Proclamation Includes Hunting over Bait, Transportation Restrictions in Unit 3F2

Proclamation Includes Hunting over Bait, Transportation Restrictions in Unit 3F2

North Dakotans hunting big game in other states and provinces are familiar with chronic wasting disease and the proclamation established for transporting deer, elk and moose carcasses and carcass parts into the state. However, this year’s proclamation has additional safety measures for hunters within the state, specifically the area in southwestern North Dakota known as deer hunting unit 3F2.

Greg Link, assistant wildlife chief for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, said because a mule deer taken last fall in unit 3F2 tested positive for CWD, guidelines were established to prohibit hunting big game over bait in unit 3F2. Also included in the proclamation is carcass transportation guidelines for animals harvested within the unit.

“Unfortunately, a hunter-harvested deer tested positive for CWD in 2009, and this required the state to implement prevention measures within North Dakota as well,” Link said. “These measures are intended to reduce the likelihood of spreading CWD within North Dakota.”

This means hunters harvesting a big game animal in deer unit 3F2 cannot transport a carcass containing the head and spinal column outside of the unit unless it’s taken directly to a state-inspected meat processor. The head can be removed from the carcass and transported outside of the unit if it is to be submitted to a CWD surveillance drop-off location or a licensed taxidermist. Upon arrival at a drop-off location, paperwork will be available for transporting the meat to its final place of storage.

“A letter will be mailed to all hunters with a 3F2 deer gun license with additional details and instructions,” Link said. “Bowhunters hunting in unit 3F2 should contact the Game and Fish Department with any inquiries, including where to submit heads for CWD testing purposes. Drop-off locations for CWD testing during the deer gun season will be announced in late October.”

The second provision within North Dakota, consistent with South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks and Standing Rock Game and Fish Department regulations, prohibits hunting big game over bait in deer unit 3F2. Bait, in this case, includes grain, seed, mineral, salt, fruit, vegetable nut, hay or any other natural or manufactured food placed by an individual. Bait does not include agricultural practices, gardens, wildlife food plots, agricultural crops, livestock feeds, fruit or vegetables in their natural location such as apples on or under an apple tree, or unharvested food or vegetables in a garden.

As in the past, the proclamation still prohibits hunters from transporting into North Dakota the whole carcass, or certain carcass parts, of deer, elk, moose or other members of the cervid family from areas within states and provinces with documented occurrences of CWD in wild populations, or from farmed cervid operations within states and provinces that have had farmed cervids diagnosed with CWD. Only the following portions of the carcass can be transported:
The following game management units, equivalent wildlife management units, or counties have had free-ranging deer, moose or elk diagnosed with CWD, and importation of harvested elk, white-tailed deer, mule deer, moose or other cervids from these areas are restricted. In addition, the following states and provinces have had farmed deer, elk, moose or other cervids diagnosed with CWD, and importation of farmed deer, elk, moose and other cervid carcasses or their parts are restricted: Alberta, Colorado, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma, Saskatchewan, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Additional areas will be added as necessary and listed on the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, www.gf.nd.gov.

Because each state and province has its own set of rules and regulations, hunters should contact the state or province in which they will hunt to obtain more information.

Hunters with questions can contact the North Dakota Game and Fish Department at (701) 328-6300, or e-mail  ndgf@nd.gov.