One columnist in Arkansas has tabled the idea to mixed reviews.
Managing whitetails in areas with a high presence of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a contentious issue and one that is often formed by a number of talking heads. While everyone in the hunting community deserves an opportunity to voice their opinions on the matter, the question remains; is hunting America’s most popular game animal in the dead of night the most logical option?
In most cases, logical options require logical thinking and if you’ve spent any time on the internet lately, you, like I, might be a little worried about common sense levels among your peers.
I know I’ve been fooled.
While this might be a good option to cull herds and run some testing at the same time, it doesn’t sound like one that should be opened up to the general public. Mixing high-end tactical gear, high powered rifles and blackout conditions with Tom, Dick and/or Harry might be something we want to think long and hard about.
Not that I have my doubts that your buddy Billy Bob can’t pull it off like he consistently does on his high fence property. I just tend to believe that this type of management, if for the betterment of the herd, should be done professionally.
Aside from the above, this old whitetail enthusiast is also concerned with dropping (literally) whitetails in the same bucket as hogs and other problem species which can, and should, be hunted at will.
Let’s be careful about how we manage and preserve these animals and ensure it’s done in a professional and controlled environment.
