Thanks to all

[marty]

Well my whitetail plan is working. I'd like to thank Ron and everyone for all your help on tree questions. I took a nice eight point this year and been seeing a lot more deer than in past. Hopefully I can get one more for the freezer.

Sorry I don't get on much anymore but with all the people here now and a teenager my PC time is limited. Happy holidays to all and God bless america.......marty ;D

[Jeff]

Thanks Marty, you made my day.

Merry Christmas! And some day I'm goona get up there!

[Ron Scott]

Marty,
Well done! Did you get the head checked and a DNR patch?

[marty]

Nope sure didn't they wanted to wack the head off and mess up the cape. Since I wanted to get it mounted I told them no way. There was no sign of TB and so far there's hasn't been any TB positive from my area. Thanks again Ron and merry Christmas to all........marty

[Jeff]

Backstrap fry at Marty's Christmas day!  Marty we need a map...

[Ron Scott]

Congratulations on the "Wall Hanger". Some good results to your wildlife management practices.

[Corley5]

Marty,
  You still could have had it tested.  The person at the station could have filled out a TB tag for you and after the taxidermist was done caping it out you could have dropped the tagged head off at a DNR office for testing.  That's what I normally do with nice bucks that people want mounted and I get many of the heads back.  Just because the deer showed no obvious lesions in the lungs, ribcage etc doesn't mean it doesn't have TB.  Odds are it doesn't but only about 30% of the animals that tested positive so far this year showed gross lesions.  That's down from around 50% other years and attributed to many hunters leaving obviously infected animals where they fell.  According to the experts, meat from an infected animal is safe to eat if cooked thoroughly.  That is till the juices run clear.  Myself, I'd pitch it all if it came back positive.  I'm reeeaaallly glad these deer seasons are about over.  I cut off lots of heads and horns, aged lots of deer, handed out lots of patches,  filled out bunches of TB tags and bagged oodles of heads for shipment to Lansing.  This year was especially bad because of the warm weather.  Lots of nasty, rotten deer heads to deal with.  Especially from those people who shot their deer opening day and brought in just the head on Dec 17 so they could get their patch and have the horns cut off.  Those are the worst, sometimes they have even come back to life.  A now retired DNR employee told me after a while you get immune to it and the smell doesn't bother you anymore.  This is my third year at this and no signs of immunity so far. :D

[marty]

 The lady at the check station told me nothing of the sorts.
I would have got it tested but in my area since all this started we've never had a positive. BTW was the deer numbers that the DNR checked down this year in the TB zone? Do you know how many positive there were?   Ps I use to be an EMT and I trick I was told was put some vicks under your nose  thanks and happy holidays to all........marty 8)

[Corley5]

Numbers at our check stations, Bellaire, Gaylord, Indian River, Pellston and Boyne Falls were down slightly.  We saw more bucks in the 2.5 year and older age groups.  Numbers at stations in the 5 county TB area, Presque Isle, Alpena, Montmorency, Alcona, and Oscoda, were up except for Presque Isle.  This seems to mostly because of the mandatory head turn in in the 452 management unit.  Alcona alone had over 2,100 deer heads turned in!!  That's out of 23,000 total that were done at the lab between Oct 1 and Dec 15.  As for positives found.  The lab has been pretty tight lipped for some reason this year but what I've heard is 6 confirmed and 56 that tested positive on the preliminary test and are now being cultured for confirmation.  All but one are from the 5 county area with the exception being one from Crawford county N.E. of Grayling.  It's going to be the new poster child for TB.  It exhibited the best examples yet of the gross lesions in the lungs, rib cage and entrails.  It was full of it.  Look for pics of it in next years hunting guide.  At our stations we always give people the option of turning their heads in after the taxidermist is done with it.  We'll fill out a tag for them and tell them to drop it in the box with the tag attached at anytime and we'll take care of it or tell them the nearest office near their home that will accept them.  Some processors like to skin from the head down so we leave the heads on deer going to these guys and pick up the tagged heads later.  As for Vicks......   They did a study at the lab last year with a super duper air filter from the USDA lab in Ames, Iowa.  They weren't able to pick up any airborne bovine TB bacteria.  They even broke open some lesions in an infected carcass, stuck the sniffer in the chest cavity and came up with no signs of TB.  It's still nothing to play with and a serious issue especially for the farmers in the infected areas.    

Merry Christmas!!  

[L. Wakefield]

   Hunh! Now you're teaching me something (and not the first time..) I knew about TB in cows but hadn't heard about it in deer. Mike said he'd hear of it, but I don't think it's an issue up here in Maine. Has anyone heard otherwise?  lw

[Ron Scott]

Yes, I feel for you guys aging and taking deer heads for testing. A "smelly job" for sure. I got 3 patches so far this year and appreciated the effort.  TB cards on two in Wexford County came back negative. I'm waiting for the recent one taken with muzzle loader in Iron County to come back. Since its in the UP I expect it to be negative also.

[Ron Scott]

The TB in deer problem seems to be unique only to Michigan. A problem brought about by heavy deer baiting, especially in the large hunt Club lands in Northeastern Lower Michigan and transfer of the disease in animals from private game farms.

More information is available on the Michigan DNR web site at www.michigandnr.com if interested.

[allyson]

Is TB in deer just a Michigan thing? It would seem like it would spread beyond a state border. I've never heard of it here in PA.

Billy

[marty]

TB is in a lot of wild game all over the world. South africa has been trying to deal with it for a long time. All over europe also where they blame the badger. I remeber reading that TB was in calfornia texas and mexico. Texas feeds and baits deer more than michigan but they don't even test their deer. I've hear of wisconsin testing deer also. If those states did find it it would be such an ecomonic factor I believe most keep it under their hat. My 2 cents..........marty 8)

[Corley5]

You're right Marty, no other states want to find it and are scared of finding it.  Any state with a high deer population and cattle would probably find TB in their deer herd if they tested on the scale that Michigan does.  Michigan is the only place where TB has been confirmed in a wild free ranging deer herd.  It is thought that it has been in the deer herd for 50+ years, originally came from cattle, and got out of hand with the large scale feeding programs in the club country regions.  Too much nose to nose contact, sneezing and coughing on each other, and the bacteria can live indeffinetly on bait like sugar beets etc in cold damp weather.  It's thought that the cases in Emmet, Antrim, and some other counties are isolated cases and not part of a self sustaining problem like it is in the Northeas as no other cases have been found in these counties.  

[marty]

That's why I feel the DNR has overreacted due to pressure from the ag and farm lobby. It seems like if TB is the real issue all others would be test for it. You've heard of all the stuff like insurance companies threaten the state to reduce the herd.

 Another thing is that I really don't understand why farmers are not required to cover round bales out in the fields. I was told that round bales are perfect for the TB to live.
How can this be?  I've heard it's an AG problem but seems again everything I read they love to point at the deer and say it's all the deers fault.

 I honestly believe that the herd in northeast Mi is below carrying capacity and the DNR will continue so it looks like to issue doe permits again till there's no deer in cetain areas. Sorry just had to vent. Happy holidays to all and merry christmas.........marty 8)