With about a month before the deer bow hunting season opens, the DNR's Alan Crossley says they have to proceed as if one point seven million in CWD fighting money will get cut.
Crossley says that's a sixty percent cut and choices have to be made. He says the choices weren't easy.
Choices such as no more sharpshooters to thin out the herd. No more testing of deer for hunters out side the CWD eradication zones and no more paying to test and store deer for food pantries.
It costs the state as much as two hundred dollars a deer to store, test and process a deer for a pantry. And while the program encouraged hunters to harvest more deer and helped people who need food, Crossley says they just can't afford to continue it assuming the budget cut stays in the budget.
The DNR has always promoted shooting as many deer as possible as a way to prevent the spread of CWD. Crossley says without that money hunters will have to do it on their own.
