Authorities: Border deer healthy

LINCOLN -- An extensive chronic wasting disease testing project conducted last month by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission in southern Red Willow County and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks in northern Decatur County produced negative results from 63 deer tested by the wildlife agencies.

The study was initiated as a result of a CWD positive deer taken by a Nebraska hunter in November 2007 along Beaver Creek near Marion in Red Willow County and three CWD positive deer taken by Kansas hunters along Sappa Creek in Decatur County in northwest Kansas.

According to Nebraska Game and Parks wildlife biologist Brian Perks of Cambridge, "In response to the CWD positives that were detected during the Nebraska and Kansas firearm deer seasons, it was important to attempt to determine the infection rate of deer in this area."

On Feb. 11 -- 12, Nebraska biologists harvested 29 deer near Beaver Creek between Lebanon and the Kansas state line, while Kansas officials harvested 34 deer along Sappa Creek in Decatur County. All of the deer from both states tested negative to the disease.

Perks said that because white-tailed deer are very mobile, it is probable that deer travel back and forth between the Beaver and Sappa Creek drainages, and the occurrences of CWD in the two drainages are likely linked.

CWD surveillance began in 2000 in Nebraska. To date, a total of 32,998 deer have been tested as a result of tissue collections from hunter-harvested deer. In addition, biologists have tested numerous deer from disease study projects in other areas of the state and from reports of sick deer investigations. Since surveillance began, 133 deer have tested positive for CWD statewide. Perks said that the Beaver Creek incidence was the first case of CWD detected in Southwest Nebraska. He said that other positives have been confined to the northwest region of the state with the exception of two isolated cases near Grand Island.

Perks said, "Biologists cannot predict the long-term impact that CWD will have in Southwest Nebraska. We expect that CWD will be detected in the Beaver Creek area again, but research indicates that CWD occurs in less than one percent of Nebraska's deer population."

Perks said that biologists are using the best information available to manage this disease.

"We plan to continue CWD surveillance through voluntary tissue collections at game check stations during firearm deer season and will investigate all sick animal reports"

Perks said that Landowners are encouraged to report deer appearing sick or exhibiting abnormal behavior to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission at (308) 697-3843.