Elk in Jackson County?
Contributors to this thread:West Virginia
From: TexasAggie
23-Oct-17
Saw pics of this bull from two different friends in the Ravenswood area. No, I don't think we are reintroducing elk in Jackson County. That's a red stag, and it is escaped from a captive deer farm in Jackson Co. WVBA fought these deer farms for years, preaching that escapes were the worst case scenario. Well, here you go. CWD will raise its ugly head elsewhere in our state in the coming years, and we will have crap like this to thank for it.
From: Babysaph
23-Oct-17
Are they legal to hunt? I don't see anything in the regs about Red Stags. LOL I bet he is dead by now. He would be in Pendleton County
From: Little Bear
23-Oct-17
Little Bear's Link
No they are not legal to hunt unless you pay to hunt them behind a fence of a "farm" owner who has a class 2 license hunting preserve. If they escaped only Dept. of Ag or DNR law enforcement can dispatch. From what I read, it was recaptured and put back in the pen. Will it be tested by Dept. of Ag for CWD since it could have come into contact with whitetails while escaped? Hard to see if it has an ear tag...will Dept. of Ag know they are testing the one that escaped? Was Ag even notified as the "rules" require??? Our legislators told us they would make certain Dept. of Agriculture would be on top of these situations - are they??? Where is the outcry from sportsmen and sportswomen? CWD is the biggest threat to the whitetail deer population since unregulated hunting (poaching) was occurring. The spread of this disease could require mass eradication like was done in Wisconsin a few years ago. I hunt in Jackson County and would hate to see that happen and to the surrounding counties.
From: Babysaph
23-Oct-17
I agree. But I think there was an outcry about having the Dept of Ag take over these farms. I don't think the hunters had much say in the deal. We have CWD in our county and surrounding counties where I hunt.
From: Jim Casto Jr
23-Oct-17
I "think" the only testing that can be done for CWD is at the base of the brain and cervical area spinal cord and fluids from samples collected during necropsy. So... they're going to have the kill the critter anyway? I wonder if WV is like other states in that the owner will be reimbursed for the loss.
From: Little Bear
23-Oct-17
By rules the owner is to be responsible for all fees for testing and not reimbursed for loss. Why should they be reimbursed for allowing one of their animals to escape? What would preclude them from opening the gate wide open so they could get tax payer reimbursements? Section 61-34-12 12.4
From: Babysaph
24-Oct-17
if it wonders too far over this way it will get killed. ")
