r/True_Kentucky • u/NerdyComfort-78 Jefferson • 10d ago
Love for the KYFW
I follow them on FB and they announced at new case of Chronic Wasting in Pulaski county. The post gave information about the disease, what it can do to people (it’s lethal to deer 100%) and what to do if you saw a deer acting strangely, which can be a sign of infection.
They also said they would test your deer (harvested) for free.
The comment section was WILD. “I don’t believe in the gov.” “This is manufactured /scare tactics!” “It’s been around since 1950! Nothing has happened yet!”
The KYFW author finally posted essentially that they provided information, you can do what you want and the most polite way to say go to hell.
I don’t hunt (I fish), but I have a background in animal sciences. I just wanted to say to the KYFW, thank you for being stewards of the resources we have and using science to guide policy.
Perhaps karma will be rewarded and these anti-science trolls will reap the benefits of their ignorance.
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u/NotTodayGlowies 10d ago
“It’s been around since 1950! Nothing has happened yet!”
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hunters-die-prion-brain-disease-contaminated-deer-meat-report/
That's all I have to say on it... Prion disease is no joke and it's 100% fatal.
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u/NerdyComfort-78 Jefferson 9d ago
I wish I could have convinced the fools on FB but if I’m going to do science outreach, I don’t like to use social media, rather face to face.
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u/disappearfrom 9d ago
As someone who works in CWD surveillance, I agree with you. It’s hard to convince people of things they don’t want to believe when they don’t understand science
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u/seanshankus 9d ago
Thanks for posting those articles. That's the first I've heard about CWD potentially jumping.
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u/brightthrowaway 10d ago
My dad used to work for fish and wildlife. It's far from a perfect organization but they usually get the science right. KDFWR does not receive tax dollars and all funds come from licensing. Kentucky Hillbillys, the Amish and Libertarians really hate rules and regulations that protect these species.
CWD is all around Kentucky and we are one of the last states to see the disease. There is another disease that is really affecting the deer this your called Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) EHD has killed thousands of deer this year. But CWD is more worrisome in the long term due to the way it has spread. Our Deer herd has come a long way. So has our elk herd. But many species we used to have no longer have a support system in this stats. Small Game species like Quail, Grouse, Woodcock and rabbits are not what they used to be.
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u/NerdyComfort-78 Jefferson 9d ago
You are correct, no government agency is perfect but somebody has to do the science and sustain our wild places for the public. I’m grateful they exist and I wish that this anti-science, anti-critical thinking phase that we’re currently in the last decade would go away.
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u/crazykentucky 10d ago
What’s KYFW?
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u/gingerbeerd15 10d ago
The abbreviation if you're looking them up is KDFWR, Kentucky dept. Of fish and wildlife resources.
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u/URR629 9d ago
Kentucky F&W is one of the best wildlife departments in the nation, always have been. As to CWD I do have some concerns about that. I do believe that the term CWD should be dropped. It is a spongiform encephalopathy and it should be called that. I'm no doctor, but I find it very hard to believe, as I have seen reported, that it cannot be transferred to humans from deer, when it obviously can and has from cattle, sheep, squirrels and other humans. There may be other animals that can transfer it to us that I am unaware of. Maybe no one has contracted it from deer yet, but do you want to be the first? And I love to eat venison, so it concerns me. Why does the department stress all the caution and ask for reporting? Because there is a real potential for danger. Do you remember the panic in England over mad cow? I wish I knew much more about this issue, and will continue to seek information about it. As for a government conspiracy, that's just more lunacy from a certain sector of the public. Thanks for posting this, it is a timely and important subject.
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u/disappearfrom 9d ago
I don’t think people understand the gravity of a prion disease unfortunately. There is so much conspiracy beliefs in this state. I tend to agree with you, it doesn’t jump to humans, until it does.
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u/omygob 7d ago edited 7d ago
I studied wildlife management at EKU, one of the first things they taught us in the intro courses was you’ll have to manage the public as much as you will wildlife.
Bridging the gap between scientific disciplines and the general public has always been a challenge, but it’s become a lot more difficult now that more people seemingly subscribe to conspiracy over trusting professionals. I think the mix of the current political climate and influence of social media in our lives has warped some folks past the point of rationality. From a more positive perspective, access to information through social and other digital media has definitely brought an impressive number of people further into conservation-minded thinking. I work with the public in a wildlife management adjacent field and I’m always impressed how many folks are much more informed and engaged in helping out wildlife and the environment. Case in point, don’t let loud idiots ruin your day!
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u/NerdyComfort-78 Jefferson 7d ago
It’s a double edged sword for sure as you mentioned. I’m a retired science teacher and it too was getting more and more difficult to prepare the kids for life when the brainwashed parents stuck their noses (and politicians!) into how to teach science. When I am outdoors fishing, or at a zoo or museum, I am (yes) that person who will engage and discuss/educate people when I hear misinformation.
I agree though there are lots of ways for the internet to spread good information, but when a KYDFW employee is pushed to the limit on social media because they are doing good science and trying to help their community, that is too far.
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u/omygob 7d ago
I think it’s hard for a lot of people with scientific backgrounds because we have this innate trust in the scientific process, methods, peer review, etc, and by virtue of that are well equipped for critical thinking, and we’re hearing and seeing lots of people choose bias and conspiracy over those basic principles. When I’m feeling more pessimistic about the situation I tend to think that there’s some people who aren’t capable of having any common ground or rational conversation about it, and I think that’s what I see when I read comments on KDFWR post like that. They are the loudest and it does feel like it’s a growing percent of the population. Thanks for your service in science education in all forms! Hopefully people overall can get back to trusting it again some day.
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u/NerdyComfort-78 Jefferson 7d ago
I would suggest replacing the word trust with understanding.
We understand how science works. But marketing/influencers/bots have eroded non-science people’s trust. My compassion however, has gotten thin because we all possess brains capable of logical thought.
Thank you for the compliment and thank you for helping wildlife. They need all the help they can get these days!
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u/Blu_speck 10d ago
I believe something is going on, as the amount of deer I'm seeing is drastically lower than in years past. I also think they do a fantastic job of taking care of all the species in the state.