why do they even allow private deer herds? it is an accident waiting to happen considering the disease is known to be the result of higher than normal population. I believe the CWD in Olmsted County, the only area in MN with CWD also started at a game farm.

article here, CWD

What is interesting to me is that the DNR has no control over private deer herds or fenced in deer. That all falls in under the USDA (I am pretty sure that is the agency--but it might be a different one) I believe. Very frustrating to the the MN DNR. They knwo what the problem is, but cannot do anything about it except go through governement back channels to get changes done.

T

May not be true but my understanding (from what I've been told) is that the DNR does have something to do with it. If you recall, there used to be a lot of elk farms in MN. At least a lot more than there are today. Supposedly the DNR had a lot to do with running a lot of them out of business and they did so because of the CWD. Many of them closed up because fees and permits were skyrocketing. Maybe the DNR didn't actually do it but apparently they pushed the buttons.
Of course this is second party info so what I have been told may be wrong. If I remember I'll have to look it up and do some research.

DNR cannot do anything directly to the fenced in deer or elk heards. The elk heards that have been destroyed were done so after it was found they were contaminated by USDA. If the DNR could they would ban all of these places.

I got his from the DNR deer manager getting interviewed on KFAN outdoors. Also the show host is active in getting these places banned or tighter controlled talks about iton a regular basis.

T

Thanks for clearing that up for me T. As I said, I was only going by information received from a somewhat reliable source.

This kind of makes me question the shooting of the fawn (or was it two fawns) up by Forest Lake earlier this year by the DNR. I don't recall if those deer were actually wild or from a game farm but if memory serves me correctly, the C.O.'s killed the deer becuase they were believed to be from a game farm. If the game farms are not under DNR jurisdiction, then I wonder if they had the jurisdiction to actually dispose of the animal. Just a curious thought.

Well I am no expert and I certainly may be wrong :) but that doesn't seem to stop me ;)

Anyway, I think the catch is once the animals get out or the fence is broken the DNR can step in to protect wild game, until that point they have no say except to go through the other agencies that manage enclosed deer or elk.

T

quote fitgers1: "Thanks for clearing that up for me T. As I said, I was only going by information received from a somewhat reliable source.

This kind of makes me question the shooting of the fawn (or was it two fawns) up by Forest Lake earlier this year by the DNR. I don't recall if those deer were actually wild or from a game farm but if memory serves me correctly, the C.O.'s killed the deer becuase they were believed to be from a game farm. If the game farms are not under DNR jurisdiction, then I wonder if they had the jurisdiction to actually dispose of the animal. Just a curious thought."

once deer are off the farm, they are fair game and WILL be killed by law enforcement, they were shot because the DNR believed them to be from a game farm, they erred on the side of caution

here is an article for review: shooting bambi