FWC Tightens Deer Regulations Related To Chronic Wasting Disease, Including Import From Alabama

March 19, 2021

At a recent meeting, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved rule changes that prohibit importing or possessing whole carcasses or high-risk parts of deer from any place outside Florida. FWC is also dropping a provision that currently provides a broader exemption for deer imported from Alabama.

Under the approved rules that go into effect July 1, people may import into Florida: deboned meat; finished taxidermy mounts; antlers; hides; and skulls, skull caps and teeth if all soft tissue has been removed. In addition, the rules allow an exception for deer harvested from a property in Georgia or Alabama if such property is bisected by the Florida state line and is under the same ownership. However, the new rule amendments do not include the permit option allowed under a FWC executive order to import whole deer or high-risk parts from properties in Georgia or Alabama.

The FWC has been testing deer for CWD since 2002 and the disease has not been detected in Florida. This infectious disease of the brain and central nervous system is always fatal for members of the deer family and there’s no known cure or effective vaccine. Currently, there is no scientific evidence that CWD can be transmitted to humans.

The abnormal proteins or prions that cause CWD can be transmitted through direct animal-to-animal contact as well as indirectly through contact with the saliva, urine, feces, blood and carcass parts of an infected animal. It can even spread through soil. Leaving CWD infected carcasses or carcass parts on the land can contaminate the soil and the CWD prions are capable of infecting other deer for years.

Comments

4 Responses to “FWC Tightens Deer Regulations Related To Chronic Wasting Disease, Including Import From Alabama”

  1. Just Saying on March 22nd, 2021 9:10 am

    We can have all the rules and conservation measures you want as hunters and you still can’t control were a wild may or may not roam freely.

  2. Bird on March 20th, 2021 9:30 pm

    This is really unnecessary. Alabama , to date, hasn’t had the first case of CWD. Anywhere. This new rule is going to cause a big headache for anyone that takes a buck that they want to have mounted. It’s really gonna hurt our local taxidermists.

  3. Thomas Paine on March 20th, 2021 11:38 am

    @just sayin

    Well, guess we should do nothing then.

    The privilege of hunting is granted through proper conservation measures. The land will only continue to provide if we are good stewards.

  4. Just saying on March 19th, 2021 1:41 pm

    I guess the deer just don’t cross the Florida / Alabama line.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News, Sports, TOP sports