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The Missouri Department of Conservation will not conduct targeted deer removals this winter as part of its effort to combat chronic wasting disease, marking a significant shift in the agency’s management strategy
In a letter to Missourians, MDC Director Jason Sumners said the decision follows months of conversations with hunters, landowners and conservation partners after the agency paused targeted removals late last year
“Instead, we’ll work alongside hunters, landowners, and other key partners to develop a localized approach in which hunter harvest is the primary tool to manage the deer herd and CWD during the regular deer season,” Sumners wrote
Targeted removals had been used in areas where chronic wasting disease, or CWD, was detected to reduce local deer populations and slow the spread of the fatal neurological disease. Sumners said the practice is only one management tool and not a “silver bullet.”
The department said it currently has no plans to resume targeted removals
Sumners acknowledged that many hunters and landowners wanted a greater role in managing the disease through Missouri’s regular hunting seasons. He said the new approach is intended to build trust while pursuing the same conservation goals
The department emphasized it is not abandoning efforts to manage CWD. Instead, MDC plans to continue monitoring the disease, investing in <a href="https://healthylife7.com/the-research-files-episode-110-student-wellbeing-and-secondary/” title=”The Research Files Episode 110: Student wellbeing and secondary…”>research, and providing additional public information about the science behind its management decisions
According to Sumners, keeping CWD infection rates below 5% offers the best chance to slow the disease’s spread and protect the long-term health of Missouri’s deer herd. He warned that management becomes increasingly difficult once the disease becomes well-established
Sumners said the agency will continue working with hunters and landowners to preserve Missouri’s deer population and hunting traditions for future generations
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