Wisconsin state wildlife officials are recruiting landowners in three counties to kill 14,000 to 15,000 whitetailed deer that may have been exposed to chronic wasting disease.
The disease, which causes animals to grow thin as it destroys their brains, hadn't been seen in deer east of the Mississippi River until it appeared in three shot in Wisconsin last fall and tested this year. A special hunt last month found 11 more infected deer out of 500 killed.
Wildlife officials are now working on an eradication plan.
To prevent the disease from spreading, landowners and sharpshooters will be used to kill every white-tailed deer in a 285-square-mile area of southern Wisconsin.
The state will begin issuing special permits to landowners next week allowing hunting out of season on private property. Department of Natural Resources sharpshooters will be used in Blue Mound State Park, a popular hiking and camping area. Some shooting could be done from helicopters.
"Until they get those deer out of there, everybody's going to have to be careful," said John Zimmel, village president of Mount Horeb, a town near where the infected deer were found.
The Natural Resources Board also is considering extending next fall's deer hunting season in the area, normally October and November, through January. It also hopes to test as many as 20,000 deer in 10 counties. The deer must be killed and their brains tested to determine if they are infected. Wisconsin has about 1.1 million deer, according to DNR figures.
Chronic wasting disease also has been found in wild or captive elk and deer in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Montana, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wyoming, Saskatchewan and Alberta.
Experts believe the disease is spread by animal-to-animal contact. There is no evidence that it can spread to humans.
Other states, including Tennessee are closely monitoring CWD. Although it has NOT been detected in the Volunteer State.
Colorado and Nebraska are considering similar eradication efforts in certain areas.