Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Executive Director Carter Smith joins TSCRA Talk host Kristen Brown to discuss Chronic Wasting Disease, or CWD. Smith shares the background on CWD being identified in the state of Texas and the monitoring taking place through both mandatory and voluntary testing. He says early detection and containment are vital to prevent the disease from being spread. With the value hunting brings to rural land, Smith says that it is important that landowners know that their wildlife are healthy.
Next, James Oliver, chair of Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association’s natural resources and wildlife committee, explains how the association has been involved in the Chronic Wasting Disease Taskforce with Texas Animal Health Commission and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. He emphasizes the financial impact that hunting brings to cattle operations and the importance of minimizing the effects of the disease.