Do I Need to Mask-Up and Social Distance from the DEER This Hunting Season Too?

​By Dan Rhodes, Education Coordinator, BCCD
 
Since big game rifle season for white-tailed deer opened on November 27th across Pennsylvania, nearly 900,000 PA hunters have taken to the woods to try and harvest a monster buck or replenish their freezer’s supply of organic, healthy, venison meat. Unfortunately, within the last few weeks or months, media reports have also surfaced claiming that hunters coming in close contact with wild white-tailed deer may also have an elevated risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus if the deer themselves are infected. 

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​As a result of these reports and concerns, the PA Game Commission has had to create an informational section on their website titled ‘Wild white-tailed deer and COVID-19’ where they have summarized the most recent scientific data from a joint USDA/Cornell University study conducted in May 2021 that sought to illustrate the real relationships between humans, deer and COVID infection risks. In that study, researchers discovered the following facts:

1. White-tailed deer can indeed become infected with SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) within a laboratory setting.
2. White tailed deer can shed the COVID 19 virus via nasal secretions into their environment and spread the virus to other deer. 
3. COVID-19 infected deer are generally asymptomatic, as the virus typically induces little to no major physical symptoms that would significantly affect the overall health or survival rates of white-tailed deer as a species.
4. Laboratory findings applied equally to real world wildlife populations. Roughly 40% of the more than 600 wild deer blood samples collected from four US states over the past year have revealed that white tail deer have naturally acquired COVID-19 antibodies due to current or past COVID 19 infections.

This all being said, before you go digging out your camo colored N95 mask to hit the deer woods this hunting season, one of the bright spots of the study found that the risk of COVID infected deer passing the virus back to humans is VERY LOW. So low in fact, that PGC states ‘There is currently no evidence to indicate that deer can spread SARS-CoV-2 to humans.’ Additionally, there is no evidence to suggest any possibility of contracting COVID 19 from the consumption of cooked deer venison, regardless of whether the animal was COVID negative or positive at the time of harvest.
Unfortunately, finding real reasons for concern in today’s world does not usually seem to be a very difficult job, but thankfully, at least for now, catching COVID-19 from a white-tailed deer does not appear to be one of them! Here’s hoping you have a happy and safe 2021/2022 hunting season!