bernie Roell and Jon Niese

Major League Whitetails and Grand Slam Lodge

Rip

NADR# 366217

Mike Ryckman Ryckman Whitetails

Reactor

NADR# 228224

Rich Clonts Hatton Ranch

North American Deer Farmer

39

Black Mamba

NADR# 283432

Robert Myers

BlackJack Whitetails, LLC

Notorius

NADR# 249878

Steve Moss Trophies Unlimited Whitetail

Wide Rack

Marsh Nugget

NADR# 207798

Pete Miller

Marsh Valley Whitetails

Storm King

NADR# 211909

Cletus Bontrager

Twin Maple Deer Farm

Nation Wide

NADR# 287444

Steve Moss

Trophies Unlimited Whitetail

The VCPR

What Is It and Why Is It Necessary?

By Cervid Solutions

The Veterinarian Client Patient Relationship is a necessary tool to maintain and ensure all guidelines are followed between the Veterinarian and the patient. The term VCPR was derived from federal legislation enacted in 1994 called the American Medicinal Drug Use Clarification Act (AMDUCA), which specifies the conditions a veterinarian must consider before using or recommending drugs in an extra-label manner. Considering many medications used in the Cervid industry do not have guidelines for deer, most treatments end up falling under AMDUCA and therefore the VCPR is crucial.

Each veterinarian may have a different requirement on establishing and maintaining a current VCPR with you and your ranch. While the time between visits and requirements will differ slightly, the main premise of the VCPR remains the same. Oftentimes, if you have a good, ongoing relationship with your veterinarian they will not have a formal written VCPR but rely on their records of visits and treatments.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association a VCPR is present when all the following requirements are met:

• The veterinarian has assumed the responsibility for making clinical judgments regarding the health of the patient and the client has agreed to follow the veterinarians’ instructions.

• The veterinarian has sufficient knowledge of the patient to initiate at least a general or preliminary diagnosis of the medical condition of the patient. This means that the veterinarian is personally acquainted with the keeping and care of the patient by virtue of a timely examination of the

patient by the veterinarian, or medically appropriate and timely visits by the veterinarian to the operation where the patient is managed.

• The veterinarian is readily available for follow-up evaluation or has arranged for the following: veterinary emergency coverage, and continuing care and treatment.

• The veterinarian provides oversight of treatment, compliance, and outcome.

• Patient records are maintained.

Each state may choose to further define and make requirements for large operations when establishing a VCPR.

Another area the VCPR is important when working with Cervid, is when you are looking to obtain further testing and diagnostics on your animals. Diagnostics are a great tool to assess your herd health and further improve their physical condition and productivity. As the owner/or ranch manager, you can take various samples from your animals and send them in to a diagnostic laboratory for further testing and analysis. At the completion of the diagnostic testing, the results are sent to your veterinarian as they must oversee and understand what pathogens are in your herd.

Additionally, a key aspect of the VCPR is the implementation of the Cervid Solutions vaccine products, PV2 and EV1. Under the direction of your herd veterinarian these products can be administered and act as part of your herd health program.

Having a good relationship with your veterinarian is extremely important and a key to successful health and management of your herd. u

A very special young lady entered my life in January 2020. My stepdaughter Ceree Ledbetter, and she has a great passion for animals and photography. Since that first meeting, she has spent countless hours helping me on the farm and growing her passion for animal husbandry and animal photography. Ceree has helped with daily farm chores such as feeding, fence maintenance, hauling hay and feed, animal vaccinations, tagging, raising many different types of poultry/fowl and many other farm projects. We transport a lot of animals for other farms and hunting operations. Ceree has helped to tranquilize, load, transport and unload many Whitetail Deer, Elk, Red Deer, Bison and Sheep as this has been an important part of our business the last several years. She has also raised Chinchilla’s the past few years on her own.

Ceree graduated high school with honors in May 2023 and left 2 days later for a summer internship program hosted by Henry Woodard and Dustin Blosser at Woodard Whitetails of Kentucky. She has been there all summer learning much more about the cervid industry and assisting with fawn care, bottle-feeding 80 fawns, tranquilizing, vaccinating, antler care, pen maintenance and many other

important aspects of the industry that we love. She has also continued her passion for photography.

Ceree has enrolled and will attend West Liberty University in August 2023 with only a few days break from her summer internship program in Kentucky. She will be majoring in the Zoological Science program, learning to become a zookeeper or curator. Part of her curriculum will be working with the Good Zoo at Oglebay Park in WV, Columbus Zoo and The Wilds both in Ohio, as well as over 300 animals on campus. She is very excited about her career path just as her mother and I are. Honestly, she is living my dream and I am getting to experience it through her.

When Ceree is not caring for, working with or photographing animals, she really enjoys being outdoors, hunting and fishing. Ceree is part of the next generation of our industry, and it is very encouraging to me to see young people with her drive and passion. u

Proud Parent, Mark Cobb

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is an expanding prion disease affecting primarily deer and elk. New CWD cases have been found across not only the United States but as far away as Northern Europe. CWD affects numerous stakeholders ranging from hunters to game agencies and, of course, deer and elk farmers. It appears we have been stuck in a loop of bad news. No new tests or effective management strategies have been proven to slow the spread of CWD. We have all heard of new tests coming soon; new tests promising to be useful in live animals that will be more sensitive for the detection of CWD in tissues that have less CWD accumulation than the brain or lymph node.

One such testing technology seems to be separating itself from the rest of the pack and promises to deliver on a number of highly anticipated tests. Realtime quaking induced conversion (RT-QuIC) is a next generation test that works fundamentally different than current tests. RT-QuIC amplifies the CWD found in tissues and can be a million times more sensitive than currently approved tests. Numerous studies using RT-QuIC have shown it to be both

reliable and effective in diagnosing CWD in tissue harvested easily from a live deer or elk without asthenisation. RT-QuIC can also detect CWD in third eyelid tissue that a hunter can easily remove from the deer or elk themselves making testing for CWD in hunted animals considerably easier.

Late last year, CWD Evolution, the first company to commercialize RT-QuIC testing, partnered with VMRD, a manufacturer of USDA approved kits and reagents. This partnership seeks to bridge the final gap for a USDA approved RT-QuIC test. VMRD has the know-how and approved facility to manufacture USDA approved reagents and test kits.

In March, VMRD is beginning manufacturing of all the reagents necessary for an RT-QuIC test kit. The first step will be a validation against gold-standard IHC testing which will lead to a post-mortem approved RT-QuIC test. Next, VMRD will seek approval for the same test on rectal biopsy tissue harvested from live animals. Finally, a high-throughput third eyelid test will go through the same process to achieve approval of an easier surveillance test for hunters. There is a

lot of interest in using a live animal test in a captive deer setting from multiple stakeholders. Here are a few potential uses for this new and exciting technology.

