Chronic Wasting Disease in Deer

[CitrusHigh]

I'd like to hear what our savvy members have to say about Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in deer. I live here in minnesota/wisconsin and can get about all the deer heads I want because noone uses them. But some of these animals, if not all will have been eating grains, GMO's to be certain. At first I was pretty excited about the possibility of abundant brains, but now after some thought I'm not so sure. I don't fear parasites at all. Nor any other microbe or "pathogen" I've got enough years of RAF under my belt that I have seen that those are not issues to be concerned by. However I know very little about prions except that they rot brain really well! And I don't know where they fit in with our way of life.

So if someone with knowledge on the subject will chime in that would be most helpful. I'd like to know what they think causes CWD, how, if possible, to determine whether an animal has it, what regions of the US are most affected and if they think it's safe to consume these brains raw or at all. Also please label speculation as such, and evidence based conjecture the same, hard fact can be labeled also. Thanks!

*EDIT: I did a little research in the interim and looks like even mainstream sources say that it's unlikely that it's transmissible to humans from deer. They still recommend not to eat brains, eyes, lymphs etc, but what do they know..haha jk

Also it looks like this abnormal or mutated protein, known as a prion, teaches other tissue to mutate or otherwise malfunction, but since we support our bodies with the raw materials it needs to run properly I speculate that it wouldn't be an issue for us anyway. But that is conjecture and I have no idea if that's accurate!

Anway, I'm going to eat those brains, I'll let you know in a couple of years if anything becomes of it! haha

[ys]

I avoid all deer in all of lower Wisconsin.  That's one of the reasons why I would never hunt there even though it is closer to me.  I am instead looking at UP Michigan.  About 5h driving there are places where there are no farms nearby and I would think deers there are much better quality and no CWD.  Avoid farmed areas, they all grow GM corn that deer is feeding on and spray with fertilizer and pesticides.

And Wisconsin hunting laws suck big time.  Michigan laws are more relaxed but suck as well.

I think there are moose in Minnesota.  Try to get one and it'll last long time.

[TylerDurden]

The reason for the rise of CJD and other prion-related diseases in cattle is simple:-  cows are now mostly grainfed so are very unhealthy, as well as being severely inbred(due to artificial insemination practices), so they are more prone to disease. Farms in regions which feed their cattle on grass are immune to such problems - New Zealand, for example, hasn't had a case of CJD at all in its farms.

As for wildlife, I doubt it's transmittable. But then, while I've been eating raw wild game and innards for many years now, I have to admitn though,  I have never been sold the brain as well(the wild animals get shot in the head you see, so the head is always taken off prior to sale).

[Inger]

CH,
I just know that here in Finland they count Lamb brains like hazardous-waste.
I tried to get some but impossible. I wonder why.
The only way to know maybe, is to try it out. The problem is it takes maybe so long before you will know.
Sad is, that the game eats from the fields... you gotta hunt somewhere where is  no agriculture. Maybe north?

Inger

[zeno]

Wow. After doing a little research about prions I now understand this crazy fear of prion infections in the U.S.

I have no experience to offer, but logically speaking, nutrition builds the entire body. I would be afraid to eat any part of any animal having fed on GMOs--whether it be the brain of a deer or the muscle of a cow.