Photo by Doc Norton
Photo by Doc Norton
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Chad Stewart, a whitetail deer specialist confirmed just a short time ago that CWD or Chronic Wasting Disease has been found in Ingham Counties Meridian Township.

CWD can devastate deer populations and is a horrific illness that causes deer to literally waste away to skin and bones before dying. The confirmation means a reaction plan that has been in place for years will now take effect. The details will be outlined by the Michigan DNR this afternoon. When CWD was confirmed in the Wisconsin deer herd in and around the Madison that state killed more than 25,000 to control it’s spread.

The impact of this discovery could be ‘devastating’ some are saying on the Michigan deer hunters who spend tens of millions of dollars each year in pursuit of whitetails. Michigan is the third biggest hunting state when it comes to the number of people who participate with roughly 700,000 gun hunters and 300,000 bowhunters taking to the woods each year.

The financial impact could be devastating the Department of Natural Resources as well. The agency has been adjusting to budget cuts over the past several years like many in government and this finding could mean millions of dollars are lost by lack of participation, not to mention the actual cost of combatting the disease.

The DNR is not confirming yet but an independent source is telling us that another case of possible CWD is being investigated some 16 miles east near the village of Webberville on a small farm there.

The question now is how well will the state react to this potentially devastating news.

We will have complete coverage and analysis on the Steve Gruber Show all week. Log on to stevegruber.com to listen live and learn more.

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