LIvE ANIMAL TESTINg To QUAraNTINE RESTRICTIoNS

This is obviously the most important for deer and elk farming operations. Unfortunately, it is also the potential use that is most uncertain. In order for a quarantine to be lifted early or not be imposed at all, the USDA would have to write new program standards incorporating the use of RT-QuIC testing into the quarantine guidelines. The USDA would lay out the requirements of the testing regime such as how many times and how far apart the tests must be. They would also dictate the genetic composition required for eligibility. Peer reviewed and published data suggest that genotype does not affect the ability to detect CWD positive deer or elk by RTQuIC.

However, since there are so few positive deer with the most resistant genotypes, there is not a lot of available information. The number of tests and the time between them will likely be determined by a probability analysis based on the approved test’s sensitivity and specificity compared to post-mortem testing.

LIvE ANIMAL TESTINg PRIoR To MovEMENT

One of the most concerning topics for state regulators is the expansion of CWD positive regions through introduction of CWD by transportation of positive deer or elk from farm to farm or hunting ranch. If there is a straightforward and minimally burdensome test that can

prevent 80-90% of unintended CWD transports, then you can bet many states will impose live animal RT-QuIC tests to be performed prior to movement. Although it adds an increased expense and time to take samples, live animal testing may drastically reduce the number of operations that are caught up in trace forward and trace back quarantines which as a whole, would save money for the industry. It could also reduce needless depopulations that fail to find evidence of CWD.

WhoLE STATE LIvE ANIMAL TESTINg

If there is enough interest from the states, we might see the USDA create a program where farmers could conduct whole herd tests on an interval basis to be declared certified or some such designation, similar to how the TB accreditation and Brucellosis certification programs work. Time will tell how ranchers and regulators choose to utilize this new technology when it becomes available and/or approved. Each of these potential scenarios is just speculation for how this new testing technology might be used. There are likely many other possible outcomes for how this new frontier of CWD management will shake out. At least we are poised to offer a new tool to combat the spread of CWD and hopefully have some good news in the future with regards to CWD.

Davin is the founder of CWD Evolution which is the first company to commercially offer RT-QuIC testing. He has spent a decade using RT-QuIC to understand how CWD is spread and refining this powerful testing technology for use in a diagnostic setting.

Numerous studies using RT-QuIC have shown it to be both reliable and effective in diagnosing CWD … ”

‘ANGST & FRUSTRATION’

Emergency rules on chronic wasting disease frustrate Texas deer breeders

By Michael Marks Texas Standard

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department recently enacted new emergency rules for the deer breeding industry, after an increase in cases of chronic wasting disease at breeding facilities.

Chronic wasting disease, or CWD, is a contagious neurological affliction that affects animals like deer, elk and moose. It can spread in a variety of ways, including between animals, and through contaminated food and water.

The disease is rare but a serious threat to deer, as well as members of the hunting industry: White-tailed deer hunting

generates over $4 billion of economic activity in Texas each year, according to the Natural Resources Institute at Texas A&M University.

Deer breeding is a big part of that. Breeders manage herds of white-tailed deer to develop traits like big or unusual antlers. These deer are raised in pens and eventually sold to high-fence game ranches. They spend their life in a controlled environment but can still contract CWD by interacting with free-roaming deer at a fence line or eating a contaminated substance.

So far, CWD has been detected at nine Texas deer breeding facilities this year, the most since the disease was first discovered in the state in 2012.

“That certainly was of grave concern to the agency, by people who are concerned, you know, by white-tailed deer as a public resource across the state,” said John Silovsky, wildlife division director for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

In response, the department issued an emergency order on July 25 that changed the rules for deer breeders. It has two main provisions: All deer in breeding facilities must now have an external identification tag, usually attached to their ear, and deer must test negative for CWD before being moved to another breeding facility.

Previously, ear tags were optional for bred deer. Any deer sold to a hunting ranch had to test negative for CWD before being released, but deer transferred between breeders did not have to be tested before the emergency rule went into effect.

“This additional surveillance we can gain by adding that requirement for that kind of movement will give us better information that we’re not moving CWD from one facility to another,” Silovsky said.

The emergency rules have frustrated deer breeders, though, many of whom take more issue with how they were issued than with the rules themselves.

“Obviously as an industry we know we are going to be regulated,” said Kevin Davis, executive director of the Texas Deer Association, which represents breeders in the state. “I think the angst and frustration that we face right now is we’re being regulated through emergency order. In our opinion that’s indicative of a regulatory agency working around the Texas Legislature to drive their agendas.”

The Legislature is responsible for writing laws about how the state will manage CWD – and it’s done that. But the emergency rules were issued unilaterally by Parks and Wildlife – which has issued at least nine emergency orders related to the disease since 2019 – without debate or public comment.

“The thought process that we need to test [for CWD] between breeders is probably not a bad thought process,” Davis said. “But the way we got there was not inclusive of the body being governed.”

Deer breeders have an interest in preventing the disease from entering their herd. A positive case can be devastating: If just one deer tests positive, usually all the deer in that herd are euthanized, as well as any deer that’s been in contact with that herd over the past five years.

“Total depopulation remains the best method to contain

and arrest the disease where it exists,” Silovsky said.

The long-term solution to CWD may not have anything to do with regulation, however, but with genetics.

“In 10, maybe 15 years, these deer breeders have made quantum leaps in antler size in the deer that they’re producing. And they’re in the process of doing the same thing with the genetics in regard to CWD,” said James Kroll, a professor emeritus at Stephen F. Austin State University who spent much of his career studying how to manage the disease.

Researchers have identified genetic markers that make white-tailed deer more resistant to CWD, and some breeders are now cultivating those traits in their herds. This has been done before with sheep, who are susceptible to a disease similar to CWD called scrapie.

“What the sheep people did was put together a program – they figured out there was a genetic link, and they started breeding sheep that were resistant to it – not immune, but resistant,” Kroll said. “And they have pretty much reduced the occurrence of scrapie in sheep by doing so.”

The emergency rules will be in place until at least late November, and possibly much longer. TWPD staff will recommend that they be made permanent at the department’s next board meeting on Aug. 23. u

COVID Mutates Rapidly In Whitetails, But Here’s Why We Don’t Need to Worry – For Now

By Beth Daley, Editor of The Conversation

At some point during the pandemic, Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, spread from humans to white-tailed deer in the US.

In 2021, scientists revealed that 40% of white-tailed deer sampled in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Illinois and New York state had COVID antibodies.

Surveillance of these deer continues, and a new study by researchers at Ohio State University found that the virus is still spreading among the animals – and back to humans. And it is evolving rapidly.

The researchers looked at the prevalence of COVID in a small sample of white-tailed deer in north-eastern Ohio. The samples were taken between November 2021 and March 2022. From 1,522 nasal swabs, 163 tested positive for alpha and delta variants of COVID. The researchers also found that the virus had spread many times from humans to deer and from deer to humans (known as “spillover”).

Coronaviruses are covered in spikes and it is these spikes that latch on to our cells to gain entry and begin replicating. The particular part of our cells that the spikes latch on to is called the ACE2 receptor. This receptor is similar in deer and humans, and coronaviruses have lost little time in exploiting this.

