CWD becoming a reality

By Mac Arnold
RTWO Editor-In-Chief

Reading in a DNR news release that there was another confirmed case of chronic wasting disease in a free-ranging deer in central Michigan was rather upsetting.

Seems it's a reality the Great Lake State's deer herd will truly be taking a hit.

According to the Department of Natural Resources release, in the Core CWD Area, consisting of Clinton, Ingham, Shiawassee counties, there will be "an unlimited antlerless deer license quota and the deer license or deer combo licenses may be used to harvest antlerless or any antlered deer during firearm and muzzleloading seasons."

Come Sept. 15, with the onset of early doe firearms season, let the slaughter begin.

Trust me, it's gonna be on. Although many hunters will feel as I do and check themselves with how many they take.

Another thing that wigs me out is where the release goes on with "to date, there is no evidence that chronic wasting disease presents any risk to noncervids, including humans, either through contract with an infected animal or from handling contaminated venison. However, as a precaution, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization recommend that infected animals not be consumed as food by either humans or domestic animals."

So for me, the real tame ones will have a free pass. Unless that is, the rack is nice.

(That is one of the signs, is an infected deer will act odd, disoriented and even let a person approach them.)

The DNR Wildlife Disease Lab is asking hunters to report a deer exhibiting these signs at (517) 336-5030 or complete and submit the online observation report on the DNR website.

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Continuing on with the deer theme, the other night I had a dream a nice buck ran out in front of me. (For all those comedians, I was on the ground, not in the Jeep, which I already hit one in back in 2011.)

I really hope so, I'm way overdue for a nice score. This dream though, as the wife would say, could be explained merely by me seeing a nice-sized deer swim about 30 yards from the canoe while I was getting skunked bass fishing at Sterling State Park on Friday, July 24. By far, that was the highlight of the outing.

With the bass fishing this summer being such a bust, either with no big ones hoisted or by getting dumped in the raging River Raisin while canoeing, my enthusiasm for deer season seems to be gaining despite it being only July.

Usually, I'm more than patient for fall to come, because after fall is winter and I'm in no hurry for blinding squalls and icy roads on my rides back and forth to work, among other woes that Old Man Winter brings.

I've put in for the usual tags, even the old standby, the Shiawassee State Game area. In addition, I plan on trying for a leftover tag in the Port Huron State Game area, which used to be my backyard.

Photo by T.J. Prisciandaro

A double-netter of wallies with old school pal Scott Watson (Reds hat). 

There was some fishing fun Saturday, July 25, with a planned charter gig aboard "Passin' Time" out of the Toledo Beach Marina. A death in the family kept Capt. Ron Levitan Jr. from running the boat but his fill-in, C.J. along with first mate Paul, performed admirably in face of tough conditions. While the chop rolled on Lake Erie, the fish were more than happy to accommodate us and fill up our cooler. But about 5 p.m., the lake started going flat and so did the bite.

We did get a haul of 20 wallies but seeing how much fun a couple of friends of mine from my Little League days -- T.J. Prisciandaro and Scott Watson and their ladies had along with my wife, Stacie -- was more than worth it.

Now it's time for me to reel in some big bass into the canoe myself.