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Agency warns baiting increases CWD transmission risk; commission to hear baiting rule tomorrow
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Summary
Assistant chief Mark McBride told commissioners that baiting concentrates deer, increasing direct and environmental transmission of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), and recommended maintaining bans inside the CWD management zone; the agency emphasized the complexity of aligning baiting rules outside the zone and flagged potential impacts on hunter sampling.
Mark McBride, assistant chief of game species, gave a technical presentation to the commission on Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), baiting, and the agency’s CWD management zone.
McBride reviewed prion biology and transmission pathways, emphasizing that CWD is caused by a misfolded protein (a prion), is fatal, has no vaccine or treatment, and can persist in the environment for decades. He explained that baiting concentrates animals and raises both direct contact and environmental transmission risks, and cited research and examples from other states showing that feeders can become reservoirs for prions and increase disease prevalence over time. "CWD is 100 percent fatal," he said in describing the disease's severity.
The agency recommended continuing a ban on baiting and feeding inside the existing CWD management zone and described that zone as a simpler regulatory mechanism introduced in 2023 to reduce complexity for hunters and maintain sampling cooperation. Staff warned that if baiting is allowed outside the CWD zone but banned inside it, hunters and processors could face confusion about where baiting and carcass movement are lawful. Staff also expressed concern that hunters outside the zone might stop submitting samples if they fear a positive detection will remove baiting privileges in their counties.
Commissioners raised political and practical concerns — including outreach to West Tennessee legislators and how to balance hunter acceptance with disease prevention — and emphasized the long time horizon for disease impacts. Agency staff said they have met with legislators and will brief commissioners before the rule hearing; the baiting rule hearing was scheduled for the next day.
Next steps: baiting rule hearing and vote scheduled for the agency meeting tomorrow; agency will continue outreach to legislators and stakeholders.
