Protecting Wisconsin's Hunting Heritage

Statement

Hi, Scott Walker here.

Hunting is a proud tradition here in Wisconsin -- it is part of our history, brings countless visitors every year to our state, and helps make us who we are.

Chronic Wasting Disease, or CWD, a serious disease affecting Wisconsin's deer, has recently threatened Wisconsin's hunting heritage.

So far, we've tested more than 193,000 deer, more than any other state.

We also created County Deer Advisory Councils in every county to give a voice to hunters, farmers, and foresters in their home area, so we can have a united front in managing the state's deer population. As a hunter myself, I appreciate the need to do all we can to combat CWD effectively.

Additionally, we are working in a bipartisan effort to help keep our hunters in the woods and protect the health of our deer population by investing in sound science, creating a rapid testing protocol, and establishing Best Management Practices for the deer farm industry.

Managing our natural resources and preserving our hunting heritage is a delicate balance. By working together, we are taking actions and we will continue to assess and update our state's CWD plan to make sure we are doing everything we can to contain and address this complicated disease.

Source