The position taken by Rep. Gunderson and Joint Committee for the Review of Administrative Rules (JCRAR) directly contradicts the majority of deer hunters in Wisconsin, as indicted by recent surveys that show a majority of deer hunters favor the baiting and feeding bans. In addition every deer hunting organization in the state supports the DNR on the baiting and feeding bans, as well as the DATCP, Conservation Congress Executive Board, and the Farm Bureau Federation.

"It seems the only group that agrees with Rep. Gunderson's position is Voices of Wisconsin (VOW), a well funded special interest group. It's not a difficult conclusion to draw that he was influenced by this group when he continues ignore every deer hunting organization in the state" says Wisconsin Deer Hunters Association (WDHA) president Mark Toso. "Rep. Gunderson's office indicted he met with VOW's lobbyist, yet he never bothered to consult us before he and the rest of JCRAR decided in a unprecedented and surprising move to order the DNR to develop an ineffective and completely unenforceable compromise. Rep. Gunderson, if you and JCRAR want to offer a compromise you should continue with the 3 year baiting and feeding moratorium supported by every deer hunting group in the state," says Toso.

Rep. Gunderson's assertion that "there is no clear evidence that chronic wasting disease (CWD) is transferred at the bait-pile" is completely false and is a disgrace to the DNR biologists who worked so hard putting the Environmental Impact Statement together. "It's a contagious disease, what part of that doesn't he understand?" says Toso. This issue is not just supported by the DNR, both the United States Department of Agriculture and the Canadian Government recognize that CWD is spread by these practices, as well as the overwhelming majority of wildlife biologists in the world. "If JCRAR lacks the technical ability to understand basic science then they have no business overruling the DNR. I've said it from the very beginning, politics, not biology is what manages deer in this state. If JCRAR is willing to sacrifice our deer herd in the name of politics, I say go ahead," says Toso. "The political repercussions will be staggering. They might as well eliminate the DNR while they are at it too. Why do we spend all this money paying them if their opinions are continuously dismissed? And what good does it do killing all these deer in the eradication zone if we are not going to do everything in our power to eliminate this dreaded disease?" he continues.

The WDHA is also offended by the insistences that CWD is the only issue. "What is JCRAR going to do when we find bovine TB or brucellosis in this state? Where is a state facing a 3 billion dollar deficit going to find the money to compensate the agriculture industry?" says Toso. This issue goes well beyond CWD, it is vital to protecting and maintaining the health and welfare of our deer herd. "It is the overriding goal of our group to make it abundantly clear to the public who's responsible for destroying our beloved deer herd. Right now it looks to be JCRAR," says Toso.

The WDHA also takes exception to Rep. Gunderson claim that our group doesn't understand the rule making process used by JCRAR. "We know full well that JCRAR cannot modify proposed rules. Thus the actions by JCRAR into ordering the DNR to do so was nothing more than unadulterated blackmail." responds Toso.

The WDHA believes that the state legislature works for everyone, not just special interest groups. Our mission is to expose the political meddling that is persistent in wildlife management in this state. " I don't expect the politicians in Madison will appreciate us exposing their dirty little tricks," concludes Toso.

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