|
My last article on this site talked about
the elimination of deer check stations. I feel it’s necessary to expand on it. I
believe the call in is a great idea and it will save a lot of travel time and
aggravation for the hunter. In my last article I complained of having to spend
time playing secretary during important hunting time. Well I see now that that
won’t have to be done. The part of the tag with all the questions and the ruler
are removable from the tag itself, thereby allowing you to tag the deer and do
the paperwork after the day’s hunt. This I like. Two other things you may miss
is you no longer will know the actual age of your deer, nor get the deer pin
that has sort of become a collectible item to many hunters.
The part that really bothers me and the reason for the follow up is that the
taking of samples for CWD has apparently stopped. This is bad!! The DNR started
to take samples two years ago at check stations to keep track of where this
disease might be spreading. Also if your animal was sampled and found to have
the disease you were notified immediately. Hunters were more than happy to
cooperate for the sake of the deer herd and the health of the hunters. We pay
$15.00 for each permit. The money isn’t used to feed deer. It isn’t used to
stock deer, and now it isn’t used to man these stations all over the state. Then
I believe it should be used to keep sampling animals and tracking CWD in this
state.
This can be done by having different sites opened in certain areas where ‘x’
amount of hunters from every county, through their permit, should be mandated to
stop and give a sample from their animal for testing. It could even be at a site
near their home, as long as the county and area within the county, where the
deer was taken is shown when surrendering the sample. This will not take all the
manpower it used to, but for God’s sake don’t stop the sampling!!
Stopping of this practice could backfire by sportsmen not wanting to take the
deer they kill, because they just don’t know where this disease has spread.
Every bite of venison is going to make one wonder. It doesn’t have to be this
way. We deer hunters should demand the testing continue! We pay the freight for
the hunt. The DNR manages the hunt. It’s up to the DNR to continue sampling,
especially with all the money they now will save through the closing of check
stations.
Illinois is a great place to hunt deer. We have an excellent herd with excellent
numbers due to a Conservation management program through the Dept. of Natural
Resources who have done an excellent job. Please keep up the excellent job by
doing us one favor. For our sake and the herd’s sake go back to taking samples.
If you choose not to, I believe we should press our legislators in Springfield
to pass a law making it mandatory. One small step for the DNR and one giant step
towards protecting the deer and the Illinois sportsmen.
|