Human contact with deer is common in parts of the US, where many millions of white-tailed deer live as wild, urbanised or farmed animals. In these habitats, deer may be exposed to human waste. They can carry bacteria with similar antimicrobial resistance patterns to local humans.

The Ohio researchers found that COVID multiplied and spread in deer over several months, causing no obvious illness or deaths in the animals. Migrating deer – males in particular –spread the virus as they moved across the county.

It is not known if other potential hosts such as skunks, squirrels or rodents contracted the virus too, but spread from deer back to humans was seen. How this exchange happened, though, is unclear.

Deer sampled on Staten Island, New York, over the same period showed evidence of spillover infection from humans by another COVID variant, omicron. Viral exchanges between communities and their deer are happening often.

MUTATINg ThREE TIMES FASTER IN DEER ThAN IN hUMANS

By measuring changes in the COVID genomes in the deer using a new statistical method, the researchers in Ohio estimated that the rate of COVID mutation was three times greater than in humans. The types of genetic changes were not the same as those in human COVID. The mutations appeared to be adaptive responses that might have increased viral spread in its new deer hosts.

COVID showed early increases in its diversity in humans, too, which was perhaps more rapid in the first years after 2019.

Crucially, the spill-back of virus from deer to humans has not caused new human outbreaks that are making doctors lose sleep. Evolutionary changes in COVID in deer populations have not resulted in a virus that can evade our antibodies. So there is no current public health risk linked to this increased mutation rate.

As with humans, some deer are “super-spreaders”. Social network analysis shows this process in deer’s use of scraping sites, where males leave their scents to set up breeding groups. Human-made feeding or bait stations (for hunting) exacerbate the rate of viral spread, too.

White-tailed deer could be referred to as a new reservoir of COVID viruses. Animal reservoirs encompass a continuous process of viral division and change. Hosts impose selective pressures on viruses that influence the rate at which a virus’s genome changes. For example, influenza A evolves more rapidly in populations of birds or pigs than in people.

Probably, the lifespan of an infected animal, metabolic processes within its cells, immune actions, damage to viral RNA from host enzymes or other pathogens all force viral mutation. Whatever the reasons, these observations from Ohio raise the possibility that in those millions of white-tailed deer, COVID viruses might develop into a new strain or variant capable of spreading significant illness to humans.

Blood tests of UK deer in 2020-21 found no evidence of COVID in these animals. This could be because British deer species have distinctive ecological niches and COVID susceptibilities. But it is clear that this sort of ongoing surveillance provides valuable intelligence. u

Beloved Buck Reunites With Evalyn After A Year, Proving Deer Are Family

Nold Farms LLC sold this buck a year ago to Little Flat Creek, he was our daughter Evalyns buddy she had looked forward to visiting him. He came running right up to her, like he missed her as much as she had him. This is why we raise deer, they become a part of us. u

- Amy Nold

NEW MEMBERS

Clayton Carley

Carley Farms, LLC

Kylar Damon

Nomad Whitetails

Darby Davis

Earthly Bound Farm

Walter Dutting

Wally's Whitetails

Julio Escudero

Rancho San Cayetano

Raymond hogg

Lazy h Whitetails & Exotics

Chad Jeane

Diamond J Ranch

Alyssa Loth

Diamond A Ranch

Steven Meyer

Rackjacker Whitetail Ranch

Lenny Morrison

getaway / Quaker valley Farm

Ashley Petersen

Medgene

Kyle Richardson

Bishop Big Bucks

Derek Rigdon

Daughtery Branch Whitetails

Jarrett Rogers

Dugdemona Ranch Whitetails

Sloan Staner

Staner Ranch

Zach Stell

Deer Creek Whitetails, LLC

Chuck Strickland

Two Buck Chucks Trophy

Whitetails

IS THERE A RISK

OF THE CWD AGENT TO

By Justin greenlee, DvM, PhD, Diplomate ACvP

Our research group at the National Animal Disease Center has dedicated significant resources to investigating the potential of the chronic wasting disease (CWD) agent to transmit to non-cervid species. In instances where transmission occurred, we have demonstrated how to differentiate it from other prion diseases such as scrapie in sheep or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle.

The species barrier is an important concept to understanding when it comes to potential interspecies transmission events of prion diseases. The species barrier describes a barrier to transmission between mammalian species and depends largely on differences in the primary structure between the prion proteins of the donor inoculum

OF TRANSMISSION

NON-CERVID SPECIES?

and the new host. The species barrier can result in prolonged incubation periods or a reduced proportion of animals that develop disease (attack rate). In some cases, when a prion agent does infect a new species, there is adaptation upon second passage resulting in faster incubation periods and higher attack rates.

Many of our studies use the intracranial inoculation route with high titers of infectious material. The intention of this work is to test the worst-case scenario- is transmission possible under very high exposures? Positive results in this type of experiment show that transmission could be possible, but for various reasons described below results obtained from cattle, goats, and sheep suggest that transmission of CWD under farm or range conditions is unlikely. Some species, such as sheep, have prion protein polymorphisms (amino acid substitutions at specific amino acid locations in the prion protein) that can affect susceptibility to prion disease. For example, wild type sheep that are susceptible to sheep scrapie have the amino acid glutamine (Q) at codon 171 of their prion protein. Other sheep

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE»

that have an arginine (R) are highly resistant to scrapie. The abnormal prion protein still enters the body of resistant (R171) sheep when they are exposed, but it fails to amplify. White-tailed deer also have prion protein polymorphisms, but less is known as to whether there is a single amino acid difference (or combination of differences) that may lend resistance to CWD. Studies are underway at the NADC to examine the CWD susceptibility of various polymorphic variants after exposure to the CWD agent through an infected pen mate. We reported on this at the 2023 NADeFA Annual Conference and will continue to make updates as new results are obtained.

Previous work in sheep tells us that transmission after exposure by the oral route is more likely when the results of intracranial inoculation experiments with the same inoculum demonstrate accumulation of abnormal prion protein in lymphoid tissues (spleen, lymph nodes, tonsil). We have experimentally exposed sheep to CWD isolates from whitetailed deer, elk, and mule deer. Even using intracranial inoculations, the attack rate of CWD from white-tailed deer is low and abnormal prion protein is not detected outside of the brain and spinal cord (no accumulation in lymphoid tissues). Upon second passage of material from the IC study all sheep remained negative when tested at 96 months postinoculation. An unexpected outcome after exposing sheep to white-tailed deer CWD prions by the oronasal route was evidence of abnormal prion protein in the tonsil and retropharyngeal lymph node of a single sheep without clinical signs when the experiment was ended after 60 months of incubation. Because of the presence of abnormal prion protein in lymphoid tissues, we expected that a second passage would result in adaptation to sheep (wide tissue distribution and high attack rate). However, the sheep from a second passage of the oronasal study have no evidence of infection after 48 months of incubation, but we plan to keep these sheep under observation for up to an additional 48 months. CWD prions from elk seem to transmit more efficiently to sheep by the intracranial route when compared to CWD prions from white-tailed deer, but there is no evidence of abnormal prion in lymphoid tissues, suggesting sheep are unlikely to be susceptible by oronasal exposure. The most intriguing results have come from sheep exposed

to CWD prions from mule deer. After intracranial exposure, there were 2/8 sheep that had evidence of abnormal prion protein. One sheep developed clinical signs after 35 months of incubation and had evidence of abnormal prion in tonsil and lymph nodes. Second passage of this material by the intracranial route resulted in 100% attack rate in sheep and widespread tissue distribution of abnormal prion protein. A study to test susceptibility of sheep to CWD from mule deer after oronasal exposure is underway.

