Pennsylvania ‘Pink 23’ Adams County exposed CWD Escaped Deer shot, but where are the other escapees ?
Pennsylvania ‘Pink 23’ Adams County exposed CWD Escaped Deer shot, but
where are the other escapees ?
News for Immediate Release
Nov. 26, 2012
Agriculture Department to Test ‘Pink 23’ Adams County Escaped Deer
Harrisburg - A doe that escaped from a quarantined Adams County deer farm
in October was shot by a hunter today and is now being tested for Chronic
Wasting Disease, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. The
deer, known as “Pink 23’’ because of its pink farm tag, was shot and killed this
morning on a farm at 1305 New Chester Road, New Oxford. The doe escaped as
officials removed the herd for testing from a farm at 1491 New Chester Road, New
Oxford.
Both farms have been quarantined since October when the first case of the
disease was discovered in Pennsylvania.
“The department has been working to prevent further spread of the disease,”
said Agriculture Secretary George Greig. “The capture and testing of this
escaped deer will allow the department to close this chapter of the
investigation.” State veterinarians identified the doe by its pink farm tag.
Testing for Chronic Wasting Disease will be done at the Pennsylvania State
Veterinary Laboratory in Harrisburg and will take up to two weeks.
To date, two deer have tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease. As a
result, the agriculture department quarantined 27 farms in 14 counties
associated with the herd where the deer that tested positive for the disease
were found. Deer cannot be moved on or off those quarantined premises.
Chronic Wasting Disease attacks the brains of infected antlered animals
such as deer, elk and moose, producing small lesions that eventually result in
death. Animals can get the disease through direct contact with saliva, feces and
urine from an infected animal.
There is no evidence that humans or livestock can get the disease,
according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Symptoms include weight loss, excessive salivation, increased drinking and
urination, and abnormal behavior like stumbling, trembling and depression.
Infected deer and elk may also allow unusually close approach by humans or
natural predators. The disease is fatal and there is no known treatment or
vaccine. Surveillance for the disease has been ongoing in Pennsylvania since
1998. The agriculture department coordinates a mandatory monitoring program for
more than 23,000 captive deer on 1,100 breeding farms, hobby farms and shooting
preserves. The Pennsylvania Game Commission collects samples from
hunter-harvested deer and elk and those that appear sick or behave abnormally.
Since 1998, the commission has tested more than 38,000 free-ranging deer and elk
for the disease and all have tested negative.
For more information, visit www.agriculture.state.pa.us and click on the
“Chronic Wasting Disease Information” button on the homepage.
Media contact:
Samantha Elliott Krepps, 717-787-5085
###
END...TSS
O.K., great news, ‘Pink 23’ shot, and will be tested. So, now, what about
‘Purple 4’ ???
where is ‘Purple 4’ ???
where are the 6 suspect deer under investigation by Louisiana from
Pennsylvania ???
what about Indiana and the 10 deer from PA there, where are those deer with
prefix ‘yellow tags IN 764’
how far have these investigations gone ???
how many different states are now involved in the CWD debacle in
Pennsylvania ???
Another deer linked to site of Pennsylvania's first confirmed case of
chronic wasting disease is reported as escaped into the wild
Published: Tuesday, November 13, 2012, 6:20 PM Updated: Tuesday, November
13, 2012, 6:28 PM
The escapee – designated as Purple 4 in the state's deer farming industry –
escaped from the Gordon Trimer enclosure at 4794 Trimers Rd, Alexandria,
according to Mathew Meals, deputy secretary of the state Department of
Agriculture.
He said prior to its escape into the wild "several months ago," the deer
was sold or otherwise transferred to Trimer from the Freedom Whitetails facility
of Travis Rhodes at 694 Johnstown Road, East Freedom. Rhodes had acquired the
deer from the Ronald Rutters herd at 1491 New Chester Road, New Oxford.
Meals noted that the Alexandria operation did not have the required license
for operating a deer farm from Ag and the situation there is "under
investigation by the department."
From: Terry S. Singeltary Sr.
Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2012 2:25 PM
To: BSE-L BSE-L
Cc: brobbins@ldaf.la.gov Subject:
PENNSYLVANIA 2012 THE GREAT ESCAPE OF CWD INVESTIGATION MOVES INTO
LOUISIANA and INDIANA
UPDATE
i have been trying to find out about the Louisiana investigation into the
PA deer, where they are at, and how many. from the letter below from the Dept.
of ag in Pa, there is an investigation into this ongoing in PA, but they will
not speak about the Louisiana deer, the Louisiana dept of ag, are the ones that
can only speak about that part of this issue. so, i called them, finally got
ahold of a Mr. walter, i had been trying all day to speak with Dr. Brent Robins,
but when i called back at the time i was suppose to call back and speak with Dr.
