A bill making its way through the state legislature would make Oklahoma the only state in the nation to allow the release of captive, game-farm deer into the wild under state law.  

House Bill 3270 would allow captive deer with certain genetic “resistance” to be released into wild populations and would transfer authority to sell permits to private landowners wanting to stock game farm deer from the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) to the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF). 

“Releasing captive white-tailed deer to intentionally comingle with wild deer presents significant risks to wildlife management, disease control and the long-term health of Oklahoma’s deer herd,” according to a coalition of conservation and sportsmen organizations lead by the National Deer Association and including the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. “At the very least, decisions about such a consequential program must remain grounded in science and led by the state’s professional wildlife managers.” 

The bill’s original language creates a pilot program for deer with the SS allele at codon 96 under the premise that they are genetically “resistant” to chronic wasting disease (CWD).  

Dr. Jennifer Malmberg, project leader for CWD research for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said during the April 6 Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission meeting, “Taking all studies into consideration, 96SS deer are not resistant to CWD. They still get the disease and that is a really important point to make.” Studies also show deer with the SS allele die from the disease. 

“The unintended consequences could be devastating to our thriving deer herd," said ODWC chief of wildlife Bill Dinkines. “Based on what we heard from some of the nation’s leading CWD experts, the release of captive white-tailed deer into free-ranging populations for the purpose of CWD prevention or management is not justified and is not worth the risk.”  

Dr. Mark Ruder, director of the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, said in the April 6 Wildlife Commission meeting, “There is no scientific justification for the release of farmed white-tailed deer into free-ranging populations for the purpose of CWD prevention or management.” 

The potential risks of releasing captive deer include: 

• Unintentional release of CWD(+) deer into the wild. 

• The introduction of novel diseases into the wild, including emergence of novel CWD strains. 

• Increased susceptibility to existing and more common threats like blue tongue and EHD (epizootic hemorrhagic disease). 

• Disruption of established herd dynamics and the creation of genetic weakness. Stocking additional deer into areas that are near or at carrying capacity could lead to additional agricultural depredation, deer/vehicle collisions and potential liability for those who have sold or released the deer. 

• It could alter deer density and resource selection. 

Hunt 2 Conserve strongly agrees with the ODWC, commissioners and concerned conservation and sportsmen groups by opposing the release of captive animals into the wild. 

Click here to read the full Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation news release. 

About Hunt 2 Conserve 

Hunt 2 Conserve is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization affiliated with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Its mission is to advance a legacy of hunting and conservation by educating, activating and developing stewards and defenders of these fundamentally American ideals. For more information, go to hunt2conserve.org. 

(Photo credit: Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation)