Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Monday 4 SepteMber 2017

Hunters, government, industry at odds over deer urine

By MARY ESCH
Associated Press
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Deer
hunters who like to lure
their quarry with a dab of
eau de doe-in-rut will have
to find another way to at-
tract a trophy buck in New
York if state wildlife biolo-
gists have their way.
Proposed regulations
would add New York to a
growing list of states and
Canadian provinces ban-
ning deer urine lures in
an effort to prevent the
spread of chronic wasting
disease, a deadly brain
infection that’s working its
way through North Ameri-
can deer, elk and moose
populations.
The disease is similar to so-
called mad cow disease,
which affects cattle. Both
diseases are caused by
infectious proteins called
prions, which are believed
to be shed in saliva, feces
and urine and can con-
taminate forage plants
and build up in soil. In this Dec. 3, 2008, file photo, a pair of hunters hunt for deer on Penn State University farm land in State College, Pa.
“Not only does this horrible Associated Press
disease kill animals slowly,
but wild white-tailed deer concentrating deer in one “When you’re bowhunt- 15 percent collect urine in disease prions.
hunting represents a $1.5 area, a prohibition on hunt- ing, you have to draw the barns with grated floors that “We’re all for the health of
billion industry in the state,” ers bringing deer carcasses deer in close,” said Dave allow urine to drain into a the herd, which is why we
Department of Environ- from infected states into Vanderzee, president of collection vat, Vanderzee partnered with the Archery
mental Conservation Com- New York, and a ban on the New York Deer Farm- said. A state ban on urine Trade Association in devel-
missioner Basil Seggos said deer farms importing live- ers Association and op- scents would devastate oping stringent guidelines
in releasing a draft plan to stock. It’s the only state to erator of a private hunting the captive deer industry, for collection facilities to
control it last month. have eliminated the dis- preserve. “Attractant is the which has already suffered minimize the potential for
Since the disease was first ease after it was found in only way to do it in New under a host of ever-stricter contamination,” said Chip
recognized in captive wild populations, Seggos York because you’re not al- state regulations, he said. Hunnicutt, spokesman for
mule deer in Colorado said. lowed to have a bait pile.” Dr. Nicholas Haley, a vet- the scent-maker Tink’s.
about 50 years ago, it has Now the state is taking Ed Gorch, an upstate New erinary researcher at Mid- Tink’s also makes synthetic
slowly spread to 24 states public comments through York hunter who has been western University, said the scent lures that are allowed
and two Canadian prov- Sept. 15 on additional rules, bowhunting for 45 years, captive deer producing in states with urine bans.
inces. States have spent the most controversial be- said he uses deer urine and urine used by hunters are Alaska, Arizona, Vermont,
millions of dollars trying ing the ban on scent lures other scents, even skunk, to some of the healthiest ani- Virginia, Ontario and Nova
to halt it; Wisconsin even using natural deer urine. distract deer from his own mals in the country. Disease Scotia have banned the
hired sharpshooters to kill That ban doesn’t sit well smell. “As for switching to transmission, he said, is less use of natural deer urine
deer in an infected area. with deer farmers who col- synthetic scents, I don’t likely from urine than from and other aromatic deer
Wasting disease was dis- lect and sell urine, manu- think it would make much deer meat brought in by secretions.
covered in a handful of facturers who market it difference,” Gorch said. “I hunters from infected ar- Jeremy Hurst, a New York
wild and captive white- under names like “Code think most sportsmen would eas. New York allows hunt- state biologist, said “re-
tailed deer in central New Blue” and “Buck Bomb,” go along with that once ers to bring in venison and search clearly suggests
York in 2005, prompting and hunters who dribble they realize the danger of hides from infected states there is some risk” of trans-
the state to enact mea- the foul-smelling fluid on fo- chronic wasting disease.” but not deer bones and mitting wasting disease
sures to halt it. They include liage or cotton balls hung Of about 275 deer farms brains, which are consid- through deer urine scents.
a feeding ban to avoid near their tree stands. in New York, 10 percent to ered more likely to carry q