The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department was en route to Robert Williams’ farm, planning to kill his entire herd of whitetail deer, when word came through that a court had blocked the operation.
On that day, in early April, parks and wildlife staffers almost followed through on a kill order that the state had issued for the North Texas herd, after a number of the animals tested positive for a contagious, deadly disease.
The state contends that the illness — chronic wasting disease, which is specific to cervids such as deer and elk — is so threatening that even a few positive cases can necessitate the killing of an entire herd to prevent the spread to other captive herds or to wild deer.
Williams, who is one of nearly 1,000 whitetail breeders registered in Texas, says that stance is nothing but fear-mongering. He’s fighting to save the herd, which he raises for trophy hunting.
Texas rancher’s fight to save 500-deer herd from slaughter may go to state Supreme Court
IMHO the so-called rancher can go fuck himself. Greedy MFer.
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has an extended incubation period averaging 18–24 months between infection and the onset of noticeable signs. During this time frame animals look and act normal so the killing off of the while herd is the only reasonable course of action that can be taken as there are no treatments or vaccines to treat/prevent it.
High fence deer escape all the time and those "ranchers" have gone so far as to sue both hunters and landowners when one of "their" trophy deer that escaped and was killed on private land.
Such deer are a hazard to the wild deer population and if a high fence herd (even a few) are found to be infected they need to be put down.
On that day, in early April, parks and wildlife staffers almost followed through on a kill order that the state had issued for the North Texas herd, after a number of the animals tested positive for a contagious, deadly disease.
The state contends that the illness — chronic wasting disease, which is specific to cervids such as deer and elk — is so threatening that even a few positive cases can necessitate the killing of an entire herd to prevent the spread to other captive herds or to wild deer.
Williams, who is one of nearly 1,000 whitetail breeders registered in Texas, says that stance is nothing but fear-mongering. He’s fighting to save the herd, which he raises for trophy hunting.
Texas rancher’s fight to save 500-deer herd from slaughter may go to state Supreme Court
IMHO the so-called rancher can go fuck himself. Greedy MFer.
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has an extended incubation period averaging 18–24 months between infection and the onset of noticeable signs. During this time frame animals look and act normal so the killing off of the while herd is the only reasonable course of action that can be taken as there are no treatments or vaccines to treat/prevent it.
High fence deer escape all the time and those "ranchers" have gone so far as to sue both hunters and landowners when one of "their" trophy deer that escaped and was killed on private land.
Such deer are a hazard to the wild deer population and if a high fence herd (even a few) are found to be infected they need to be put down.
