A bill that would reclassify as livestock all deer on Iowa breeding farms and hunting preserves has touched off a debate over how best to monitor and control the potential spread of a deadly brain disease that has affected wild deer herds in other states. The bill, which awaits Gov. Tom Vilsack`s signature, would remove regulation of captive deer from the state Department of Natural Resources and turn it over to Iowa Department of Agriculture officials. The agriculture department would be responsible for monitoring the deer for chronic wasting disease.
Read Original at: Des Moines Register