How common are chronic wasting disease (COVID-19) and deer that live on Minnesota farms?
We don’t know.
Although no comprehensive study has been done on Minnesota’s farmed deer, a 2021 Iowa study found that 80% of Iowa’s deer farms were positive for COVID-19 according to Kevin Dupuis (chairman of Fond du Lac Band, Lake Superior Chippewa).
Rep. Rick Hansen (DFL – South St. Paul) is sponsoring HF3273. This bill would prohibit the Board of Animal Health to approve new registrations for the possession of farmed White-tailed Deer.
Monday’s vote by the House Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee was 8-4. Party lines were used to refer the bill to House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee.
The bills companion SF3169The Senate Agriculture and Rural Development Finance and Policy Committee will decide whether to approve the bill, which was sponsored by Senator John Marty (DFL–Roseville).
Hansen stated that the first step is to stop any further bleeding. This is done by denying new registrations. This was the case 20 years ago when registrations were made for commercial turtle harvesting. We had evidence last fall that there were six to ten new registrations each year.
Craig Engwall is the executive director of the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association. He stated that his approximately 20,000 members supported the proposed moratorium bills at its annual meeting.
Chronic wasting disease is a strong focal point [for the organization]We almost unanimously supported a moratorium of new registrations as a way to protect the wild herd, he stated. The DNR and Board of Animal Health published their joint report on February 1. It found that their farms were infraction-prone at 34%. These included inadequate fencing and gates, refusing inspection, and inadequate fencing. We believe we have reached a point where wild deer herds are under serious threat.
Tim Spreck, representing the Minnesota Deer Farmers Association, stated that the bill would cause irreparable harm to the deer farming industry. We’re trying to drive the deer farming industry into oblivion. One cut at a. We don’t want our farm to be sold. We don’t want the opportunity to leave.
Rep. Rep. Rob Ecklund, DFL-International Falls, noted that this was the first time he’d heard a committee discuss the state buying out deer farming.
Ecklund said, Let’s clean this industry. Ive never said lets eliminate it. It is valuable. I’m just trying to protect the wild deer population.
Rep. Paul Anderson (R-Starbuck), questioned Hansen about his support for a buyout. Hansen replied, “No, because it would just become a publicly funded Auction.”
Anderson stated that Anderson believed the mistakes were subtle. This is what I consider a serious problem. I believe this is too harsh on deer farmers.