Results in cattle are variable depending on the source of inoculum used. After intracranial inoculation with elk, mule deer, or white-tailed deer CWD prion, 14%, 38%, or 86% of cattle are infected, respectively. A study performed at the University of Wyoming failed to demonstrate transmission of mule deer CWD prions to cattle by the oral route after 10 years of observation. In the instances where CWD experimentally transmits to cattle, it is easily distinguished from the natural prion disease of cattle, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, because it has a unique pattern on western blot and immunohistochemistry demonstrates that abnormal prion protein accumulates in a pattern largely restricted to white matter in the brain, which is very different than that described in BSE. There is one exception to this rule of cattle being poorly susceptible to CWD prions by the oronasal route and that is in cattle with a prion protein polymorphism conferring high susceptibility to prion diseases. This polymorphism, referred to as E211K, substitutes a lysine (K) for glutamic acid (E) at codon 211 of the bovine prion protein. Cattle with this polymorphism are susceptible to atypical BSE prions and CWD prions after oronasal exposure to as little as 0.1 g of infectious material. However, thousands of cattle have been tested, but only the 2006 BSE case and its single offspring have been shown to carry this polymorphism. This suggests that the E211K BSE case may have been a one-time mutation rather than a polymorphism that is widely present in the cattle population.

The species that we are all most curious about is humans. The primary way that potential risk to humans is assessed is through studies in transgenic mice that express the human prion protein. When held to the same standard as bovine spongiform encephalopathy where infectious material from infected cattle transmits to approximately 25% of transgenic mice that express the human prion protein, there have been no CWD transmissions despite dozens of isolates from

various species and geographical locations being tested by our group and others. In recent studies performed by others using transgenic mice that overexpress human prion protein at approximately 6 times normal (thus increasing susceptibility to prion disease), there is some evidence of very low levels of CWD prion transmission. Similarly, when an in-vitro technique called serial protein misfolding cyclic amplification (sPMCA) was used to generate a CWD prion in human brain substrate, it was infectious to transgenic mice expressing the human prion protein. This study provides the most convincing evidence that CWD prions may be able to cause misfolding in the human prion protein, though it took multiple in-vitro passages of CWD material in human prion protein substrate under optimized laboratory conditions.

One major unknown with the potential for the CWD agent to transmit to new species is the passage through an intermediate host. We have demonstrated that CWD from a GS96 white-tailed deer transmitted readily to raccoons. Passage of this isolate through meadow voles followed by intracranial inoculation of raccoons with vole-derived inoculum resulted in disease with different biologic characteristics (increased attack rates and decreased incubation periods) and neuropathology than the original CWD isolate. These results provide strong evidence for the emergence of a novel strain of CWD after passage in meadow voles and raccoons. Therefore, interspecies transmission of CWD prions between cervids and non-cervid species that share the same habitat might represent a confounding factor in CWD-management programs. In addition, passage of CWD prions through off-target species might represent a source of novel CWD strains with unknown biologic

characteristics, including zoonotic potential.

In general, the bulk of the evidence from studies conducted at the NADC suggests that a natural transmission of the CWD agent to other species in unlikely, but it is not impossible. There are, however, cases of transmission through intermediate hosts such as raccoons or meadow voles that deserve special consideration. Both species have a wide distribution throughout North American, have an omnivorous diet that may include meat, and could encounter CWD prions in their environment. Passage of CWD isolates through these intermediate hosts results in isolates with unique strain properties that require additional investigation to fully understand their potential to infect new hosts.

The best way to ensure minimal risk of transmission to non-cervid species is adhering to good practices that limit CWD spread in general such as testing before buying or transporting animals and elimination of positive animals from a premises as soon as possible. CWD positive animals that are allowed to stay on premises lead to increased contamination increasing the dose available for transmission. Eliminating or greatly reducing CWD prions in the environment is the best prevention against spreading CWD. This combined with avoiding closely cohousing of multiple species on the same premises is the best way to reduce the chance of interspecies transmission of CWD prions. u

Justin Greenlee, DVM, PhD, Diplomate ACVP - Virus and Prion Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, USA.

Preparing for Fall Events & Future Projects

As I sit to write this message, as always, I am reminded of how fast time moves. In my last Presidents address we were discussing the coming of fawns and summer, now we prepare for fall.

It has been a busy few months for your PDFA. In addition to our normal business of operating the association we have been planning our Fall Event. Knowing that these events are a way for farmers to meet each other and help support the PDFA’s mission our board of directors have been working for months on the details.

This event will combine our traditional two events (per year) into one and be two days September 14 and 15th. We will have our Stocker/Breeder auction on the 14th and the Annual meeting and benefit auction on Friday 15th.

Dr. Davin Henderson and Dr. Christopher Seabury will be “in the house” to present on Chronic Wasting Disease in various capacities. We will have updates from the Dept. of Agriculture, the Harrisburg Capitol and much more.

It continues to become more evident that the PA Deer Farmers Association are leading the way in the fight against CWD. In conjunction with PA Dept. of Ag and USDA we are finding new tools and opportunities for PA producers to

navigate the water. In the coming years PA deer farmers will be well positioned in the market place and our businesses will again be in a position to thrive.

On a final note, the PDFA has proactively agreed to hire Keith Warren from the High Road and Deer and Wildlife Stories to work with us creating a video about the importance of Deer Farming and Ranching in PA and Nationally. This significant investment will provide a national platform for us to discuss and story tell about not only the purpose but the benefit of our industry on the landscape in North America

Our industry embraces tenants of small business, land conservation, local communities, economic impact, habitat restoration, species preservation and so much more. We are incredibly excited to take on this task and look forward to sharing it with you.

In closing, I look forward to seeing you all at the next deer event, have a great and prosperous fall season!

Respectfully,

Josh Newton, PDFA President

Missouri Deer Association Annual Picnic

We may be a small group, but stand strong and continue to persevere, as regulations continue to APPLY PRESSURE on our way of life. Our industry continues rise and fight for the right to continue to care for Gods amazing creatures. We continue to have regulatory meetings with Missouri Dept. of Ag and Missouri Department of Conservation, to follow and create regulation changes, we hope to continue this amicable relationship to manage regulations.

The second weekend in August, the Missouri Deer Association has held its annual meeting for many years. This year was no different, we had almost all our membership present. A Board of Directors meeting was held. We welcome a new board member, Bradley Lueckenhoff of Little Flat Creek Ranch. Board of Directors are as followed, Amy Green-Nold, President, Bradley Lueckenhoff, VicePresident, Rachael Monnig, Secretary/Treasurer, Matt Kirchner, Donald Hill, Brad Puff, Garrett Westfall, Jeni Haddock and Sean Combs.

We would like to thank this year’s host Little Flat Creek Ranch. Little Flat Creek Ranch was founded in 1991, as a family hunting operation. Throughout the years it has grown to a world-class hunting facility. In 2004, the ranch partnered

with the Catch-A-Dream Foundation and began providing hunting and fishing adventures for children battling life threatening illnesses. In 2015, all commercial operations ended, and the Ranch’s priority was given to Catch-ADream. In 2018, the LFCR Dream Foundation, a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization, was created, and a new partnership with Charlie 22 Outdoors began. Charlie 22 Outdoors provides outdoor adventures for our Nation’s Veterans, and their families. Currently, Little Flat Creek Ranch and the LFCR Dream Foundation provide nearly one-third of all Catch-A-Dream trips, and just recently, we wrapped up our 233rd trip with Catch-A-Dream. Since partnering in 2018, we have also provided nearly 60 trips for Charlie 22 Outdoors. All these trips are 100% free of charge to these organizations and their guests.

We would like to thank IDEFA for their generous donation to the Missouri Deer Association, this will help us with our efforts to continue our work with regulatory changes.

Amy Green-Nold- (660) 492-0215

Missouri Deer Association- President

2023 Ohio Whitetail Sale & Benefit

The Ohio Whitetail sale and benefit is in the books. We had a great event with over 700 and attendance. This year we highlighted our veterans and paid a tribute to them by hosting tables that they were honored at. We also presented THE WALL, a picture display that depicts the history of American battles from beginning to present day. I would like to take time to thank the sponsor states, that so graciously sponsored tables for our veterans. These states were Indiana, Wisconsin, and NADeFA, many other states had offered but the generous support of individuals from Ohio that also sponsor tables for veterans were enough to fulfill the needs. I would also like to thank all the individuals from surrounding states that took the time to come to Ohio and support our event. Also, a huge thank you to Shawn for taking time out of his whirlwind trip to stop by Ohio and say hello. It may seem silly to some for him to fly from one end of the country to the other for just a short period of time but believe me the membership notices and much appreciates his efforts to show up.

The deer auction on Friday was also a huge success. The prices were once again up from last year and I believe an indication that the market is strong and stable. This was not only true of the bucks in the sale, but all species represented from Buffalo to exotic sheep and goats. I want to thank Mark on the behalf of everyone involved and especially myself for making this a top-notch sale and one Ohio can be proud of.

We are already working on next year's event and have decided that it will be a nostalgia event. We will be inviting back all the old board members and paying tribute to the bucks and does that started the industry. I will be looking for mounts, antlers, pictures, old catalogs of deer events, and a few folks that can talk about these old deer and what they did for the industry. I am already excited about next year's event, so mark your calendar August 15 and 16th, 2024, look forward to seeing you there. u

-Terry Klick

Proper Handling and Storage of Vaccines

By Cervid Solutions

It’s important to understand all aspects of maintaining a healthy herd of animals. The maintenance of animals involves care and under- standing of not only the animal itself but also the need for a disease management program with a vaccination protocol. Proper handling of vaccine can insure proper immunity and health of all animals, includ- ing adult cervid and fawns. Livestock vaccines are crucial for animal and public health, they are a cost effective measure to prevent animal disease and prevent transmission of zoonotic and foodborne infections to people.

StoragE

Both PV3 and EV1 are autogenous vaccines that must be stored in a specified temperature. The optimal storage temperature is 35-45 degrees Fahrenheit (2-7 Celsius) per label guidelines. Vaccines thermal sensitivity can be explained by the complex nature of the antigen. Vaccines stored at improper temperatures could result in potency loss and impaired efficacy. Often the risk of vaccine exposure to

temperatures below freezing are considered greater than heat exposure. Ideally, your refrigerator units should be dedicated to storage of vaccines and temperature monitoring should be performed regu- larly. Often it is helpful to have a thermometer inside the unit and a spreadsheet on the outside on which you can record the temperature.

IN thE chUtE or IN thE FIElD

When working with your animals keep your vaccine in an insulated container and in the shade during the warmer months. When it is cold outside, especially below freezing, you also need to take care that your vaccine is not getting too cold and that your needles aren’t freezing up. Keeping the lid on your insulated container will also help control temperature and keep contaminants out. Be mindful of how long you will be outside, taking only as much vaccine as necessary and using ice packs in your container when needed. Cervid Solutions provides a valuable tool to this end; each shipment of vaccine has a hardy Styrofoam cooler with cardboard outer shell and gel packs for transport.

lAbElINg

Always thoroughly read your vaccine label prior to use. Look at the expiration date, injection dose, route of administration, and booster information. There are times when a company may change the recommend dose, so always pay careful attention to the label even if you have used the same vaccine in the past.

SyrINgES

Your syringes should be clean and inspected each time you administer vaccine. Also, pay close atten- tion to your syringe to ensure full dosage has been administered and no residue is left behind. Needles should not be reused. Always use new, sterile needles.

Vaccines are vital to your herd health, with protection and prevention being your first and best line of defense to disease. Taking proper care of your vaccine is crucial to protecting your herd. Always follow your label directions and guidelines. Ongoing consultation from your veterinarian with specific questions regarding your vaccine and following what’s outlined in your Veterinarian Client Patient Relationship is essential for optimum herd health.

PoINtS to rEMEMbEr

• Proper handling and storage of vaccine is imperative to maintenance of a healthy herd

• PV3 and EV1 are shipped overnight with a Styrofoam cooler and gel packs

• Always read and follow the label on your vaccine before each use

• Optimal temperatures are between 35-45 degrees Fahrenheit, check temperature on refrigerator frequently

• Take only as much vaccine as needed into the field with you and keep in an insulated container u

4th Annual CWD Symposium

June 2023, Denver Colorado

Attending the 4th International Symposium was an easy decision. As many of you are already aware a significant portion of my time spent in leadership roles for the farmed deer industry has focused on Chronic Wasting Disease related issues. This trip was different as I had no official responsibilities. I had planned to attend simply based upon my personal interest regarding research on improving and evolving diagnostics, environmental contributors, new risk vectors, and predictive genetics, which would hopefully all be discussed at the symposium.

I was feeling relaxed and enjoying my time away from the responsibilities of my real job. As I chatted with my Uber driver from the Denver airport to the convention center my phone rang. I was informed that Shawn Schafer had a flight delay and I would need to fill in for him and represent the farmed cervid industry in the opening event at the symposium which was a round table discussion. My relaxation disappeared as I came to terms with needing to perform in front of approximately 400 of the most notable researchers, regulators, and wildlife managers from across

Glen Zebarth, Shawn Schafer and Glenn Dice attend the 4th Annual CWd Symposium in Denver Colorado.

our country and around the world. I knew most of the presenters on our panel. They were all devoted professionals from around the country who had dealt with the consequences of CWD for their stakeholder groups for many years. The round table discussion went well and I enjoyed the professional dialogue, despite the fact, that my CWD vacation was now over. CWD has created diverse struggles for many different stakeholder groups yet there is a common thread shared among all the groups; the need for more answers specifically relating to management, diagnostics, and prevention.

The amount of research showcased at the symposium and the quality of the presenters was the best I had witnessed.

Too many subject areas were presented for me to cover, so I will highlight a few. New risk vectors continue to be discovered. CWD infectious doses were demonstrated to be available in plant life, vegetables, voles, ticks, raccoons, nasal bets, body secretions, body excretions, carcasses, etc ... The proof of concept that CWD could pass to humans was presented in the scenario of referenced transmission through a raccoon. CWD infectious material was intracranially injected into humanized transgenic mice. This method of passage is not natural but knowing that the concept has proven out will undoubtedly lead to more research in this area.

The location of injection on a research specimen of CWD positive material can affect the strain of CWD which proliferates. CWD infectious material which passes thru the gut of a bobcat was shown to be 98% less infectious when it was excreted in scat. Two research projects were shared which demonstrated that wild deer populations are self-

selecting for deer genotypes which are less susceptible to CWD. Predictive genetics research was presented which demonstrated intentional genetic selection can create significantly less susceptible deer in just a few generations. Multiple Canadian researchers shared information on CWD vaccine research. Wildlife managers shared evolving thoughts regarding focusing less on CWD and perhaps more on overall healthy deer herds. Scandinavian stakeholders, who are dealing with CWD outbreaks in multiple deer species shared thoughts suggesting CWD might be spontaneous. Improved sensitivity and specificity of diagnostics, and how these new diagnostic capabilities are utilized was also interesting. Also of interest was a sidebar conversation which raised the possibility of utilizing an emerging diagnostic tool which could possibly identify CWO positive animals prior to shedding.

Shawn and I finished off our trip with a tour of the USDA Wildlife Research Services research center in Fort Collins Colorado. This was the perfect ending to my trip. The physical facility was amazing. Their research resume was astounding. I tru ly felt privledged to have gotten to have such a tour.

A take away from the 4th International CWD Symposium is that CWD is being researched more aggressively than any time since its discovery. Researchers and vested parties are communicating and collaborating more effectively knowing that no stakeholder group has discovered a long term solution i.e the "silver bullet", yet.

Respectfully Submitted, Glenn Dice Jr. Past Pres. PDFA

USDA Wildlife Research Services research center in Fort Collins Colorado.

Advocates Push for Increased Funding and Awareness to Combat Chronic Wasting Disease

In April of this year, NADeFA members participated in their annual Washington, D.C. fly-in to sit down with lawmakers to discuss issues that affect both the deer farming industry and the wild deer population. Specifically, our members highlighted the adverse effects of CWD on farms nation-wide and the passage of H.R. 5608, the Chronic Wasting Disease Research and Management Act, which authorized $70 million a year for research and development efforts aimed at finding a solution for the disease. However, given the limited funds in FY24, this year’s request was for Congress to appropriate $30 million to be shared between the scientific community and State Agencies at $15 million each. Additionally, the group asked to fully fund the Cervid Line in the Agricultural Appropriations Bill and ensure that at least $2.8 million would be set aside for indemnity.

On June 14, the House Appropriations Committee

approved the FY24 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Bill by a vote of 34 to 27. In the bill, it states that the committee provides no less than $16,000,000 for cervid health activities, of which $11,500,000 shall be for APHIS to allocate funds directly to State departments of wildlife, State departments of agriculture, Native American Tribes, and research institutions and universities to further develop and implement chronic wasting disease surveillance, testing, management, and response activities. Within the remaining $4,500,000 provided, the committee directs that APHIS should consider indemnity payments and associated costs to remove infected and exposed animals as expeditiously as possible. In addition, the Committee maintains the 2023 funding level for Wildlife Services Methods Development for CWD work at the National Wildlife Research Center.

On June 22, the Senate Committee on Appropriations approved the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, providing support for critical agriculture, rural development, nutrition, conservation, and food and drug safety programs. In the bill, it states that the Committee is concerned about the growing threat of CWD and its impact on wild and farmed deer populations. As such, the language outlines that the Committee provides $18,000,000 to implement the Chronic Wasting Disease Research and Management Act. Specifically, of the amount provided for cervid health activities, $13,000,000 shall be for APHIS to allocate funds directly to State departments of wildlife and State departments of agriculture to further develop and implement CWD surveillance, testing, management, and response activities. Of the amount provided for Wildlife Service Methods Development, $5,000,000 shall be for CWD work at the National Wildlife Research Center, and the Committee

directs APHIS to continue working with university collaborators to provide research support to the overall effort to detect, combat, and control CWD. The bill passed out of committee by a 28-0 vote.

The House of Representatives left for August recess after passing only the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs spending bill while the full Senate did not pass any appropriations bills. However, both chambers must reconcile to negotiate a final funding level during a process called Conference, which once an amount is agreed to, it must pass the House and Senate and be signed by the President. Once lawmakers are back in September, their focus will be on avoiding a government shutdown before the September 30th deadline. It is expected that Congress will pass a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government funded past the September deadline while they negotiate a spending deal.

Jack Victory and Carolina Herrera Capitol Hill Consulting Group

The Spirit of America’s Story, The Wall

A Traveling Exhibit Commemorating Our Country’s Fight for Freedom from 1775 to Present Day

The Spirit of America’s Story traveling wall is a richly illustrated visual story of America’s struggles for freedom comprising a visual walk-through of our country’s history and our fight to stay free. The Wall is 92” tall by 100 feet in length that depicts the years from 1775 to present. The goal of this volunteer, non-profit organization is to capture and preserve the spirit, the sacrifices, and the rich history of the American people. The Wall honors Native Americans, all men and women in our country’s military and our first responders (police and firefighters) who have served – or are currently serving – to protect our way of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness both here and abroad.

For over five years, the founders of The Wall project, Ronald Smith and Patricia Sexton, have worked tirelessly to get from dream to reality. For a former Marine Corps veteran and the wife of a fallen Vietnam MIA, their connection to this project has become more than personal. Their dream has evolved into a part of the lives of all who have seen it.

This is a volunteer, non-profit organization whose mission is to capture and preserve the spirit, the sacrifices, and rich history of the American people. They will continue their efforts to educate and inspire future generations of Americans to learn and understand how important the preservation of our history and inspiration of the hearts and minds is to the American people. To date, there are no sponsors assisting with the day-to-day administrative expenses or the additional expenses of maintaining and transporting The Spirit of American’s Story: The Wall.

To learn more about The Spirit of America’s Story, The Wall or to make a donation please visit www.spiritofamericasstory.com.

