The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has rescheduled public hearings in Mandeville and Lafayette to discuss a proposed cervid carcass importation ban. The Mandeville meeting will be held Aug. 29 and the Lafayette public hearing Aug. 30.
 
The ban was proposed to assist in preventing the introduction of chronic wasting disease (CWD) into Louisiana’s white-tailed deer population.
 
Here is the complete meeting schedule:
 
Aug. 24 at LDWF Minden Field Office, 9961 Hwy. 80, Minden, 6:30 p.m.,
 
Aug. 25 at Woodworth Outdoor Education Center, 661 Robinson Bridge Road, Woodworth, 6:30 p.m.,
 
Aug. 29 at St. Tammany Parish Council Chambers, 21490 Koop Dr., Mandeville, 7 p.m.,
 
Aug. 30 at USGS National Wetlands Research Center, 700 Cajundome Blvd., Lafayette, 6:30 p.m.
 
An importation ban on carcasses of cervids harvested out-of-state was proposed by LDWF during the July LWFC meeting and is in the public comment period. The ban defines a cervid as animals of the family Cervidae, including but not limited to white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, moose, caribou, fallow deer, axis deer, sika deer, red deer and reindeer. 
 
The proposed ban would prohibit the importation of cervid carcasses except for deboned meat, antlers, clean skull plates with antlers, cleaned skulls without tissue attached, capes, tanned hides, finished taxidermy mounts and cleaned cervid teeth.
 
This proposed ban is strictly for the purpose of reducing the likelihood that CWD will enter Louisiana through carcass importation. Approved parts and deboned meat from other states must contain a possession tag with the hunter’s name, out-of-state license number (if required), address, species, date and location (county and state) of harvest.  Each state has different possession requirements for game once processed.
To view the full notice of intent, please visit http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/action-items.
 
Public comment can be submitted in writing by mail to: Johnathan Bordelon, LDWF Wildlife Division, P.O. Box 98000, Baton Rouge, LA 70898-9000, or via email to jbordelon@wlf.la.gov until 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 26, 2016.
 
For more information, contact Bordelon at 225-765-2344.