B&C Position Statement - Chronic Wasting Disease and Cervid Transport

Effective Date: December 7, 2018

Situational Overview

The Boone and Crockett Club, the nation’s oldest hunter-conservationist organization, previously released a position statementregarding its concerns with Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). The Club maintains that CWD poses a significant wildlife health problem that will prevent many populations of wild deer, elk and other cervids from thriving in the long-term. One particular aspect of the disease merits a further statement by the Club, which is how to address human-assisted transportation of live cervids that is now regarded as the greatest risk for CWD introduction.

Position

The Boone and Crockett Club supports the conclusions and recommendations of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies in Resolution #2018-02-07 and an associated document outlining Best Management Practices for Prevention, Surveillance, and Management of Chronic Wasting Disease (BMP). The Club joins AFWA in concluding the most effective way to prevent CWD introduction and establishment is to prohibit all human-assisted live cervid movements.

The Boone and Crockett Club encourages states to adopt AFWA’s Resolution in a manner that is appropriate for their own jurisdictions, and to support the Fish and Wildlife Health Committee in developing further science-based recommendations regarding the implementation of the practices described in the BMP document.