PACKER TWP., Pa. – The Pennsylvania Game Commission said Wednesday a deer in Carbon County tested positive for a fatal neurological disease.
The deer, an adult male, was detected in Packer Township, according to a news release from the commission. The detection of Chronic Wasting Disease is the first in Carbon County and is more than 10 miles from any other confirmed CWD-positive deer, the game commission said.
The game commission says the deer was found dead by a landowner and was severely emaciated.
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An always-fatal neurological disease caused by a misfolded protein called a prion, CWD is a threat to deer and elk, according to the news release. It’s classified as a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy and is similar to scrapie in sheep, mad cow disease in cattle and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans. the game commission said.
The game commission says CWD spreads through direct animal-to-animal contact, as well as indirectly through prion-contaminated environments. CWD-infected deer shed prions through saliva, urine and feces, and infected carcasses contribute to environmental contamination, according to the news release.
Once in soil, the game commission says CWD prions remain infectious for decades. Therefore, feeding deer is strongly discouraged and is illegal within existing DMAs, according to the game commission.
There is no evidence of CWD infecting humans or other species under natural conditions, according to the game commission’s news release. However, much is still unknown about CWD, therefore the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends not eating the meat of a CWD-positive deer.
The commission says it will host an informational meeting to answer any questions from the public. It is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 27, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Penn State Hazleton, Graham Building Room 115, Parking Lot F. Penn State Hazleton Campus address is 76 University Drive, Hazleton PA 18202.
Isha Bhargava · CBC News · Posted: Feb 13, 2025 3:57 AM PST | Last Updated: 31 minutes ago
Kaitlin Strong stands in front of the field behind her house that’s part of their property in Belmont, south of London, Ont. Her German shepherds, Mary Jane and Hank, were apparently shot and killed there by coyote hunters. (Isha Bhargava/CBC)
Provincial police and Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) are investigating after a Central Elgin family’s two pet German shepherds were shot and killed on their property behind their home during a coyote hunt.
Kaitlin Strong and her husband said the violent deaths of Hank and Mary Jane have left them distraught and feeling unsafe in their neighbourhood.
“I personally feel unsafe in my home because as far as I’m concerned, this is not just a hunting accident — it’s a public safety issue,” said Strong, who lives on a two-hectare property in the village of Belmont, about 32 kilometres south of London.
“They’re firing near houses on land they shouldn’t be on and it’s not just a safety issue for pets and pet owners. It’s also a safety issue for the entire community.”
Strong is calling on police to increase patrols in the area during hunts and MNR to enforce harsher penalties for such incidents.
Strong said she let her dogs outside to play in the woods behind her house — an area that’s part of their property — Saturday afternoon and about 15 minutes later, she heard a gunshot. She said she immediately went outside and started calling for the dogs, which normally return home after hearing her voice.
Hank and Mary Jane were shot and killed Saturday afternoon in the Strong family’s backyard. Strong wants police to increase patrols in the area during hunts and the Ministry of Natural Resources to enforce harsher penalties. (Submitted by Kaitlin Strong)
An hour later, with no sign of Hank and Mary Jane, Strong went out to the bush behind her neighbour’s open field and tried to track their paw prints. She then discovered some fresh wet blood and drag marks on the snow, and assumed it had something to do with the gunshot.
“I wondered if someone had killed a deer or coyote and spooked my dogs in the process,” she said, adding that neighbours told her coyote hunting is permitted in the rural community on Saturdays.
“At this time, we presumed both animals were alive and at large, but upon closer inspection of the drag marks, I spotted a few pieces of dog hair that resembled Hank’s.”
Strong and her husband canvassed their entire neighbourhood in search of the dogs and eventually reported the matter to Elgin County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and MNR, who came to the scene and collected the blood and hair samples.
On Monday, ministry officials recovered the bodies of both dogs and returned them to Strong.
Strong said she was told one man has turned himself in to police and will face charges. Police didn’t confirm that to CBC News. OPP officials directed all questions to the ministry, and said there is no threat to public safety.
Permission needed to hunt on private land: province
The ministry declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation, but a spokesperson said penalties are determined by legislation and the current court system, adding they are enforced by conservation officers.
The province’s general regulations tab for party hunting urges hunters to obtain permission and obey signs that prohibit hunting. The website said not all land has signs and it’s an individual’s responsibility to ask for landowner consent before entering their property.
Hunters also can’t be on private property in a group of more than 12 people if they have a firearm or other hunting devices without permission from the person living there. Penalties include tickets with set fines, one year of imprisonment or a court-ordered cancellations or suspensions of hunting licences, according to the website.
The wooded field that backs onto the Strong family’s property south of London. She says this is where the dogs were likely shot and killed. (Isha Bhargava/CBC)
“We can never enjoy a walk through our bush again without being reminded of the horrible way in which our precious animals were taken from us,” said Strong. “It makes me feel powerless. I lost everything that day and there’s very little we can do about it.”
Strong said she has received an outpouring of support from hunting groups condemning the incident. Other pet owners in her neighbourhood are also fearful to let their animals out, she added.
“Our home is so quiet now. No more excited greetings at the front door after a long day of work, or cuddles on the couch with our babies. Our best friends and treasured family members were ripped from our lives so violently and suddenly that we will never be the same after this event.”
The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC) approved several amendments to the 2025-26 hunting regulation notices of intent (NOI) during its February meeting Thursday (Feb. 6) in New Orleans.
The notices of intent include proposed hunting season dates and regulation changes from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) for the upcoming hunting seasons and provide for a public comment period.
Among the amendments adopted Thursday:
To allow airboats on designated trails on Maurepas Swamp Wildlife Management Area (WMA);
Allow turkey hunting in East Carroll Parish from east of the main line levee to the Mississippi River;
Adjusting the dates for veterans only waterfowl hunt in the East Zone to Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 2026;
Language clarification on what types of sights are legal for archery hunting.
The Commission adopted notices of intent for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 hunting seasons, 2025-26 general and WMA hunting seasons and rules and regulations, 2026 general and WMA turkey hunting season and rules and regulations, and 2025-26 migratory bird hunting season and rules and regulations at its January meeting in Baton Rouge.
Public comment will be accepted through 4 p.m. on March 7, 2025. It will also be accepted at LWFC monthly meetings from now through March 6. Comments may be submitted directly to Dr. Jeffrey Duguay, LDWF Wildlife Division, P.O. Box 98000, Baton Rouge, LA. 70898-9000 or 225-765-2353 or by e-mail at jduguay@wlf.la.gov.
Exposing the Big Game 