Robins, he had apparently left the office, after I was told to call him back at
at a specific time. so i had to talk with a Mr. Walter, or a Mr. Walters or a
Walter somebody, that was chief of something there at Animal Health & Food
Safety in Baton Rouge, LA - (225) 925-3962 Office Telephone No: (225) 925-3962.
bottom line, the investigation is ‘ongoing’, and it’s an ‘open’ investigation,
and they refuse to talk anymore about it. told me they would release a report
when and if the investigation is over with. so, apparently, we still have from 1
to 6 deer loose in Louisiana from PA CWD positive index herd, and nobody from
Louisiana is talking about it. all PA dept of ag says is Louisiana has them, but
they can’t talk about them, and all Louisiana dept. of ag will say, is it’s an
open ongoing investigation. he would not even confirm, or not, if they have
located said deer or how many were in the investigation. from what I got from
the Son (see below), they have no clue where they are. so, we will see if any
report is made in the future, or not. ...
Got a private email.
snip...as follows ;
I would pass along a story. Nothing official has come out, but I have
inside sources with multiple federal and state agencies in LA. But a deer or
multiple deer, not sure which, from a CWD positive pen in PA was moved to a pen
somewhere around Lake Charles, LA. The deer may have been moved to at least one
other pen in LA, and possible one in MS as well, but no one really knows. There
are supposedly 150 deer at the pen in Lake Charles that were quarentined and
killed and they are now trying to figure out how and where to dispose of the
carcasses. Everything is very sketchy and grey right now, but it is now possible
that CWD could have spread to 1 or 2 more states. We shall see in the next few
weeks if any kind of official press release comes out...end
so, I gave the Pa dept of ag a call. this is the kind reply I got. ...tss
From: xxxxxxxxx xxxxxx
Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2012 4:03 PM
To: 'Flounder9@verizon.net'
Subject: Deer information
Terry - The animal moved on a certificate of veterinary inspection prior to
the discovery of the positive CWD herd in Pennsylvania. Louisiana animal health
authorities are investigating the movement of this deer that was
epidemiologically linked to the index Pennsylvania herd, into their state. We
are awaiting their response.
Since the announcement of CWD positives in Pennsylvania there are no states
permitting the movement of imported Pennsylvania deer and the Department of
Agriculture is not permitting the movement of any deer into the commonwealth.
-xxxxxx
snip...
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture | Press Office 2301 North Cameron
Street | Hbg PA 17110 Phone: 717.787.5085 | Fax: 717.787.1039 www.agriculture.state.pa.us
====================
I thank the Dept of Penn Ag for that kind reply and information.
I pray that CWD has not been transported to Louisiana from Pennsylvania,
via the great escape of CWD 2012 into Pennsylvania from captive game farming.
...tss
P.S. UPDATE, I HAVE TRIED TO GET CONFIRMATION AND UPDATE FROM THE STATE OF
LOUISIANA, AND THE ARE MUM ON THE SUBJECT. WILL NOT REPLY. then I get an email
from the Son of the Father that owns said game farm in LA, that was supposedly
to receive the deer from PA CWD debacle. a sad story, the day before deer farm
was quarantined, the Father fell out of a tree and died in a hunting accident.
my condolences goes out to the family.
snip...
it seems that several deer from Pennsylvania CWD exposed herd, or cohorts,
were brought to Louisiana via Donald Hodge Sr. 6 deer were transported from PA
to LA by Mr. Elmer Fisher, and the truck driver was Dustin Miller. here is where
the story gets a bit tricky. seems there are NO records of the deer actually
ever arriving at Donald Hodge Sr.’s Farm. seems that they were suppose to go to
Lafayette Louisiana, but, seems he had a silent partner, a Jarrod somebody? the
son was not sure. the son said that from his fathers notes (that’s all they had
to go by), these 6 deer from PA never reached his farm, even though his Dad
signed for them. the 6 deer were never logged into inventory, there were no
tags, no micro chips from them found. the Dept. of Ag took soil samples. to
date, the son said everything at his Dad’s farm is negative. now here is where
the story gets even more fishy. the location changed from Lafayette Louisiana ,
to a location of an unregistered hunting club, or shooting pen, as he called it,
and there was some attempted deal between the silent partner, and the delivery
driver, to bring the 6 deer to this shooting pen in the area of Slidell
Louisiana instead. the driver was offered $1,000. to take the deer there. but he
refused, so evidently, the silent partner set up a meeting place, where another
trailer was brought in, and the deer were then boxed up, and sent to this
shooting pen up around Slidell Louisiana, somewhere along the Mississippi
border. that is where the trail runs cold for these 6 deer from PA. the Donald
Hodge Farm in LA, has about 160 cervids. NONE have been slaughtered or tested to
date, and are being fed, and they are under quarantine. seems in Louisiana,
there are no requirements for IN STATE movement of cervids from what Jr. told
me. Donald Jr. told me the Dept. of Ag says there are two options if these 6
deer are not located.
