Avid reader and friend Wayne Rod checked in during deer season with information and helpful tips about chronic wasting disease and the handling for mounting.
CWD is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, found only in members of the deer family. According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, it has been found in Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, Montana, Wisconsin, New Mexico, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Illinois, Alberta, Utah, New York, West Virginia, Kansas, Michigan, Virginia, Missouri, North Dakota, Maryland, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Texas, and the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta.
"Every year I get calls from folks who have taken deer out of state, that would like to get them mounted. It seems like more often than not, the deer wasn't taken care of properly out of state, and transferred here in (Massachusetts), which as you know is against our laws."
Wayne continues, "I've turned them all away, but have to believe they keep shopping around until they find someone willing to process it here ... or to get it mounted by someone else.
"There is always an excuse as to why they didn't process it out of state, but I believe we need to educate anyone buying a hunting license in this state as to what the state law is as far as bringing in an out-of-state deer, or any other deer family member in from a CWD state. While the number of cases may seem relatively low compared to the overall deer population, once the prions have been established in an area, they are next to impossible to get rid of. Currently no human has contracted the disease, but as of now it has been proven in labs that it can be transferred to monkeys.
"Alabama recently started enforcing their laws against transporting deer in from CWD states, and put out a map of the CWD states to help educate those that hunt out of state. I believe with the amount of deer coming in from these states not properly taken care of, that eventually all states with a deer population will have contracted CWD down the road, unless folks make more of an effort.
"Basically, anything to do with the spinal cord or brain cannot legally be brought in, so all meat has to be deboned and the skull caps cleaned of all material, primarily the brain, including the membrane underneath the skull."
According to Fiza Pirani, of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "scientists are concerned that the infection could make its way to humans."
"Chronic wasting disease - or 'zombie deer disease' - was first observed in 1967 in Fort Collins, Colorado, and has since infected wild herds in 24 states and Canada, as well as in South Korea and Norway," NPR reported.
"CWD passes from animal to animal through prions, misfolded proteins that cause other proteins to misfold around them," NPR said. "Different prion diseases tend to only harm certain species, but can evolve to overcome those limitations."
But direct contact isn't the only way prions are transmitted. According to The New York Times, sick animals and cadavers can spread prions through plants and soil, which could be coated with deformed proteins for years, perhaps even decades.
An animal infected with the disease can live two years before symptoms - such as a vacant stare, thick saliva, exposed ribs or drooping head - become visible.
There have been no reported human illnesses due to the disease, and scientists don't have conclusive evidence that infected meat has ever harmed people, suggesting there is a "species barrier" between humans and deer.
Dr. Mark Zabel of Colorado State University and his team have found that the prions involved in the "zombie disease," which scientists have only known about for 50 years, are probably still evolving, "which leads us to believe it's only a matter of time before a prion emerges that can spread to humans," Zabel concluded.
You can read the full study published in the "Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews" at Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews.
ELMER GUMBALL: Our little English setter Elmer sat down beside me at my computer and seemed even happier than his usual happy self.
He seemed to be chewing something in a manner I had never seen before. I squeezed his cheeks and out popped a wad of chewing gum.
He had swiped Rene Laviviere's gum, which he had rested on a desk top. I stuck it on the top of my wastebasket.
A minute later Elmer was chewing away, resembling a cow chewing its cud.
I took the gum back as he was about to swallow it.
POACHING PENALTIES: The Massachusetts state Senate unanimously approved and sent to the House a bill that increases penalties for illegal hunting, including financial penalties and prison time.
The measure makes Massachusetts a member of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, a reciprocal agreement among 45 states where state law enforcement agencies share information.
Break wildlife laws in one of the states and have your licenses suspended for all participating states.
FLY TYING: On Thursday and Feb. 8, a free beginners fly-tying class will be offered in Belchertown at MassWildlife's Connecticut Valley District Office, 341 East St., from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. All tools and tying materials provided. Minimum age is 15, and advance registration is mandatory. Call Jim Lagacy to register at 508-389-6309 or email jim.lagacy@state.ma.us.
SAFE ICE?: As we get past the peak chill of winter we should think of thinning ice and our safety on it.
Solar gain, especially on non-snow-covered ice, happens even when the wind is blowing and we're chilled fishing on it. The "greenhouse effect," as it's known, means short-wave light transmission hits pond bottom and turns into long wave heat that gets trapped under the ice.
The Army Corp of Engineers tells us that ice thickness and permissible load on clear blue lake ice is 2 inches. This strength of ice can support one person on foot. Three inches of ice can hold a group in single file, and 5 inches a group of six to eight people
When we get to vehicles. 71/2 inches will hold a passenger car (2-ton gross), 8 inches a light truck (21/2-ton gross), 10 inches a medium truck (31/2- ton gross), 12 inches a heavy truck (7- to 8-ton gross), 15 inches 10 tons, 20 inches 25 tons. ... onward and upward beyond what an ice fisherman needs.
In Minnesota the DNR has a much more conservative and less detailed chart: 2 inches or less, STAY OFF!; 4 inches, ice for fishing or other activities on foot; 5 inches, snowmobile or ATV; 8 to 12 inches, car or small pickup; 12 to 15 inches, medium truck.
No chart can match good common sense; use that full-time to enjoy another day outdoors.
Stay happy and healthy!