Chronic Wasting = Mad Cow?

Editor:

The Missouri Department of Conservation has a “Tiger by The Tail” and don’t know what to do with it. They act like the little boy who is walking past the graveyard and is whistling to himself in order to keep his courage up and hope everything will be all right.

Chronic Wasting Disease is the same as Mad Cow Disease, in my opinion, and settles in the brain of the infected animal and will infect humans who consume the animal in the same manner as Mad Cow Disease did although the MDC will not admit this fact. This disease is infecting the white tail deer herd and each year they are seeing it expand farther and farther in the state. Hunters in St. Clair County have received notice the disease has been found in their county and all deer killed must be checked into a testing station to see if they are infected.

The white tail deer herd is such a money maker for the MDC as well as the state of Missouri that they are willing to play Russian Roulette with the health of people for the all mighty dollar. This could have been stopped in its tracks if Missouri had followed the lead of the state of Colorado and stopped all businesses who were raising pen fed deer with diets that were enhanced to grow massive antlers on deer.

As much as I enjoy venison I will not chance eating something that will affect my health and I will not go to a Chili Feed where there is a chance that infected venison was used in the chili. This is something that each of us will have to decide for themselves and that is my decision for myself.

My feelings and ideas as to the relationship of Chronic Wasting Disease and Mad Cow Disease are my own and have come to me from people much more knowledgeable than I am as to the two and are persons that I trust much more than I do the Missouri Department of Conservation. How others decide this issue is up to them.

Bud Olinger

El Dorado Springs