CWD travelling Red Deer River corridor | DrumhellerMail
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Growing Kneehill events in the works

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Hussar plans centennial project, proposes elevator

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RCMP meet with Kneehill County to discuss crime

Drumheller Staff Sergeant Robert Harms was one of four RCMP members who met with Kneehill County council at the Tuesday, March 12, Committee of the Whole Meeting.The Three Hills, Olds, Beiseker and Drumheller detachments gave a presentation to council members… Read More
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Starland engages with community on economic development strategy

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Jurassic Jamboree attempting dino-sized record

Get ready to stomp, roar, and make history as Travel Drumheller presents the Jurassic Jamboree, an exciting event set to attempt to break the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the Largest gathering of people dressed as dinosaurs. On April 27, 2024, Downtown… Read More
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Wheatland Councillor has sanctions overturned

Sanctions against a Wheatland County Councillor were overturned after a court challenge.Division Six Councillor Glenn Koester was sanctioned by Wheatland Council in April of 2022. The details of the sanction were held in-camera, however, the Mail reported he… Read More

CWD travelling Red Deer River corridor

    The problem of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in deer in Alberta is getting closer to home.     This season there were 19 deer identified among more than 5,000 hunter–killed deer tested in Alberta. Four of these were discovered along the Red Deer River near Dinosaur Provincial Park. They are the furthest west cases discovered yet.
    Alberta Fish and Wildlife officer Byron Jensen said these discoveries are close to the southern border of Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) 160, which comes up to Drumheller.
    CWD is a prion disease that infects members of the deer family, and is always fatal. While there is no risk to livestock or humans, once it is established it is difficult to control.
    In 2005, the first case of CWD in wild mule deer was discovered near Acadia Valley. The province stepped up its surveillance, and through culls and hunter cooperation, began testing killed animals along the Alberta-Saskatchewan border. Hunters in the area were required to submit the heads of their prey to be tested and coordinates as to where it was killed.    Jensen said it has been established that the Red Deer River is a movement corridor for deer and the disease.
    “It is known that one of the infected areas is the Red Deer River area, and it only makes sense it is going to keep working its way down the river, and now the furthest west are the Dinosaur Park positives,” said Jensen.
    He said this year’s numbers mimic previous seasons when Fish and Wildlife were doing active hunts, a practice they have forgone about three years ago for distributing more tags to hunters. This indicates the numbers may be rising.
    He says monitoring is taking place in the CWD Zones including WMU 152, which borders WMU 160. The Red Deer River passes between the two zones at the Finnegan Ferry. In these areas head submission is mandatory.
    “As the crow flies from where those last positives were found, you are 40 miles from the Finnegan Ferry,” said Jensen.
    “It is possible that the hunter head submission may be required in WMUs further west, which includes 160. We’ll see in the next year or two if that becomes a reality.”
    He said the best way to manage the disease is to manage the populations. However even if they thin the populations, transmission can occur, especially in the cooler months.
    Jensen said in a prairie region, most of the habitat coverage is in the river valley, and in the winter, deer tend to congregate where there is shelter. As the populations crowd, the risk of transmission rises.
    “The deer are fairly well dispersed in the summer, but once winter rolls around the deer head to the Red Deer River Valley,” said Jensen.
    The harshness of the past winter, however, may have a positive effect on controlling the populations.
    “Maybe this bad winter will cull out the sick and injured deer like it typically does, and maybe it will cause a lot of the CWD infested deer to die,” said Jensen. “At the end of the day nature might be the best bet as opposed to hunters (culling them).”

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Drumheller Flying Club resurrected

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The Drumheller Flying Club met on Wednesday, 13 March to resurrect the club. In total, they had a list of 24 interested members and 16 members in attendance last week.The…

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Obituaries

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