chapotraphouse

Thats just what was sampled, comrade.

A total of 242 sampling locations were available throughout the state, including 166 self-sampling kiosks and 76 staffed sites. Disposal sites (154 in total), including dumpsters, landfills and transfer stations, were available for deer carcass waste.

I have to imagine they missed some. Quite a bit even. This sampling requires a voluntary interaction of some sort on the hunters part.

In Texas at least, the vast majority of CWD positives come from breeding farms/game ranches that sell cervids to other locations to hunt/increase their herds. Something like 80% of all positives come from game ranches or places w a high fenced boundary (game fence - you can tell a game breeding facility by their fences, typically 10-15' high when the surrounding properties will only have a couple strands of barbed wire 3-4' off the ground on some old salt cedar posts.) Its in 30 of the 254 counties in Texas as of early 2024 IIRC. It only took three years to get from the Hueco Mountains near El Paso, to Bexar County/San Antonio in the south of Texas. Three fucking years.

Being a Texan, even though i do not hunt, i know a lot of fellas who fancy themselves as hunters. A lot of them go on canned hunts, at the places most likely to see a CWD positive herd. The TPWD states that while the chance of crossover to humans is low it is also NOT ZERO.

How long did it take those unlucky sods who contracted CJD/mad cow to show Symptoms and then die? Its a literal waiting game. We have no clue how long it takes for the proteins to misfold to the point of symptoms showing in white tail and muleys, just that it averages around 40-50 months to die once symptoms show. Ive never cared for venison in any amount, and ive never fed it to my children, but i know plenty of avid hunters who do feed it to their kids, neighbors, etc. How long until little Timmy exhibits symptoms because Papa fed Timmy venison? Im not willing to roll the dice on that shit.