# Map of captive cervid facilities



## fairfax1

_"What I want to know is-are buffalo considered cervids?" _

No they are not. They are bovines.


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## Munsterlndr

As posted in another thread but relevent to this one.

As far as the captive cervid operation, we badly need to reform the system. Here is what I would propose.

1) eliminate hobby farms. There are something like 150 of these facilities in Michigan. There seems to me to be no good reason why private individuals should be allowed to own captive cervids. It's illegal to possess a lot of other wild animals in Michigan, deer should be no different.

2) Ban hunting cervids in private preserves. Another midwest state, it's either Indiana of Ohio just announced that they were going to be enforcing the ban that they have on big game preserve hunting. I can think of no good reason why canned hunts should continue to be allowed. That will get rid of the 200 or so canned hunting facilities that we have. 

3) Most of the "breeder" facilities are the result of demand by hunting preserves. Ban big game hunting preserves and the market for selling deer will dry up and you will get rid of most of the breeder facilities.

4) Outlaw captive deer facilities that are selling urine, antler velvet.

5) That leaves game farms that are farming cervids for meat. I think these are legitimate operations, I think there are something like 100-150 of these in Michigan. Put in place rigid regulations that prevent the transfer of stock between facilities and have frequent testing. Require monitored double fence enclosures and limit the type of supplemental feeding that can occur. It will be a lot easer for the MDA/DNR to regulate and supervise a hundred facilities than the close to 600 facilities they currently have to deal with. 

This continues to allow legitimate economic utilization of cervids for agricultural purposes but eliminates those operation that are most likely to be responsible for allowing a CWD positive animal to escape into the free ranging herd.


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## BigDog25

bgbk-8 said:


> OMG!!  After seeing that map and realizing the scope of the deer farms I'm totally convinced the DNR is aiming in the wrong direction. They need to get all these deer farms in compliance and then worry about what hunters are doing wrong as almost all CWD originated in these deer farms. Shut these freakin' things down!!!


The DNR essentially only does the inspections, the MDA does the enforcing.

MDA are on the side of the Ranchers.....no doubt what so ever.


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## Hamilton Reef

Forum: Solutions, not blame needed on CWD
http://www.record-eagle.com/opinion/local_story_263095259.html


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## Hamilton Reef

There are lessons to be learned from CWD
http://www.mlive.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2008/09/there_are_lessons_to_be_learne.html


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## e. fairbanks

Back in the year 2000 the US scrapie (TSE in sheep) Eradication Program WAS IN DIRE NEED OF FUNDING, HAVING BARELY ENOUGH TO PAY SALARIES AND OFFICE EXPENSES. Fortunately, some sheep from a flock imported from Belgium were reported to have tested positively to some sort of inconclusive test for TSE's. What if it was BSE, our livestock industry could be wiped out. Our Secy of Agriculture declared an Emergency and funding was made available. (the sheep flocks involved were trucked to NVSL Lab in Ames under military guard to be "euthanized" and tested to determine whether they had BSE or scrapie, but we never heard of any testing being done.
Here in Michigan there was an increase in TB infected herds following the approval of an inconclusive test and "lo and behold", our US Secy of Agriculture came thru w/an Emergency Declaration plus a handsome increase in funding for the TB Eradication Program.
Can we help but wonder if there is any connection between the finding of an "isolated case" of positive CWD ASSUMED TO BE OF "SPONTANEOUS OCCURRENCE" AND THE ADMISSION THAT OUR STATE AGENCIES NEED MORE "FUNDING" TO FIGHT THE CWD BEFORE IT WIPES OUT OUR DEER HERD ?


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## Hamilton Reef

Whit1 said:


> Tom, explain please.


 Oops, I didn't see your reply sitting there. Sen Gerry Van Woerkom is the chair of the Agriculture Committee and buddy with the elk rancher in his district. Money talks.


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## 8nchuck

This may have been asked before but does the DNR even have any jurisdiction over these farms?I am thinking it all falls on the Ag Dept. 

