The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC) passed a declaration of emergency during its July meeting Monday (July 1) that modifies the deer urine ban for the 2019-20 hunting season. The ban is part of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ (LDWF) and LWFC’s effort to prevent chronic wasting disease (CWD) from entering the state.
New testing procedures have been made available to producers of deer urine that can detect the presence of CWD in urine-based products.
The modified regulation reads as follows: It is unlawful to use or possess scents or lures that contain natural deer urine or other bodily fluids while taking, attempting to take, attracting or scouting wildlife, except natural deer urine products produced by the manufacturers or entities that are actively enrolled and participating in the Archery Trade Association Deer Protection Program, which have been tested using real-time quaking induced conversion and certified that no detectable levels of CWD are present and clearly labeled as such.
To see the full declaration go to http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/action-items .
CWD is a neurodegenerative disease found in most deer species, including moose, elk, mule deer and white-tailed deer. It is infectious and always fatal. It is part of a group of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) and is similar to BSE (Bovine spongiform encephalopathy or mad cow disease) of cattle and scrapie in sheep. These diseases cause irreversible damage to brain tissue that leads to salivation, neurological symptoms, emaciation and death of the animal.
Deer infected with CWD can spread the disease even before symptoms develop. It can take one to two years for infected animals to become symptomatic. When symptoms appear, they can include emaciation, lethargy, abnormal behavior and loss of bodily functions. Other signs include excessive salivation,