State officials are instituting new rules in response to the “chronic wasting disease” that kills white-tailed deer.Terry Little, a wildlife researcher for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says the new rule puts limits on moving “captive” whitetail deer into Iowa, and requires those who maintain herds of deer to test the animals. “Chronic wasting disease” is fatal to deer and elk, and the new rules address the fear that the disease could be passed from captive herds to animals that live in the wild. The Iowa Natural Resource Commission approved the new rule today and, in a signal of urgency, made it effective tomorrow. Many Iowa butcher shops have started to refuse to process deer out of fear of the disease. State officials tested 162 “road-kill” deer this summer and none tested positive for the disease.
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