DNR says lockers will still process deer meat

Some Iowa deer hunters claim they won’t hunt this season because they’d heard many meat lockers won’t process venison due to fears about chronic wasting disease, or C-W-D. Dale Garner is coordinator of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’s C-W-D program. Garner says a phone survey was done to 161 meat lockers across Iowa.He says 123 said they would be accepting venison and 30 more are seasonal processors that haven’t yet been contacted. Garner says there have been -no- cases of C-W-D found in any of Iowa’s deer and the fears are unfounded according to what scientists are saying.C-W-D has been found in deer in several surrounding states, including South Dakota, Nebraska and Wisconsin and in elk in Minnesota. Garner says there’s no human health risk from C-W-D and many people are overreacting to rumors. He hopes hunters -do- return to the forests and fields. He says if people don’t hunt, you could have a larger deer population, bringing more crop damage and more deer/vehicle accidents. The names, addresses and telephone numbers of meat processors accepting deer are posted on the DNR’s website at www.state.ia.us/wildlife.