Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry Hunters who take deer in Disease Management Area 5 are encouraged to deposit the animals' heads in a deer head collection bin like this one at the PennDOT shed on Conewango Avenue Extension just north of Hatch Run.

It’s a grisly job, but somebody has to do it.

Due to the finding of deer positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Warren County, there are measures in place to evaluate the situation and prevent the spread.

There are deer head collection bins set up in Warren County.

Hunters who kill a deer in the county’s disease management area (DMA 5) can go to any of those bins, bag the head of the deer, and drop it in the bin.

“The Pennsylvania Game Commission has provided head collection bins though out DMAs for successful hunters to submit their deer for CWD testing,” Game Warden Eric McBride said.

“There are currently eight head collection bins within DMA 5 in Warren County, the bins were placed strategically to allow for the convenience of hunters throughout the DMA,” McBride said. “Successful hunters are encouraged to use bags provided at the head collection bins and to double bag the head of the deer and place it in the bin with the harvest tag attached to the deer’s ear.”

Someone has to process the heads.

“The commission has hired two wildlife biologist aids to tend the head collection bins within DMA 5,” he said. “These bio aids collect the heads daily, traveling to each bin Monday through Friday. After the heads are collected the bio aids take the heads to their work area, the deer are then aged by looking at the deer’s teeth.”

The CWD testing is done on lymph nodes. “After that the lymph nodes are collected from the head, they are sent to a lab in Philadelphia for the testing,” McBride said. “The turn-around time on the tests is about one to two weeks depending on how many samples are being sent at one time.”

The heads in the bins aren’t the only ones being tested. “The biologist aids are also picking up roadkill deer within DMA 5,” McBride said. “These roadkills are being tested the same way that hunter harvest deer are being tested.”

“Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a neurological disease caused by abnormal prions or proteins,” McBride said. “This disease affects members of the cervid family including white-tailed deer and elk. The abnormal proteins are passed from deer to deer contact as well as through the environment through saliva, urine, and feces. An infected deer may not show signs or symptoms of the disease for 18-24 months however all deer that contract CWD die.”

DMA 5 was created this year when a CWD-positive deer was found in the area.

“When a CWD positive deer is found in Pennsylvania, a Disease Management Area (DMA) is created,” McBride said. “Currently there are five DMAs across PA, DMA 2, DMA 3, DMA 4, DMA 5 and DMA 6. DMA 5 is 212 square miles completely within Warren County.”

“Within the DMAs there are regulations in place to help control the spread of CWD,” he said. “These regulations include the removal of any high-risk parts of the cervid, use or process cervid urine-based attractants, directly or indirectly feed wild, free ranging deer and rehabilitate wild, free ranging deer.”

If there are no positive samples for five years, the DMA will be eliminated.

The game commission is aware that giving up the head of the deer isn’t always ideal.

“If a hunter harvests an antlered deer and wishes to keep the antlers, they may cut the antlers and/ or skull cap from the head and put the rest of the head in the bin,” McBride said. “Hunters who wish to have a deer mounted may take the animal to a taxidermist within the DMA or a taxidermist outside of the DMA who has been approved by the Game Commission to accept high risk parts. In some cases a taxidermist may be able to pull a CWD sample for testing.”

The game commission is not discouraging people from hunting in the DMA. The more people who take deer there, the more information the commission can get.

Putting a deer head in a box is not mandatory, but it helps the game commission in its efforts to evaluate CWD conditions and prevent its spread.

“It helps us in the fact that we are trying to test as many as possible,” McBride said.

And, knowing a deer has CWD gives the hunter the option not to eat it.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends caution.

“To date, there is no strong evidence for the occurrence of CWD in people, and it is not known if people can get infected with CWD prions,” according to a release. Still, “if your animal tests positive for CWD, do not eat meat from that animal.”