September 14, 2022, 09:42

Published by : Archives des nouvelles relatives à Forêts, Faune et Parcs

Agriculture, environment and natural resources
Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share by email Share on Linkedin

Are you going to hunt white-tailed deer or moose this fall in southern Outaouais, southern Laurentides or western Montérégie? New requirements are in force in 2022. Here are some scenarios to help you better understand the current surveillance and control measures for chronic wasting disease (CWD) in these areas.

White-tailed deer standing in a field.
White-tailed deer. © Frédérick Lelièvre.

Efforts are maintained to avoid transmission of the disease in the natural environment and its spread elsewhere in Québec. As of the 2022 season, registration is mandatory at designated stations for all white-tailed deer. Mandatory sampling and restrictions on the transportation of cervid anatomical parts remain in effect.

Your collaboration is essential to maintain a low deer density and obtain a sufficient number of samples for an efficient surveillance within a 45 km radius from where the CWD was detected in 2018.

The following scenarios illustrate some offences to the regulations in force in 2022. These examples will give you a better understanding of the different intervention areas and the measures associated with them.

Situation 1 - Transportation restriction in the 45 km radius

During the hunting season, Catherine shot a white-tailed deer fawn behind her cottage in Boileau, Outaouais. Catherine held a antlerless deer licence for hunting zone 10 East-ESA, which she then affixed to the animal. She went to the registration station Sports N.P. Enr. in Saint-André-Avellin to register her animal. Catherine then went to a butcher shop near her home, in Boisbriand, to have her game butchered.

Map that shows the boundaries of areas and measures associated with chronic wasting disease in cervids. Catherine’s movements from the hunting site to the registration station and butcher shop are identified.

Catherine’s movement from the hunting site (1) to the registration station (2) and butcher shop (3) in Boisbriand (fictitious location).

Commited offence

By going to her butcher shop in Boisbriand, Catherine transported the entire carcass of her game outside the 45 km radius transportation restriction area.

However, when a white-tailed deer or moose is shot in this area, certain anatomical parts, such as the head and spine, must not be taken out of the transportation restriction area. These restrictions apply to all cervids, whether young or adult. This regulation applies even if the game has been analysed for CWD and the result has been negative. Indeed, the test for CWD usually fails to detect the disease if the animal has been infected for less than a year. For this reason, no samples are collected on young cervids of the year, because they are less than a year old. Transporting certain anatomical parts of the animal could still spread the disease. To comply with the regulations, Catherine would have had to go to a butcher inside the 45 km transportationrestriction area. The meat prepared by the butcher could then have been legally transported to Boisbriand.

Respected regulation

Catherine complied with the regulations in two areas:

1) She went to a designated registration station to register her deer (fawn), even though no CWD sampling is required for cervids under 12 months of age. The requirement to register all white-tailed deer, regardless of age, at a designated station is a new requirement in effect in 2022 within the 45 km radius.

2) She used her antlerless deer hunting licence for zone 10 East-ESA in the portion of the enhanced surveillance area included in Zone 10 East and not outside the ESA. 

Situation 2 – Registration and mandatory sampling in a designated station

Marianne shot an adult male white-tailed deer in Saint-André-d’Argenteuil, Laurentides, in hunting zone 8 North. She registers it online. Then, she makes her way to the Boucherie du Gros, also located in Saint-André-d'Argenteuil, to have the meat prepared.

Map that shows the boundaries of areas and measures associated with chronic wasting disease in cervids. Marianne’s movements from the hunting site to the butcher shop are identified.

Marianne's movement from the hunting site (1) to the butcher shop (2).

Committed offence

Marianne did not go to a designated registration station to register her deer and to have her game sampled as part of CWD surveillance.

In 2022, all hunters who shoot a white-tailed deer (fawn or adult) within the 45 km radius are required to go to a designated registration station to register their game. Online registration is no longer allowed for these animals. In addition, CWD must be collected from deer over 12 months of age. These measures aim to reduce the risk of CWD spread and ensure an adequate level of surveillance.

Marianne must comply with the regulations associated with the surveillance and control of CWD. She shot her deer within the 45 km radius. She should have gone to the registration station at Halte Routière Pétroles Bélisle in Brownsburg-Chatham to register her deer and have samples collected. 

Respected regulation

Marianne complied with the regulations by having her game butchered at a butcher shop within the 45 km radius. Note that taxidermy must also be done within the 45 km radius.

Situation 3 – Using an antlerless deer licence in zones 9 west-ESA and 10 east-ESA

Charles-Étienne has won an antlerless deer licence for Zone 9 West-ESA in the random draw. He lives in Saint-Adolphe-d'Howard, in the Laurentides region, and hunts in the mountains on his land. On the last day of the hunting season, he shoots an adult female white-tailed deer. Charles-Étienne registers his game at the Dépanneur Telmosse registration station in Mont-Tremblant. He then goes to Ste-Agathe-des-Monts to have his deer butchered by Débitage des Laurentides. Later, he brings his packaged meat home.

Map that shows the boundaries of areas and measures associated with chronic wasting disease in cervids. Charles-Étienne’s movements from the hunting site to the registration station and butcher shop are identified.

Charles-Étienne’s movement from the hunting site (1) to the registration station (2) and butcher shop (3).

Committed offence

Charles-Étienne used his 9 West-ESA antlerless deer licence outside the enhanced surveillance area.

However, as indicated on the licence, this type of licence is valid only in the portion of hunting zone 9 West that is included in the ESA. Charles-Étienne should have entered the draw for an antlerless deer licence in hunting zone 9 West “outside the ESA”, as his hunting site is located outside the ESA.

Respected regulation

Having shot a deer within the 45 km radius of where CWD was detected in 2018, Charles-Étienne made sure to register it at a designated registration station.

Considering that his game is an adult deer, he had the samples taken for CWD surveillance. It should be noted that hunters who harvest an animal in this area are allowed to go directly to the Débitage des Laurentides butcher shop, even though the latter is slightly outside the 45 km transportation restriction area.

For all the information on chronic wasting disease in cervids surveillance and control operations, refer to our webpage.

Hunters, obey the law: it’s your responsibility!

Learn more

About the organization

Archives des nouvelles relatives à Forêts, Faune et Parcs

Subscriptions

Last update: September 14, 2022