What the National Deer Association Got Wrong: 7 Reasons Genetics Can Solve CWD
This is a direct response to the article posted by the National Deer Association on May 21 and can be found here entitled “Genetically Modified Deer Won’t Stop CWD. Here are 7 Reasons Why”.
I’d like to go through and provide counter-points to all seven of their reasons, because we certainly don’t agree on the points they tried to make.
More Infection, Not Less
Their point: They cite one study saying that deer with the 96S gene get infected but live 8 months longer.
My response: We can’t generalize an entire initiative based one study with one gene. There are other alleles besides 96S, including 226K that have shown actual “resistance” to contracting the disease. Multiple studies have shown that deer with the K allele can be in the same proximity as CWD-positive deer and not contract the disease. It’s Less Infection, not more.
96S Deer Have Other Undesireable Traits
Their point: Deer with this gene are less fit for survival in the wild.
My response: How so? Can you be specific about what these deer lack that make them not fit for wilderness survival? They say “probably for good reason”. I’d prefer we don’t deal in “probably”s when preventing information as fact. Additionally, why the fixation on only the 96S gene? Are you unaware that there are other resistant alleles that we know of, with more likely to be discovered as we continue this line of research? Like 16G, 95H, and 226K?
A Risky Diversion of Research Funding
Their point: Deer breeders could get research funds that could be better utilized elsewhere
My response: Tens of millions of dollars of grant money and public funds are getting poured into CWD response every year, and for the most part they continue to go toward the same tired old approaches that ARE NOT working. But let’s just keep pouring money into them anyway? That doesn’t make sense. Here we have some innovative new research that’s showing very positive preliminary results. Is it “unproven”? Sure, I’ll grant you that it’s not a rock-solid bulletproof 25-year old tried and true method. It’s new and it’s early. But it’s also promising, and seems to me like a great place to invest.
That being said, it’s not even happening. This fear is purely hypothetical. It’s the deer farming community spending their own time and money with no external help to try and solve this problem. To date deer farms have received very very little funding (or any type of real support) from the DNR or any agency that’s handing out money. And yet look at the progress we’ve made toward potential solutions to CWD.
Liberated Deer Could Introduce CWD
Their point: Releasing captive deer into the wild could spread CWD if CWD-positive deer are released
My response: Every deer that dies on a deer breeding facility gets tested for CWD. These deer are only coming from facilities that have never had a positive CWD case in their history. Add to that that these are deer that are specifically bred for CWD-resistance. Compared to a random deer you’d pick out of the forest, the risk of one of these deer spreading CWD is lower.
Liberated Deer Won’t Change Wild Deer Genetics Anyway
Their point: It won’t work. The deer population is too big to make a difference. Releasing a small number of deer can’t change the genetics of a population.
My response: I think this is the most reasonable point. It’s definitely a long game. It will not be easy. The genetics of a herd won’t change overnight. It would take a lot to move the needle on a macroeconomic scale. It can be done though. It took decades, but we successfully bred scrapie (a prion disease in sheep similar to WCD) out of sheep through selective breeding.
I’d also add that even if we concede that this is unreasonably difficult to do in a state-wide herd, that doesn’t mean its effectiveness is zero. I’m a trapper and I may not be able to control all the predators in the tri-county area, but I think I do a pretty good job of getting rid of them on my hunting property. Similarly, I may not be able to affect the genetics of the deer herd in the state, but I can affect the herd of my property. When I put out mineral blocks, it doesn’t increase the nutritional intake of the statewide herd, but I think it helps my local deer. And I think better genetics could do the same.
Resistance is Likely Only Temporary
Their point: There will likely be new strains of CWD developed that resistant deer are susceptible to.
My response: Maybe. I suppose your guess is as good as mine. As long as we’re developing theories on genetic adaptation, how about I pose a related theory - that more CWD-resistant gene strains in deer will be developed, and there’ll be even more genotypes that are CWD resistant.
The Scientific Work is Untested
Their point: This idea is based on a single hypothetical study done through artificial intelligence. It hasn’t actually been tried in animals.
My response: This is actually just wrong. Many breeding facilities have conducted formal multi-year studies showing that CWD resistance is real, including us here at Wide & High Whitetails. It’s early stage, but it’s not hypothetical. This has been tested on deer and is showing CWD-resistance in results.
Learn the basics of what we’re doing here to breed CWD resistant deer at Wide & High Whitetails.