Op-ed from a hunter: Wisconsin is failing badly at CWD management

Another Wisconsin budget cycle and more of the same on Wisconsin’s fight against CWD. The Wisconsin Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee once again failed to appropriate any funding for the Chronic Wasting Disease (“CWD”) epidemic. This is a profound failure of the State’s obligation to protect and conserve Wisconsin’s cherished whitetail deer herd.

Perhaps the most disturbing portion of the budget for hunters is the $100,000 appropriation to deer farmers for “genetic testing.” This $100,000 is coming from the money appropriated for CWD monitoring and testing. In other words, the money earmarked for monitoring and testing deer for CWD is going to deer farmers. Hunters, the money you pay for your licenses is going to a for-profit deer farm so the farm can try to lengthen the lives of their domestic deer. These same deer farmers fight efforts to prevent their deer from escaping onto Wisconsin’s landscape, carrying disease to the wild deer herd. These same deer farmers move deer from CWD positive farms to areas where CWD has not been detected. This genetic testing will do nothing for the wild deer herd. Hunters, your legislators have taken money from you and given it to these deer farmers. This $100,000 appropriation told us the legislature values the deer farmer far more than the Wisconsin hunter.

The legislature needs to be held accountable for this failure. Particularly, those who fancy themselves sportsmen like Senators Tom Tiffany, Duey Stroebel and Devin LeMahieu need to be held responsible for this woeful budget. All three of those Senators claim to be sportsmen and all three sit on the Joint Finance Committee. If you live in Senators Tiffany, Stroebel or LeMahieu’s district, call them. Tell them you want action on CWD. Tell them you think the deer herd is important. Tell them you do not want to see the billion-dollar deer hunting industry in Wisconsin die a slow death. Tell them if nothing is done about CWD you will not vote for them. It’s the only way these politicians will listen.

The failure to address CWD does not stop with the legislature. Governor Evers completely failed to address CWD in his budget.  When running for governor, Candidate Evers was asked by Backcountry Hunters and Anglers what he would do to control the spread and reduce the prevalence of CWD.  His answer was to do the following: make CWD testing easily available with a higher density of testing locations for harvested deer statewide; invest in more herd monitoring; act quickly and aggressively to limit satellite outbreaks when they occur and seek additional scientific research on the disease.

All too often, we bemoan politicians for saying one thing during a campaign and then doing another after an election. In his proposed budget, the Governor proposed exactly zero new funding for CWD. Zero. The Governor promised specific actions on CWD while on the campaign trail and broke that promise after his election. He needs to be held accountable. Call his office. Tell him you are upset and demand an explanation.

It's fun to blame politicians, the DNR, and deer farms for CWD. It feels good. But really, the majority of blame for the CWD mess lies squarely with hunters. We have not done enough. We have not demanded more of our politicians. I met with several legislators or their staff members over the past few months.  The most distressing thing I heard was that virtually no conservation groups were talking about CWD. Backcountry Hunters and Anglers was the only group mentioned that had lobbied legislators in favor of CWD action. Not one other conservation group had talked with important members of the Joint Finance Committee about CWD. Additionally, the legislators had heard from very few constituents about CWD.

It’s the hunting community’s fault for not being more vocal. We can’t expect action on CWD if we aren’t willing to demand it. If you are a member of a conservation group, call that group and ask them what they are doing about CWD. Demand that the conservation community show up in Madison and talk with elected officials about CWD. Nothing will get done to slow or stop CWD until the hunting community stands up and demands it gets done. Hunters, its on us. Our current elected officials do not care about CWD. Our job is to make them care.

Jeff Guerard, Hunter

Guerard resides in Colgate, Wis. This op-ed represents his personal opinions, not those of any groups he belongs to or represents.