Are they deploying the Deer Killer Army and the Security Forces to wipe out the population of deer in those counties b/c that seems like the only logical response.

Another Mississippi deer found in Marshall County just south of the two counties in Tennessee where the 13 were discovered.

http://mdwfp.com/media/news/wildlif...ll-county-mississippi-white-tailed-deer/

TWRA Commissioners held an emergency meeting today and among the things they approved was this:

Commissioners voted to extend the deer hunting season in Fayette, Hardeman and McNairy counties until January 31, 2019. There is an additional bag limit of one antlered deer and NO LIMIT on antlerless deer.

https://newschannel9.com/sports/outdoors/tennessee-deer-season-extended-in-cwd-high-risk-zone

"Wildlife Commissioner Tony Sanders said the extended season is not necessarily an effort to reduce the herd. TWRA primarily wants to obtain more deer to sample. He says the Agency will be placing freezers throughout the three counties area where hunters can drop off deer heads. Sanders said the Agency hopes obtain at least 300 additional samples per county."

I truly wonder whether this is something that has been around for a long, long time, but mainly undetected or not a problem. This is not to say that CWD isn't a problem. It may be. It's just that something else may be causing its increase or its spread and diagnosis.

As an example, if you wade fish rivers, you have probably heard of "rock snot" aka "didymo", formal name Didymosphenia geminate. It started taking over some watersheds years ago and folks went crazy blaming anglers for spreading an "invasive." Turns out it wasn't invasive. It was here all along. However, stream degradation and nearby land practices have been identified as a reason why didymo is now more of a problem than ever.

My point is that before we go blaming a bunch of hunters for spreading CWD, we ought to look at other causes of the spread.

To your first point, yes. It's been known about for 50 years.

To your rock snot comparison, I honestly believe we're going to see information at some point that will connect dots of travel routes, high fences, transport to high fences, and transport from other states known to have CWD.

My thoughts as well on the high fences. I guarantee you there are some nervous folks in that area who have brought deer in from out of state in the last several years. If that’s not the tie then it shouldn’t be all that hard to search other states databases for TN residents who bought tags there and follow up and see which house it come from. I imagine with as many as they have found that it will have happened 10+ years ago, but i bet the mount is still on the wall somewhere in that area that started it all.

Just saw where they found 3 mores cases and are extending the season in those counties.

Or buzzards and crows eat a carcass..fly 50 miles and take a dump. High fences could be to blame but I would think more hunters went out of state and may have brought back a deer from CWD area . I mean what do they do with the bones? what did the taxidermist do with the brain? where is the backbone? Did they bury it..or maybe threw it in a creek. Nobody knows