1. kill the whole herd
2. Quarantine for 5 years.
Donald Jr. told me he could not afford to quarantine for 5 years.
seems right now, everything is in a holding pattern by the Dept of Ag,
until they can locate the 6 deer from PA.
the Son told me that he was told there is NO indemnity program if they
slaughter the deer.
It’s really a sad situation. Donald Hodge Sr., died Oct. 16 in a hunting
accident, and Oct. 17 his farm was quarantined, and the family is beside
themselves to say the least, as you can understand.
snip...end...tss
I wrote Commissioner Strain the other day, with no reply to date ;
Commissioner Strain Sir,
I hope you can find time Sir, to read through all this, and reply to me
with some facts on the LA shooting pen and those 6 deer? I am on a fact finding
mission and I hope that you can help me out.
...snip...end
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
PENNSYLVANIA 2012 THE GREAT ESCAPE OF CWD
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
PENNSYLVANIA 2012 THE GREAT ESCAPE OF CWD INVESTIGATION MOVES INTO
LOUISIANA and INDIANA
Indiana enlists hunters to help quell deer disease fears
SEYMOUR, Ind. (AP) — Indiana wildlife officials are asking deer hunters in
four counties to kill any deer with a yellow tag in its ear in an effort to
prevent the spread of a disease that has ravaged deer populations in other
states.
The deer being targeted are among 20 that escaped this spring from a
Jackson County farm where trophy bucks with huge antlers are bred and sold to
private hunting preserves. Seven of the deer are unaccounted for, The
Indianapolis Star reported.
Department of Natural Resources officials say they are concerned about
chronic wasting disease, which has caused havoc in several states, including
Wisconsin. The disease hasn’t yet shown up in Indiana, but it poses a threat to
the state’s deer population, which numbers 500,000 to 1 million animals.
A farm in Pennsylvania, where chronic wasting disease was detected, has
sold 10 animals to farms in Indiana over the past three years. DNR spokesman
Phil Bloom said two were sold to farms in Noble and Whitley counties; the rest
went to two facilities in Jackson County, one of which is the site of the
escape.
Licensed hunters in Jackson, Bartholomew, Jennings and Scott counties are
urged to kill the tagged deer and immediately notify the state, which will get
the carcass and test it for the disease. Any motorist who hits a tagged deer is
asked to do the same.
Douglas Metcalf, chief of staff for the state Board of Animal Health, said
each of the four farms that acquired the Pennsylvania animals is under
quarantine, and the animals are being tested for the disease.
Bloom said the case represents a “Pandora’s box” created by interstate
trafficking in wildlife and says it could have wide-ranging consequences to
Indiana’s game-farming industry, which brings in $50 million a year.
Rick D. Miller, owner of the 2.5 Karat Game Ranch in Bartholomew County,
has a lot to lose if the disease spreads. Miller keeps between two dozen and 60
elk and white-tail deer on his farm. He collects deer urine to sell to hunters,
who use it as a deer attractant. Big “shooter” bucks can be sold to captive hunt
facilities for $1,500 to $2,500, and breeding stock can sell for $1,000 to
$250,000.
He said he is outraged by the situation and noted that the farm where the
deer escaped isn’t one of the 385 Indiana deer farms that voluntarily allow
officials to test their herds for the disease. “We don’t want these crazy things
to happen,” said Miller, a former president of the Indiana Deer and Elk Farmers’
Association.
Anyone who kills a tagged deer is urged to immediately call (812) 837-9536.
Bloom said of particular interest are any deer with a yellow ear tag and
two numbers on it, or any deer with a tag bearing the prefix “IN 764” followed
by another four numbers.
Hunters who shoot one of the deer will be issued a new license at no cost.
Posted 10/29/2012
TSS
posted by Terry S. Singeltary Sr. at
10:08 AM
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