Alabama legislators are aiming to give deer breeders more control over their facilities, which would limit the state agencies' ability to stop the spread of a deadly disease that can affect both captive and wild deer.
What's happening?
According to The Wildlife Society, the Alabama House of Representatives passed a bill on April 15 that will limit state agencies' ability to test, kill, or stop captive deer from being transferred between farms because of chronic wasting disease. It also makes the deer property of the breeder.
There are some exceptions to the bill, including the ability to test if CWD was detected on a farm or in a farm from which the deer was transferred.
Why is CWD in deer concerning?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, chronic wasting disease is a serious disease that causes death and affects deer, moose, reindeer, and elk. It can be passed through "contact with saliva, blood, urine, or feces of an animal with CWD" and can also be spread through food, water, and soil.
Daniel Greene, a certified wildlife biologist and president of the southeastern section of TWS, believes fencing isn't infallible; wild deer can still come in contact with captive deer. Trees can bring down fences during storms, and wild and captive deer can rub noses with each other.
"This bill compromises the public trust," said a signed opposition letter from TWS, TWS Southeastern Section, the National Deer Association, the nonprofit Boone and Crockett Club, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, and the National Wildlife Federation
In Alabama, there are 200 breeders that breed large deer for hunting purposes. They are fenced in, and hunters pay a premium for access.
The TWS Alabama chapter wrote a letter opposing the bill, which said: "This legislation threatens our state's $2 billion hunting industry, which is vital to most of Alabama's rural economies and [the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources'] conservation funding."
Deer can also spread the disease before testing positive, and soil can stay infected for years.
Republican bill sponsor Jeff Sorrells said in an interview with WBMA: "This bill has nothing to do with hunting. It is more about government overreach of a valuable resource for the state of Alabama."
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Several wildlife organizations have come forward against the bill. Chris Blankenship, commissioner of the ADCNR, is asking legislators to reject the bill. He said in a statement: "This bill should be disturbing to all ethical sportsmen, hunters, and citizens in Alabama."
Angie Larsen-Gray, a certified wildlife biologist and a TWS Leadership Institute graduate, said there are ways to prevent the disease. However, she said: "It is nearly impossible to get rid of it once it's there."
The National Deer Association has tips for deer hunters, including following local rules and regulations to prevent the spread and reporting sick deer to officials.
It's also vital to explore critical climate issues like this to understand how to combat the problem. If you learn about similar cases that affect your state, you can use your voice by speaking to your local representatives to ensure bills like this don't become law.
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