Austin/ Parks & Nature
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Published on May 07, 2024
TPWD Seeks Public Input on Proposed Deer Carcass Disposal Regulations to Combat CWD in TexasSource: Unsplash / Acton Crawford

Texas hunters, get ready to have your say on the future of deer carcass disposal in the Lone Star state. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is calling on all of you outdoorsmen and women to voice your opinions on proposed regulations that aim to curb the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a nasty deer affliction that could wreak havoc on Texas' wildlife and economy. Comments are open until May 22, so if you're a hunter or concerned citizen, it's time to take aim at this crucial issue.

Under the spotlight are changes that may make life easier for hunters struggling with current carcass movement restrictions, as relayed by TPWD. Rather than having to deal with the mess and difficulty of quartering or deboning their prize within a CWD zone, hunters could instead head straight to a processor, leaving behind the less savory task of disposing of the remains. Blaise Korzekwa, TPWD White-tailed Deer Program Leader, simplified the concept for the regular Joe, stating that "for most hunters, this proposal does not change how they currently care for their deer after harvest."

But it's not just about convenience. The real villain here is CWD, a brain-wasting disease that's like zombie-ism for deer and could potentially infect the multibillion-dollar hunting and ranching industries of Texas. With proper carcass disposal being one of the silver bullets to keep this infectious nightmare at bay, the TPWD's proposed regulations suggest burying the deer remains properly, tossing them at a permitted landfill, or just returning them to the property where the unsuspecting animal was harvested.

Additions to the hunting rulebook also hint at relaxing the rigid check station duties in certain Containment and Surveillance Zones, replacing them with voluntary testing come September 1. Mandatory measures will stubbornly remain only in Surveillance Zone 2, where CWD has been playing a dangerous game of hide-and-seek with the free-range mule deer. The strategy is simple: get folks to play along voluntarily in a shared fight against the CWD invasion without all the bureaucratic red tape.

For those who prefer to chime in beyond the cyber world, TPWD will offer the mic at its Austin headquarters on May 23. Just remember, this isn't the Oscars acceptance speech—comments are three minutes tops.