RANCHING Wildlife
to hold each other accountable, so that we may have a tenable and defensible position to the non-hunting public. Hunting is important to rural and urban Texas from a historical, cultural and economic standpoint; therefore, it deserves an open and thorough discussion. In the 2011 82nd Legislative Session, 8 bills related
to deer issues were introduced. One proposal allowed for microchips to be used as the sole identifi cation for liberated breeder deer, thus removing the requirement for visible external identifi cation. Another allowed for the privatization of captive breeder deer, transferring ownership from the Texas public to private individuals. Others allowed the commercial sale of native game
venison and modifi ed the captive deer breeder permit process. The fi nal proposal provided Deer Management Per-
mits (DMP) for mule deer, which allows wild mule deer to be trapped and cycled through breeding pens with a preferred buck (wild or pen-raised) for an extended period of time before release back into the wild. TWA opposed and testifi ed against all bills except
the fi nal amended mule deer DMP bill, which was the only one to pass and become law. It should be noted that the DMP bill called for a
scientifi c study conducted by TPWD before issuing permits. Since that time, funding has yet to be identi- fi ed and chronic wasting disease has been discovered in far West Texas, resulting in no mule deer DMP per- mits being issued to date. In the 2013 83rd Legislative Session, 12 bills related
to deer issues were introduced. The microchip identifi - cation bills, commercial sale of venison bill, and deer breeder permit review bills were all reintroduced. New proposals transferred regulatory oversight from TPWD to the Texas Animal Health Commission, extended captive deer breeder permit renewals from 1 year to 5, forced TPWD to issue mule deer DMP permits, autho- rized a study of human health hazards from consump- tion of venison with residues from off-label veterinary medications (more than 50 identifi ed) used in captive deer breeding, and increased the minimum amount of time from when a captive breeder deer is released to when it may be hunted from 10 days to 60 days. TWA supported the increased minimum release
time bill, the meat study bill, and the fi nal amended permit review bill. TWA opposed and testifi ed against all of the other bills. Only the amended permit review bill passed and became law. Safeguards are needed to protect wildlife resources and the hunting industry, for ourselves and future
70 The Cattleman January 2015
generations. In the spirit of compromise and self- governance, TWA is pursuing legislative solutions to protect human health, animal welfare, Texas hunting heritage and the deer breeding industry itself. The most important issue is the “10-day rule”, which
essentially requires captive deer to be released a mini- mum of 10 days before the hunting season begins if they are to be hunted. The concept originated in 1933 legislation that gov-
erned whitetail deer restocking efforts across Texas. Populations were severely depressed by drought and market hunting at that time. Today, plentiful deer populations, high fencing, broad
pharmaceutical use and intense management practices have rendered the original spirit of the rule obsolete. A “put and take” business model is now actively prac- ticed where bucks are released just prior to the 10-day mark, then harvested shortly after the season opens. So, current law allows for a buck raised in a pen from birth until maturity to be released and shot 11 days later. Allow that to soak in — 11 days. Captive deer need adequate time to “rewild” before
being hunted to avoid the perception and reality that these deer are tame. Ethical standards of fair chase are needed to curb
canned hunts and negative public perception. There are also potential human health issues, be-
cause off-label veterinary medications are administered to captive deer in many breeder operations. Withdrawal times for deer are unknown, but known livestock withdrawal times for these drugs far exceed 11 days. TSCRA members certainly understand the lengths
to which beef cattle producers must go to monitor drug administration and withdrawal times. The 10-day rule is the only regulatory control to address this issue with captive deer breeding. A deer that has had drugs ad- ministered, and that is harvested in less than adequate time to eliminate drug residues, puts the consumer of that venison at risk of illness or worse. The consumer of that venison could be the hunter, their family, friends, a ranch hand or a food bank recipient. Without regulations to extend the time between
release and harvest, these practices and the associated negative perception and health risks will continue. TWA believes the best solution from a biological
standpoint, and one that solves the fair chase, animal welfare and human health concerns, is to require that release of breeder deer occur only in the spring. This pro- vides adequate time for “rewilding” and pharmaceutical withdrawal before the hunting season opens in the fall.
thecattlemanmagazine.com
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