I never did like these farms. I agree with the thought that unless these are inspected and watched closely we will have problems, if we don't have any already. I mean look at where the first CWD case was discovered. 

A CAPTIVE DEER FARM. 


You can defend the practice if you want but facts are facts. Not all are on the up & up. Thats the problem.


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## Whit1

8nchuck said:


> This may have been asked before but does the DNR even have any jurisdiction over these farms?I am thinking it all falls on the Ag Dept.


You are correct in your thinking. The Ag department takes care of......sorta.........the game ranches/farms. The DNR takes care of the testing of animals.


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## BigDog25

The DNR does their part, The Department of Ag are 100% behind the farms, in fact they promote them.

From what I was reading today, the MDA has lifted the quarantine on 11 facilities....Those are the only ones that have a 100% clean record and were able to be taken off no questions asked.


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## fairfax1

If this is true, as the poster posts: _"From what I was reading today, the MDA has lifted the quarantine on 11 facilities....Those are the only ones that have a 100% clean record and were able to be taken off no questions asked."_

That should quell the hysteria that one sees in some posts that the DNR/MDA is _"caving in to cervid money"._

11 out of what?...600? that's less than 2%.

No more than 2% have been cleared of the quarantine. The world is not coming to an end. 

There is a lynch mob mentality percolating through the hunting fraternity. Group-think that if one cervid guy is guilty...they are all guilty. And that the Dpt of Agriculture and the DNR are both beholden to 'monied-interests' within that tiny farming niche.

It's goofy. 

I sometimes think that the hobby of deer hunting is hazardous to mental health.


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## kristie

Whit1 said:


> You are correct in your thinking. The Ag department takes care of......sorta.........the game ranches/farms. The DNR takes care of the testing of animals.


MDA is in charge if disease testing surveillance of captive cervid facilities.
MDA also keeps all the records of the disease testing of animals tested at captive cervid facilities.

Kristie
MDNR
Wildlife Disease Lab.


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## Whit1

kristie said:


> MDA is in charge if disease testing surveillance of captive cervid facilities.
> MDA also keeps all the records of the disease testing of animals tested at captive cervid facilities.
> 
> Kristie
> MDNR
> Wildlife Disease Lab.


 
Thanks for the clarification/correction.


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## Ninja

So what, exactly, is the MDNR's role?


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## Kevin_D

Ninja said:


> So what, exactly, is the MDNR's role?


 

HHmmm, Maybe deer aren't a natural resource anymore since we are breeding and raising them as a cash crop? :yikes:


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## kristie

DNR checks facilities record keeping, fences, registration information, etc.
See the MDNR audit for more information. http://www.michigan.gov/documents/CPOCAuditReport_Final_118651_7.pdf
I'm now going back downstairs to keep cutting up free-ranging deer heads for CWD and TB testing.........


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## Ninja

Thanx....for the info and your dedication and hard work.


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## BigDog25

SOOO Can someone explain to me how the state gains ANY revenue from these private farms? I know someone somewhere is making money by holding hunts on their private ranch where the guests stay on the grounds and don't support the local economies. When you compare the fact that deer hunting generates 500 MILLION dollars annually for the state's economy, compared to a meere drop in the bucket from POC's, I think the MDNR and legislation need to step back and take a big look at how all this mess got started in 1990, where it has gone to and where it is going in the future.


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## Steve

How do we think that CWD made it's way to the private deer farm where it showed up in Michigan? I'm guessing that:

1. It didn't drop out of the sky and fall into this farm where it was found
2. The deer in the farm didn't catch it from a free ranging deer in the MI herd

Draw your own conclusions about what you think the future of these "deer farms" in MI should be.


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## e. fairbanks

We fish for planted fish in the great bodies of water that once teemed w/native species. We have shoots for pen raised birds. Deer farms are where we will shoot deer in the future. Change is the only constant.
Nothing stays the same except politics.


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