Four taxidermists in Tate County are working with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks and collecting tissue samples as chronic wasting disease continues to spread in deer populations.
“We have a list of taxidermists that are cooperating with us statewide that are assisting with taking CWD samples," said William McKinley, MDWFP Deer Program coordinator. "We've offered them $10 per sample for antlered bucks. We're putting out a dragnet to try to find this disease. Three-quarters of our positives are bucks, so taxidermists are a great source for gaining samples.”
Taxidermists in Tate County participating in the tissue collection program include:
• Amanda Howe, 662-292-0651
• Kenny Fletcher, 870-872-7501
• Lamar Savage, 662-719-6527
• Mason Thompson, 417-293-2521
In the past, MDWFP has worked with taxidermists to collect tissue samples. Hunters who wanted their deer tested could request it when dropping off a deer head for mounting with a participating taxidermist and MDWFP personnel would go to the businesses and collect tissue samples for testing.
Under the new plan, taxidermists may choose to collect samples themselves and McKinley hopes it will encourage more taxidermists to participate and provide more hunters a convenient option to have their deer tested. Testing is free of charge for hunters.
"We're trying to detect the spread across the state, and it is spreading," McKinley said.
Chronic wasting disease is caused by rogue proteins that effectively eat holes in the brains of white-tailed deer and other cervids. It is always fatal and the first known case in Mississippi was discovered in 2018.
McKinley said all southeastern states where CWD was previously detected have found the disease in additional counties this year, including Mississippi. He said Mississippi now has a total of 87 known cases of CWD with four of those detected this deer season.
McKinley said it's important to know where the disease is so CWD management practices can be put in place to slow its spread. In counties where it is detected and adjoining counties within 10 miles of the location the disease is found, supplemental feeding and mineral sites are banned. Also, if harvested in a CWD management zone, transporting a deer carcass outside of the zone is banned with exceptions.
No cases of CWD have been reported in humans, but studies by the Centers for Disease Control have shown it can be transmitted to animals other than deer, including primates. For humans, eating infected deer meat would be the most likely way for it to spread to people, the CDC said.