Thanks to Terry Klick the Wall was on display at the Ohio Whitetail Deer Farmer’s auction at the Mt. Hope Event Center.

NADeFA Ends Year in the Black, Now We Must Rebuild Our Reserves

As I write this report, Vermont has endured the most rain in a summer ever. After our state capitol, Montpelier, flooded in early July, it never stopped raining for more than a day or two. Two weeks ago, I was wrapping bales in the field when we had 6 inches of rain in 3 hours. Roads washed out, trees uprooted and fell on fences. I haven’t been able to get onto the fields to collect the wrapped bales, nor collect the unwrapped silage bales because the fields are still to wet to cross. And I still haven’t finished 1st cut! What has this tale of woe to do with NADeFA, you ask?

Our finances this year are solid and we will end the year in the black. We had a good conference and most of the money owed has been received. We were able to weather COVID with your support of the online auctions, with the generosity of the Federal government, and with our reserves. Yes, our rainy-day funds (now you get the introduction!). It is now time to rebuild our reserves. With issues the industry is having in states like Minnesota and Texas, NADeFA’s support is vital. You can help in a number of ways which can include: Buying a NADeFA membership for new deer farmers; purchasing ads in our magazine; donating generously to our auction; bidding generously at the auction; registering your animals with NADR; donating to NADeFA or CLF outright.

I and the membership will thank you in advance for your support. u

Respectfully submitted,

Hank Dimuzio Treasurer NADeFA

INCOME

EXPENSES

preparing for BREEDING SEASON

By Dr Nathan Shotts, DVM

Breeding season is one of the most exciting times of the year, and is rapidly approaching. As Cervid Veterinarians, we get a lot of questions about preparing for breeding season from new breeders, as well as those who have been in the business for many years. This can be one of the most stressful times for a deer breeder, as it often represents the culmination of an entire year’s worth of planning and preparation. These few weeks can be a “make or break” situation for many producers, and as such it is important to recognize that the outcome of breeding season requires a year-long commitment. With the impact of CWD and other factors influencing the market, it’s vital for the decisions that guide your breeding plans to be made based on facts and science.

BREEDINg METHoDS

Perhaps the first question that needs to be answered is what breeding method is most appropriate for your operation. This is highly dependent on your herd make-up and production goals. As such, there is no “one-size fits all” answer. Here’s a basic summary of the most commonly utilized breeding methods.

NATUral SERvIcE:

Do you have breeder bucks on-site with quality genetics that would warrant use as a herd sire? If so, then natural service may be an option worth considering. We often think of a buck being able to service only a limited number of does per year, but if synchronization protocols are used effectively a single buck can service a lot higher number of does than expected. Specific recommendations for maximizing the utility of a buck while minimizing physical stress should be discussed with your herd veterinarian.

TraNScERvIcAl ARTIFIcIAl INSEMINATIoN:

Are you planning to use semen that costs less than a few hundred dollars per straw, or do you have access to bucks where you can lease or purchase an entire collection? If so, then transcervical AI may be a good fit for your operation. Transcervical AI is typically less expensive and often doesn’t require a veterinarian to perform. If you are using less expensive semen and it makes financial sense to utilize a single straw per animal, then this may be a viable option for your operation.

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lApARoScopIc ARTIFIcIAl INSEMINATIoN:

Are you looking to maximize genetic progress within your herd by using valuable semen from top-producing bucks? Are you looking to produce a higher percentage of buck fawns using sexed semen? If these are some of your production goals, then using laparoscopic AI is likely the best option for your herd. While the procedure may be more expensive, this can often be reduced or negated with high quality semen and straws can be split.

HERD HEAlTH

The ramifications of just one poor breeding season can be carried over for many years - both financially and in terms of building a successful herd. As such, it is essential to maintain healthy animals.

The health of your herd is directly correlated with production. Gestation and lactation both require body reserves and nutritional resources beyond those needed for simple maintenance. Reproduction is considered to be a nonessential activity in terms of survival. This means that if a doe is in poor health, she will preferentially use her body reserves and resources for survival, rather than on maintaining pregnancy or milk production. Does in poor health will ultimately not be as productive as those in good health. This may manifest itself in several ways, such as does that do not carry fawns to full-term or that will not become pregnant at all, does that produce poor colostrum and/or milk, and fawns that are born weak and have low birth weights.

Herd health is a complex topic. A list of herd-health considerations would be exhaustive, and recommendations can change considerably from operation to operation.

In general, some considerations that should be taken

into account include vaccinations, parasite control, fawn care and management, nutrition, decreasing stress, and using proven genetics. The overall idea is that healthy deer result in increased productivity. Working with a Cervid Veterinarian experienced in herd health management is often the best way of ensuring the year-round health of your herd.

NUTRITIoN

Nutrition is an important factor in the reproductive success of your herd. Reproduction and lactation are not essential activities for survival. If nutrition is poor then deer will be less productive, with the result being a lower fawn crop. When deciding what kind of commercially prepared feed to purchase you will notice that many have the same, if not similar, nutrient composition. This doesn’t mean however that all commercial feeds are made the same, as

quality and consistency of ingredients can vary widely from different feed manufacturers. The key is finding a product that consistently produces the best results at a profitable price point.

Deer producers often focus directly on how much protein they are feeding, without factoring in the other nutritional needs of their animals. A well-balanced diet that contains adequate amounts of protein, carbohydrates, and fat, as well as vitamins and minerals should always be utilized. Roughage (such as alfalfa) should always be available in high supply, as roughage is an essential component to maintaining an optimal rumen environment. Treats such as peanuts can also be added for their fiber, protein, and fat content.

One way in which producers can quickly assess the nutritional health of their herd is by utilizing a body

condition score (BCS). This system has been used with much success in the cattle industry, and allows producers to monitor the condition of their deer in a more objective manner by simple visualization. By monitoring BCS, producers can be assured that their deer are on the correct plane of nutrition. Maintaining an optimal BCS will allow for bucks to reach their genetic antler potential size, and does to maximize their reproductive potential. If deer are too fat or too thin going into the breeding season this can dramatically decrease their reproductive success.

Since lactation requires the highest energy and results on the largest drain in nutritional reserves, fawns should be weaned with adequate time to allow does to recover prior to breeding. A good rule-of-thumb is to wean fawns 60 days prior to the breeding season.

DEcREASINg STRESS

Stress is another, often overlooked, aspect of deer management that is intimately linked with reproductive success.

Stress can come in many forms including, but not limited to handling and environment, nutrition, pathogens/parasites, extreme climate changes, and social interactions.

Prolonged exposure to stress has been well documented to have a detrimental effect on reproduction. It can also affect other aspects of herd health including reduced growth, survival, and decreased disease resistance. Decreasing the amount of stress that your deer are exposed to will make your deer healthier overall.

