Two weeks ago scientists reported that the SARS-CoV-2 virus is spreading explosively in the whitetail deer population throughout the United States. Approximately 40% of the whitetail deer in the Northeast and Midwest (including my corner of Pennsylvania) have COVID-19 antibodies, suggesting that deer have been infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. I’ve received a lot of questions from local hunters (and their friends/partners) about COVID-safe hunting practices. I’ve also heard a lot of concern regarding COVID spread from deer to humans (and vice versa) or the development of a mutant deer variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Many people are saying “Oh, deer! Is hunting safe?”
To answer this question and provide you all with a comprehensive "Guide for Hunting Safely in a COVID World,” I had to phone a friend. You see — I’m a vegetarian epidemiologist.1 Meat, hunting, gutting, gut piles, butchering are not part of my reality. However, my sweet friend and colleague Dr. Rich Bowden, who is is an avid hunter, outdoorsman, and also a professor of environmental science and sustainability, agreed to co-write this guide with me. Rich states —
Pennsylvania rifle season is nearly upon us, just as we are planning our Thanksgiving Day dinners. It is time for hunters to get ready — sighting in our rifles, scoping out our spots, chatting with our buddies, getting our stuff together, reminiscing of past hunts and looking forward to this year’s hunt.
While we know that there is COVID in deer, Rich and I encourage all hunters to get outdoors throughout this hunting season. Tagging a deer (which is hunterspeak for successfully getting or harvesting a deer) is instrumental to the control of the deer population. It is also a healthy (and so I am told) tasty source of food. And being outdoors is essential to maintaining our mental and spiritual health. Rich’s advice —
Get outside!! Bond with your friends. Enjoy nature. Relax your mind. A successful day is being outdoors, even if you do not tag anything.
BUT… what about COVID?
COVID is a respiratory disease that is spread through droplets and aerosols that we breathe in. To avoid contracting COVID from a deer, our advice is simple —
No licking a deer’s nose
No kissing a deer
Do NOT let a deer sneeze in your face.
Truth be told —
The greatest disease concern for deer hunters is actually Lyme Disease.
The tick must be attached to your body for 24-26 hours to transfer enough bacteria into your body to make you ill. Ticks infect deer, and when you are in contact with your successfully killed deer, the ticks jump to you as a new host. Removing a tick immediately after being outdoors is the best way to prevent infection.
Many people think of Lyme as a summertime disease, but the ticks are still active throughout the hunting season. A few years ago, Rich was infected by a tick while cleaning a deer, despite wearing lots of hunting clothing on a cold day. Hunters should wear gloves and check themselves (all over — your hair, armpits, stomach area, groin) after any amount of time outdoors.
These ticks are insidious and tiny. If you see a rash developing where a tick had attached itself, or if you never saw a tick, but do see a strange rash, see your doctor. Lyme disease is easily treatable when caught early (a week or two of antibiotics). If you get chronic Lyme Disease, it is not fun. In fact, it can be very serious.
Think prevention, then detection.
We also know that Chronic Wasting Disease has been found in Pennsylvania deer (note: no cases have been reported in deer in either Erie or Crawford County). It is unclear if chronic wasting disease can be passed from deer to humans; however, to be safe if you see a deer acting really funny or it looks sick (excessively skinny), do NOT even consider tagging it. Avoid that deer, take a picture if you can, and contact the Game Commission (GC) to report the animal. If you DID tag it, then leave it where it is and contact the GC.
Despite the fact that the Covid pandemic is far from over — the benefits of getting out and hunting this year far outweigh the risks of contracting COVID from a deer.
Get out into the woods. Check for ticks. Do NOT tag an animal that looks sick.
If you are planning to hunt, please be sure to follow primary firearm safety rules. While using a firearm, be sure to be S.M.A.R.T. (as the PA GC cleverly tells us) —
Safe direction: keep your firearm pointed in a safe direction at all times
Make sure: positively identify your target
Always check: know what’s beyond your target before shooting
Respect firearms: treat all firearms as if they are loaded
Trigger caution: don’t touch the trigger until you are ready to shoot
Never shoot at a moving deer if you are not absolutely sure that the background is safe.
Accidental firearms deaths during hunting season are NOT accidental.
Every single one is preventable.
To ensure your personal safety, plan your hunt. Let someone know where you are hunting and when you plan to return home. And you should be familiar with your hunting area. Learn how to use a map, compass, or GPS unit. Carry a basic survival kit. Rich likes to carry enough food, water, clothing, and supplies so he can survive the night if needed. Remember - hunting is hard work. Hunters should be physically fit before heading out into the woods. If you have ANY health issues, see your doctor before going afield.
While you are in the woods, be seen. Wear or display the required amount of fluorescent orange clothing. Something like this is appropriate —
And finally, please consider using copper bullets. Lead bullet fragments end up in the deer guts. Eagles and other birds of prey eat the lead-contaminated guts, and this can cause lead poisoning in the birds. If you insist on using lead bullets (ballistics tests indicate that copper is just as good, but we recognize that people have their preferences), bury your gut piles.
It is our hope that hunters (and nonhunters, too) are able to get outside in the coming weeks. In the midst of a pandemic where stress, fear, and chaos are abundant, time in nature — surrounded by trees, breathing fresh air, admiring the beauty of our natural world — is the type of therapy we all need. The benefits of being outdoors are well documented professionally and by the numerous stories that hunters tell us. Bob Schoenfeldt, a long-time hunter, President of the Crawford County Sportsman’s Council, and organizer of the Crawford County Youth Conservation Camp, relayed to us the importance of ethical & safe hunting as well as being outdoors.
“‘Ethical behavior is doing the right thing when no one else is watching—even when doing the wrong thing is legal.’ Being an ethical hunter preserves our opportunity to enjoy our sport. I find hunting a healing and relaxing experience. Because ethics generally govern behavior that affects public opinion of hunters, ethical behavior ensures that hunters are welcome and hunting areas of private property stay open to us. Be safe and smart – not just pertaining to firearm safety and knowledge of the firearm, but use responsible behavior, be knowledgeable of the species you’re hunting and become involved in environmental stewardship and the conservation of our natural resources. With Lyme Disease, chronic wasting disease, and now possible COVID issues, use good sanitary practices when field dressing a deer.”
Hunters, be safe. No licking deer this year to prevent the spread of COVID. Hope you get that huge buck you have been dreaming about for years!
xoxo,
Becky, your (vegetarian) epidemiologist mama
and Rich, experienced hunter and forest ecologist
When people hear that I don’t eat meat, they always ask, “What do you eat?” Happy to share that in a future post — but I will say that my decision to eat a vegetarian diet is tied to the fact that my sweet husband is the best chef ever and he has been a vegetarian for ~25 years. In our nearly 20 years together, I have not missed meat AT ALL because he does the majority of the meal planning and cooking in our house. We will be eating celery shrimp as our main course on Thanksgiving. Maybe I’ll have him write a guest post about vegetarianism and menu planning one day…