<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0pp8s5_0viJPzgF00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0pp8s5_0viJPzgF00" width="980" height="653" ><figcaption>Scott Clow</figcaption></figure><p>Michigan's whitetail deer population faces serious challenges, with Chronic Wasting Disease (<a href="https://www.canr.msu.edu/chronic-wasting-disease/">CWD</a>) posing a significant threat to the state's enormous herd. Addressing this disease is crucial to the overall health of Michigan's whitetail deer.</p><p>The herd's size, estimated to be around or over 2 million deer, is a powder keg waiting for a spark. With this fatal condition spreading through everyday deer-to-deer contact, it could take out entire populations.</p><h2>Chronic Wasting Disease: A Silent Threat to Michigan Deer</h2><p>A herd of deer stands in the morning mist, with one of the deer labeled with a black circle with CWD written in red, standing for Chronic Wasting Disease</p><p>Canva</p><p><a href="https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/managing-resources/wildlife/wildlife-disease/disease-monitoring/cwd">CWD</a> is a fatal neurological disease caused by <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/prions/about/index.html">prions</a> (proteins that cause other proteins to fold). It affects deer, elk, and moose. It spreads through direct contact between animals or infected saliva, urine, and carcass parts. Unlike <a href="https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/michigan/2024/09/07/this-viral-disease-has-likely-recently-killed-120-deer-in-michigan-what-to-know/">EHD</a>, CWD can live in the environment for over a decade, making it difficult to control.</p><p>Deer infected with CWD may not show symptoms for years, but advanced signs include severe weight loss and abnormal behavior, like losing their fear of humans. CWD was first discovered in Michigan deer in the wild in <a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/chronic-wasting-disease/michigan-reports-first-cwd-detection-ogemaw-county#:~:text=Michigan's%20first%20CWD%20detection%20occurred,the%20251st%20to%20test%20positive.">2015</a> and has since been detected in 13 Michigan counties: Dickinson, Clinton, Eaton, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Ingham, Ionia, Isabella, Jackson, Kent, Midland, Montcalm, and Ogemaw.</p><h2>Testing Michigan Deer For Chronic Wasting Disease</h2><p>A large deer herd is seen with a single deer deer labeled with a black circle with CWD written in red, standing for Chronic Wasting Disease</p><p>Canva</p><p>The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (<a href="https://www.michigan.gov/dnr">DNR</a>) offers hunters free CWD testing in counties of interest and free self-testing kits for others. You must submit your harvested deer head for the DNR-provided testing.</p><p>To see if your county is included in either the free testing or if you are eligible for a self-test kit, <a href="https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/managing-resources/wildlife/wildlife-disease/disease-monitoring/cwd/cwd-testing">click here</a>. To see a county-by-county breakdown of the 2023 deer harvest, keep scrolling.</p><h2>Out of State Fishing License Revenue By State</h2><p><a href="https://captainexperiences.com/">Captain Experiences</a> researched <a href="https://www.fws.gov/">U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service</a> 2024 data to rank fishing destinations by non-resident license sales in 2022, factoring revenue in for ties. For complete methodology, see the link in the #1 entry. Now let's countdown to the State that generates the most dollars from out-of-state fishing licenses.</p></div></body>

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Deer With Chronic Wasting Disease Found In 13 Michigan Counties

Michigan's whitetail deer population faces serious challenges, with Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) posing a significant threat to the state's enormous herd. Addressing this disease is crucial to the overall health of Michigan's whitetail deer. The herd's size, estimated to be around or over 2 million deer, is a powder keg...