Hunt for the Hungry > Adopt a NEW Hunter & Hunter's Safety Class Info

The new program, "Adopt a N.E.W. Hunter," has the potential to help insure the future of the hunt as well as benefit needy families in Northeastern Wisconsin through increased deer donations.

"Deer hunting is very important to the future health of our deer herd, our deer hunting tradition, and the safety of everyone who drives the roads and highways in our state, whether they hunt or not," said Lee Dudek, volunteer coordinator for HFTH in Green Bay.

"What better way to insure the future of deer hunting than to prepare new hunters to carry on the tradition with responsible, ethical dedication to deer management, harvesting of God's renewable resource, and donation to others in need."

Experts say the risk of CWD passing to humans cannot be quantified and compared to other life risks because it has not yet known to occur.

Even so, speculative, sensationalized writings that have been published in some newspapers or heard on television reports have some hunters and their families concerned.

"I encourage educated hunters to challenge those who are considering sitting it out to get over over the hype, get the facts and hunt hard this fall," Dudek said.

For example:

Despite ongoing surveillance for more than 16 years, there is no evidence that CWD is transmissible to humans.
Fewer than three percent of the deer killed this year in the CWD eradication zone in south central Wisconsin have tested positive for the disease. Further, all of the approximately 800 deer tested from other areas of the state the past three years have tested negative for CWD.
Dennis Buege, meat specialist in the Animal Sciences Department at UW-Madison, said infectious prions have never been found in meat (muscle tissue) of infected animals, whether bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle, scrapie in sheep or CWD in deer and elk.
CWD-infected deer and elk have existed in parts of Colorado and Wyoming for more than 30 years. The incidence of the human form of this disease (CJD) has remained level at the expected annual rate of about one case per million people in that area. That includes individuals who have slaughtered deer and elk, and workers in research facilities studying CWD.

Dudek said he hopes the Adopt a N.E.W. Hunter program will call hunters to action and give them an added incentive to hunt with a friend or family member who might otherwise not go this year.

"We will target new hunters, all ages, as well as past hunters who may have an interest in getting back into hunting," Dudek said.

Hunters up to the challenge could begin by taking the newcomer along to the gun or bow shop, target range and licensing agent.

A hunter education class is needed for everyone born since 1973, and is recommended even for older hunters if they have no prior experience.

For a list of upcoming hunter education classes in your area, check with a DNR Service Center or go online at www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/es/enforcement/safety/upcoming.htm.

To keep up-to-date on CWD information and recommendations, check the DNR and WDATCP websites at www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/wildlife/whealth/issues/cwd and http://datcp.state.wi.us.