by Marion P. Hammer
Florida –-(Ammoland.com)- The National Rifle Association and Unified Sportsmen of Florida are in full and unequivocal support of a ban on the importation of captive deer into Florida.
Read NRA & USF’s Position paper and Fact Sheet Click Here
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has a fiduciary duty protect and conserve wildlife and the natural resources of the state for the people of Florida.
The Commission has no duty or responsibility to any private financial business interest of any person or persons.
People who choose to engage in businesses that depend on wildlife have to assume their own risk or loss – just like every other business. It is wrong for a few deer farms and high fence shooting/hunting preserves to put their own private financial interest ahead of the wild deer herds and the future of deer hunting in Florida.
Those opposing closing the border are representing a selfish business interest. It is ridiculous to claim we can “learn to live with CWD” or that we can “manage CWD.” Why would any responsible person want to live with or manage a fatal disease that we can avoid getting?
CWD RISK TO HUMANS
Deer don’t live with it – they always die from it. And if it mutates and is transmittable to humans (like Mad Cow Disease did) humans will die horrible deaths from it. You cannot manage CWD – it manages you. Read this article on the risk to humans
http://host.madison.com/ct/
A ban on the importation of captive deer from other states is essential to preventing CWD from getting into Florida. Look at the facts:
CWD is spreading in the United States. In the last two years, 7 more states have gotten CWD, bringing the total number of states with CWD from 15 to 22.
In 2012 Texas, Iowa, and Pennsylvania got CWD.
In Texas, CWD was found in wild deer. Texas banned the importation of captive deer in 2002 and stayed CWD free until 2012 when the disease came in from a deer that migrated across the border from New Mexico.
Iowa’s CWD was found in 3 different captive herds. Iowa does not have an importation ban on captive deer.
In Pennsylvania, CWD was found in a captive deer and a wild deer. Pennsylvania does not have an importation ban on importation of captive deer.
In 2010, Missouri found CWD in a captive herd and mounted efforts to manage and contain it. Their management efforts were unsuccessful. In 2012, CWD was found in wild deer in Missouri.
All of this is very bad news. CWD is spreading.
FLORIDA HAS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY
Florida has the best opportunity to keep CWD out by completely closing our border.
Florida’s two border states, Alabama and Georgia do not have CWD. Why?
Because Alabama banned the importation of captive deer in 1973 (40 years ago) and Georgia banned the importation of captive deer in 2002 (11 years ago).
That means the risk of CWD coming into Florida from migrating wild deer has been virtually eliminated.
Florida’s risk of getting CWD is from the importation of captive deer. It is irresponsible and tempting fate if we do anything other than imposing a total ban ASAP.
Florida’s wild deer herds are at risk everyday day we wait.
MAKE NO MISTAKE: Anything short of a total ban only adds additional risk.
It is interesting to note that an Illinois University professor is the so-called “expert” used by business interests to support their position. Their “expert” was recently exposed in media. It turns out their so-called expert is protecting his own financial and business interest and is not an unbiased expert at all — he owns a deer farm and in addition to selling captive animals he also sells meat to the public and urine to hunters. Read this:
http://thegunwriter.blogs.
Recently, I was quoted as saying if we got CWD in Florida I would never eat another bite of venison. That’s true, and I certainly would never feed it to my family again. Read here to find out why I made that statement.
http://thegunwriter.blogs.
The future of deer hunting in Florida is on the line. Those who want to help keep CWD out of Florida can contact all of the FWC Commissioners by sending an email to this address Commissioners@myfwc.com