The Department of Natural Resources Board passed deer hunting quotas for this fall on Wednesday, despite claims that the agency isn’t doing enough to battle Chronic Wasting Disease in deer.
The quotas are the first to be implemented since the Walker administration ordered more local citizen input in setting deer permit levels. But George Meyer of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation said the deer season framework does little to slow the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease, especially in southern wisconsin.
“Illinois, a state which has less heritage in terms of deer hunting, has had more success than we have,” said Meyer.
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Meyer also said the Wisconsin DNR has cut back on informing hunters about CWD. DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp disagreed.
“The department, since the discovery of this disease, has spent well over a decade educating the public, and doing a lot of research and testing, educating hunters,” she said.
Stepp said information about CWD is easy to find on the DNR’s website.
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