Another Wisconsin budget cycle and more of the same on Wisconsin\u2019s fight against CWD. The Wisconsin Legislature\u2019s Joint Finance Committee once again failed to appropriate any funding for the Chronic Wasting Disease (\u201cCWD\u201d) epidemic. This is a profound failure of the State\u2019s obligation to protect and conserve Wisconsin\u2019s cherished whitetail deer herd.<\/p>\n
Perhaps the most disturbing portion of the budget for hunters is the $100,000 appropriation to deer farmers for \u201cgenetic testing.\u201d This $100,000 is coming from the money appropriated for CWD monitoring and testing. In other words, the money earmarked for monitoring and testing deer for CWD is going to deer farmers. Hunters, the money you pay for your licenses is going to a for-profit deer farm so the farm can try to lengthen the lives of their domestic deer. These same deer farmers fight efforts to prevent their deer from escaping onto Wisconsin\u2019s landscape, carrying disease to the wild deer herd. These same deer farmers move deer from CWD positive farms to areas where CWD has not been detected. This genetic testing will do nothing for the wild deer herd. Hunters, your legislators have taken money from you and given it to these deer farmers. This $100,000 appropriation told us the legislature values the deer farmer far more than the Wisconsin hunter.<\/p>\n