DNRasks hunters to follow baiting regulations

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is asking deer hunters and the public to help prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD) by following baiting and feeding bans and by properly disposing of deer carcass waste this hunting season.

Placing bait to hunt deer or feeding deer for viewing is banned by state law in Marathon County due to the presence of CWD.

Bait is any material that is placed or used to attract wild animals for hunting purposes, including scent materials, salt, minerals and grains. Feed is any material used to feed or attract wild animals for non-hunting purposes, including recreational and supplemental feeding, except as allowed for birds and small mammals. Bait and feed placed on the landscape, even in limited quantities, often attracts unnatural numbers of deer.

With a successful harvest comes deer carcass waste. Proper carcass disposal helps slow the spread of CWD by removing potentially infected deer carcasses from the landscape. To properly dispose of deer carcass waste, locate a designated dumpster, transfer station or landfill location accepting deer carcass waste near you on the DNR website.

CWD is a fatal disease that affects the nervous system of deer, elk, moose and caribou. Transmission occurs when disease prions are shed by infected animals through saliva, urine, feces and natural decomposition after death. The CWD infectious agent, or prion, is extremely resistant to decay in the environment.

While there has not been a documented case of CWD in humans, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), the Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization recommend against consuming meat from CWD-infected deer.