If you're a hunter that enjoys traveling out of state to harvest animals such as white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, moose, caribou, fallow deer, axis deer, sika deer, red deer, and reindeer then you need to be aware of a new restriction from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. 

The cervid-carcass import ban approved last year will go into effect on Wednesday, March 1. That means that you may not bring many parts of those animals listed above back into Louisiana.

There are exceptions. According to a report by Todd Masson with NOLA.com and the Times-Picayune,

The exceptions are meat that is cut and wrapped, meat that has been boned out, quarters or other portions of meat with no part of the spinal column or head attached, antlers, clean skull plates with antlers, cleaned skulls without tissue attached, capes, tanned hides, finished taxidermy mounts and cleaned teeth.

The reasons for the import ban are preventative. The issue regulators are trying to protect our state and its wildlife from is called chronic wasting disease or CWD for short. The disease is 100% fatal for cervids that contract it. 21 other states, including neighboring Arkansas and Texas, have reported finding the disease. Currently, 35 states have a carcass importation ban. 

The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta says the risk for humans at this time is thought to be minimal. However, they do urge caution for anyone handling venison or deer that have been harvest from states where the disease has been identified.

 

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