Battle with Texas rancher ends, 249 'zombie deer' killed amid state's largest CWD outbreak
Wildlife officials in Texas have culled nearly 250 white-tailed deer, most infected with “zombie deer disease,” following a protracted conflict with a rancher. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) informed USA TODAY that state agents used rifles and pistols on Thursday to eliminate the deer suffering from chronic wasting disease (CWD), a highly contagious and fatal illness affecting deer.
The culling took place at the 1,500-acre RW Trophy Ranch in Terrell, approximately 33 miles east of Dallas. State officials described it as the largest known CWD outbreak Texas has ever experienced.
The ranch, located in Hunt County, is owned by Robert Williams, a veteran rancher of over 35 years, and his daughter, Maree Lou Williams. According to TPWD press officer Lerrin Johnson, the killings began during daylight and continued into the evening. After dark, the carcasses were transported to a biohazard waste dump in Waco, more than 100 miles away.
“This is a task we never take lightly and is always a last resort, but it has proven to be the most prudent and standard practice for managing prion diseases in wildlife,” TPWD stated.
In early 2022, Williams sued the state to prevent the eradication of his animals, which he had a permit to breed. He lost the case earlier this year. Under Texas law, individuals can obtain a permit to breed white-tailed deer, but the animals remain wild and cannot be legally owned.
What is Chronic Wasting Disease?
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a highly contagious, fatal disease affecting deer, moose, reindeer, and elk, as described by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There is no vaccine. CWD was first identified in a captive deer at a Colorado research facility in 1967, with the first wild deer case reported in 1981. As of early May, the U.S. Geological Survey reported CWD in deer across 34 states and five Canadian provinces.
Can Humans Contract Chronic Wasting Disease?
No human cases of CWD have been reported to date, according to the CDC. However, the CDC continues to investigate potential risks and advises against consuming meat from animals that test positive for the disease. Since 2012, TPWD has reported 795 CWD cases, the latest being a white-tailed deer on May 16.
“If CWD is not effectively contained and controlled, it could have serious consequences for Texas’s multi-billion-dollar ranching, hunting, wildlife management, and real estate economies,” TPWD stated.
A Years-Long Legal Battle
According to TPWD, one of the deer on Williams’ ranch contracted CWD in early 2021. As more deer tested positive, the state issued a kill order, which Williams contested. In January 2022, Williams, who had a permit to breed deer, filed a lawsuit against TPWD and the Texas Animal Health Commission to fight the depopulation order.
State attorneys argued that the lawsuit should be dismissed because, under Texas law, all white-tailed deer in the state, including those held by private breeders, are publicly owned. The Texas Supreme Court upheld the state’s decision, ruling that eradicating the deer did not violate Williams’ property rights.
RW Trophy Ranch Statistics
When CWD was first detected in March 2021, RW Trophy Ranch reported a herd of 637 deer. Since then, 352 deer have died and been tested for CWD, with 254 testing positive, yielding a 72% prevalence rate by May 28. Nearly 90% of samples collected this year tested positive or suspect positive, according to Johnson. RW Trophy Ranch was losing an average of 2% of its deer herd weekly. Additionally, 12 deer tested positive at release sites near or associated with the ranch.
Samples from the depopulation were still being processed at the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostics Laboratory, with results expected in several weeks.
Symptoms of Chronic Wasting Disease
Chronic wasting disease, often referred to as “zombie deer disease,” leads to the following symptoms in affected animals:
- Lack of coordination
- Weight loss
- Listlessness
- Drooling
- Stumbling
- Lack of fear of people