The quality of your handling facilities and experience of your breeding team have a direct effect on how efficient and stressful the breeding procedure is for your deer herd. You should regularly use your working facilities to get your deer accustomed to them throughout the year. A dark, quiet environment is important in minimizing handling stress. Don’t let the first time that your herd experiences your working facilities be on the day of breeding.

The saying “one bad apple can spoil the bunch” also applies to raising deer. Having only a few wild deer in a pen can negatively affect the behavior and disposition of the rest of the herd. Consider this as a factor when deciding which deer to utilize in your breeding program, and which to cull or sell.

Social changes and interactions can also increase the stress of your herd. Minimizing any changes in pen composition at least 60 days prior to breeding season is another way to reduce the stress of your herd and increase your reproductive success.

USINg pRovEN gENETIcS

Proven genetics is more complicated than just purchasing semen from the latest popular buck. Proven genetics means breeding sound and healthy does to bucks that consistently produce high-quality, healthy fawns. Selecting for deer that are healthy, calm, and reproductively sound is just as important as selecting bucks with desired antler characteristics. Deer that consistently get pregnant with artificial insemination have a better chance of continuing to do so in the future.

Building and improving the genetic composition of your herd should therefore focus not only on appearance, but also temperament, reproductive success, and overall health.

SElEcTINg A pRovEN TEAM

Your deer are an investment, and as such you shouldn’t trust the health, well-being, and success of your operation to just anyone. Breeding, artificial insemination and semen collection requires a team of trained individuals.

No matter who you choose to do your breeding, a veterinarian experienced with whitetail deer anesthesia and surgery should be hired to help your breeding operation. An experienced veterinarian will not only be able to ensure efficient, professional, and high-quality breeding services, but will also be able to answer herd health questions, and help identify management considerations regarding deer health.

Utilizing a veterinarian with extensive cervid experience will provide you with the level of service and expertise needed to improve the health of your deer, increase your reproductive success, and increase the quality and profitability of your operation.

MANAgINg EXpEcTATIoNS

It is important that deer breeders have realistic expectations about breeding success.

The most popular way this is measured is through “conception rates”. There are many factors that determine conception rates however, and all these factors together must be considered. Nutrition, stress, overall health, reproductive history, age, semen quality and quantity, efficiency of your working facilities, and experience and expertise of your breeding team are just a few of the things that can influence the conception rates within your herd.

The highest conception rates will always be obtained from natural service. With natural service the highest quantity of semen is used at the optimal breeding time. In the wild, conception rates are often estimated in the 90-95% range. This can be increased in captivity, approaching 100%, since the producer has more control over the external factors that influence reproductive success.

With artificial insemination, we are attempting to use artificial reproductive hormones to manipulate a doe’s normal hormonal cycle. The response to these hormones is highly variable, with only about 80-85% of does responding to these hormones as expected. This means that ignoring all other factors, at best we can only expect 85% of the does that are bred by artificial insemination to become pregnant, with the average AI rate much closer to 70%. This lower rate is compensated for however by the ability to use straws from bucks that aren’t physically present to improve the herd’s genetics, using sexed semen to increase buck production, and the ability to manage the breeding and fawning periods for commercial use.

Conception rates can be increased over time by selecting for does that consistently become pregnant by AI, using high quality semen from straws that are not split more than appropriate, and by consistently using a Cervid Veterinarian with breeding experience and expertise. Conception rates are often lower than the average in operations in the first years of implementing an AI program, those that don’t have working facilities, and in operations who don’t address other the factors previously discussed.

Having realistic expectations regarding conception rates can help you to prepare your breeding program both financially and from a management standpoint. If you’re getting higher than average conception rates, look at what you’re doing RIGHT and build on it. If you’re not getting at least the average rates, work with your veterinarian to identify areas for improvement, and make the changes to your program that will help you achieve success.

SUMMARY:

Preparing for breeding season requires a year-long commitment to the health and well-being of your animals. To achieve the best results, remember the following important things you can do to ensure success this breeding season.

• Work year-round with an experienced veterinarian with specific expertise in cervid anesthesia, herd health, and management.

• Focus on herd health year-round, and develop vaccination protocols and parasite control plans with your veterinarian based on the needs and characteristics of your operation.

• Supply adequate nutrition to meet the protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamin, and mineral needs of your deer, with quality pelleted feeds from respected and researched manufacturers, plenty of roughage (alfalfa), and treats such as peanuts. Use body condition scores to ensure you are meeting nutritional needs.

• Wean fawns 60 days prior to the breeding season to allow time for does to recover body condition prior to breeding.

• Limit movement of animals or changes in pen composition at least 60 days prior to the breeding season.

• Maintain adequate working facilities and work deer frequently through the facilities in a calm, quiet, dark environment.

• Utilize proven genetics that select for more than just outward appearance. Focus on producing healthy and calm deer that consistently get pregnant by artificial insemination and produce and raise healthy fawns.

• Hire a breeding team with veterinarians that provide you quality customer service and have a proven track record of success.

If you have further questions, contact your Cervid Veterinarian to help your operation meet its production goals. u

Dr. Nathan Shotts is the lead veterinarian and owner of VERGE Vet Services (www.VergeVet.com), a mobile veterinary practice focused on Cervid Reproduction and Genetics, Herd Health, and CWD Live Testing. He is a recognized nationwide expert in CWD, and led the team that developed The VERGE Procedure (medial retropharyngeal lymph node biopsy) for antemortem CWD testing. Dr Shotts can be reached at Vet@VergeVet.com.

Study Sheds Light On The Decline of Minnesota's Moose Population

During the period of 2006 to 2017, Minnesota witnessed a significant decline of 58% in the moose population in the northeastern part of the state. The sharp drop in numbers was primarily attributed to brainworm, a parasite that affects the nervous system of moose,

causing paralysis and eventual death. Recent research conducted by the University of Minnesota and the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa shed light on the issue. Their study revealed that moose in Minnesota consume gastropods, specifically slugs

and snails, which are known carriers of the brainworm parasite (Parelaphostrongylus tenuis).

While the consumption of gastropods as a means of moose infection has long been suspected, this study offers the first empirical evidence of this interaction in a natural setting. By analyzing 258 fecal samples obtained from moose and deer in and around Grand Portage tribal lands, researchers were able to identify the presence of three species of gastropods in moose diets. While one of these species has been well-established as a host for brainworm, the other two have not been extensively studied in their ability to carry the parasite.

The collaboration between the University of Minnesota and the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa has important implications for moose and wildlife conservation efforts. The research aims to maintain healthy moose populations, which play a vital ecological role as the largest herbivores in the northwoods ecosystem. Furthermore, understanding the gastropod species consumed by moose, their disease transmission potential, and ecology can assist forest and wildlife managers in adopting strategies to reduce gastropod density in areas frequently used by moose.

While these measures may not completely prevent local moose extinction, they provide an additional tool for understanding brainworm transmission (P. tenuis) and designing effective interventions to mitigate and manage the spread of the disease. Ultimately, this research contributes not only to moose preservation but also to the broader understanding of gastropodborne diseases, benefiting both human and animal health worldwide. u

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