Second diseased deer found in Meridian Twp

“If you are going to find a positive deer, it’s better to find it a mile away from the first one, than ten miles, It’s just the smaller the area, the easier it is to manage” Steve Schmitt of Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources said.

State officials have tested more than 300 deer for chronic wasting disease since the first case in a free-ranging deer was discovered in May. Officials say confirming the second case is disappointing but not surprising. Genetic testing is being conducted to see if the two deer are related.

Police are asking neighbors to be patient and understand the hunt is a way to keep the disease under control.

At today’s meeting commissioners made a recommendation to test all deer at risk for contracting the disease, access the risk of it spreading to other facilities and to make an effort to reopen deer breeding business as soon as possible.

Walsh said the DNR plans to continue its current program, and there has been no mention to township officials of any escalation.

To date, 304 deer have been tested in the Core CWD Area and only two have tested positive for CWD. To report a suspicious-looking deer, call the DNR Wildlife Disease Lab at 517-336-5030 or fill out and submit the online observation report, found on the DNR website.

“We drew the black bean and that’s a tough deal, but in a way I’m glad, because I think we can take care of it”, said Robert Patterson, who owns Texas Mountain Ranch and found the dead deer himself.

“The most common prevention techniques practiced in other states include removing infected animals from the population and discouraging high-density deer scenarios coupled with intensive sampling for early disease detection”.

In areas where the disease has gotten a foothold, the focus shifts from elimination to keeping it contained.

It is typically fatal to deer and elk.

Chronic wasting disease is a deadly and highly transmissible neurological disease that affects deer and certain other ungulates. Deer that are unusually thin or unafraid of people should be reported to the DNR.

Lansing, Meridian, Williamstown, Delhi, Alaiedon and Wheatfield townships in Ingham County; DeWitt and Bath townships in Clinton County; and Woodhull Township in Shiawassee County.

“At this juncture, we’ve put a temporary prohibition on all movement of captive deer in the state – and again that’s out of an abundance of caution, both for the industry and for the wild deer”, said Carter Smith, executive director of Texas Parks and Wildlife.