Opening Day in Joplin: Why a “Healthy-Looking” Deer Can Still Have CWD
This article was created to help hunters especially as archery season opens today in Missouri. Last night, I spoke with my neighbor, an experienced deer hunter, who told me he’d heard that when you field dress a deer with Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), the carcass will have a bad smell and fatty tumors. That conversation made me realize other hunters may have heard the same thing and may not know that a deer can look perfectly healthy and still be infected with CWD. The Myth: “If it looks healthy, it’s fine.” Many hunters believe that a deer with CWD will look sick, have visible tumors, or smell bad when field dressed. That’s not how CWD works ( CDC – About Chronic Wasting Disease ). The Reality: CWD is a silent, slow killer. Cause: CWD is a prion disease a misfolded protein that attacks the brain and nervous system ( CDC – About Chronic Wasting Disease ). Incubation: Deer can carry it for a year or more before showing any symptoms ( Miss...