A new case of chronic wasting disease was diagnosed in an Independence County buck, according to a news release from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
The disease affects animals’ nervous systems, leading them to lose weight, lose their appetite and develop an insatiable thirst, according to the release. Eventually the disease leads neural cells to stop functioning.
Certain counties in Arkansas are in a management zone for the disease and face restrictions on feeding, baiting and hunting animals.
Independence County is not in the zone, and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission said that will not change for the remainder of the hunting season.
“Changing the regulations mid-season would not be fair to hunters,” Jenn Ballard, state wildlife veterinarian for the commission, said.
The disease was first detected in Arkansas in February 2016, and since then, 770 deer and elk have tested positive for the disease. Bucks are more likely to carry the disease than does, according to the commission.
Hunters wishing to test their deer may take the an animal's head with at least six inches of neck still attached to one of the commission’s participating taxidermists who will provide the service for free.
There are also testing sites around the state where heads may be dropped off, including a new one in Oil Trough, close to where the recently diagnosed deer was found.
Landowners near Oil Trough who want to help monitor the deer population can contact the commission.
Infected animals walk in repetitive patterns, hold their heads low, salivate, frequently urinate and grind their teeth, according to the commission. Sick animals may not immediately show symptoms, though, because the disease can have an incubation period of at least 16 months.