North Dakota BHA Podcast

On this episode Brock sits down with Wyoming Veterinarian Dr. Samantha Allen to discuss "Lucky" the elk and a recent study that she published focusing on Lucky and CWD. Lucky represents the only known animal to be exposed to CWD and not contract the disease. Dr. Allen also discusses genetics, differences between elk and deer, EHD, and the challenges with disease management. 

On this episode Wisconsin landowner Doug Duren and hunter Paul Annear sit down with Brock to discuss a brief history of CWD and the deer herd in Wisconsin. Doug and Paul both have first hand experience dealing with CWD in Wisconsin near the heart of the original outbreak zone. From watching CWD encroach towards their land, seeing end-stage deer in the field and on their trail cameras, and the gradient of population impacts in SW Wisconsin, they share their perspective as a hunter and landowner who live with CWD.

In this episode James, Dave, Jeremy, and Brock discuss the intricacies of ice cream, the annual gun raffle and why James is so excited about it, and give a half time update on all ten bills the Chapter has engaged on as North Dakota's 69th legislative assembly enters crossover.

In this episode Brock talks to Dr. Jason Bartz, they discusses the history and biology of prions, the prion hypothesis and the science that has solidified the field, CWD pathology and how each CWD test works, and the caveats with each. Dr. Bartz has been studying prions for over 25 years and has published over 80 research papers on prions and prion diseases in animals and humans. He is a Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Creighton University, and holds a Doctorate of Microbiology and Immunology, a Masters in Neuroscience, and a PhD in Veterinary Sciences. 

On this episode Brock sits down with dedicated volunteers Jason Babinchak and Rhett Hall of ND Tracking Dogs. They discuss how they got started, the ins and outs of blood tracking, the dogs, and the recovery of wounded animals. Resources discussed: https://www.facebook.com/ndtrackingdoggroup/ https://www.gettrakr.com/ https://www.unitedbloodtrackers.org/  

BHA's Western Region Policy Coordinator Bryan Jones sits down with Brock to discuss Colorado's Proposition 127. Donate: https://wildlifedeservebetter.com/ Gift a BHA Membership to someone in Colorado! Coloradan's for Responsible Wildlife Management Lion Heart the Film by Blood Origins Dr. Mike Miller's CWD Predation study - "Lions and Prions and Deer Demise"

Dr. Kevin Monteith might be one of the most well known big game biologists in the west. As leader of the Monteith Shop, a research group housed under the University of Wyoming, his research focuses on integrating nutrition, population, and quantitative ecology to understand behavior, resource allocation, and life history of ungulates.  On this episode he sits down with Brock to discuss the catastrophic winter of 2023, feeding deer, deer migrations, old dry does, deer nutrition as it relates to body mass and antler size. Music by: The Denby Forest

Brock sits down with Dr. Jenn Ballard to discuss an ongoing CWD research project in Arkansas. See graphs discussed in episode on show notes located here. https://www.backcountryhunters.org/north_dakota_bha_podcast_episode_8 Music by: The Denby Forest

For part 2 of 2, Brock and Dr. Ruder discuss HD's impacts on multiple species, cactus bucks and late season velvet, the expansion of HD in the U.S., how culicoides make a living and its role in the HD cycle, conditions for an outbreak and the recipe for disaster, enzootic stability, research funding, an EHD vaccine, the fact that white-tailed deer have thrived in the face of EHD, and the future of hemorrhagic disease.

On the 1st of a 2 part series, Brock sits down with Dr. Mark Ruder.  Mark specializes in free-ranging wildlife population health, with an emphasis in pathology.  On this episode they talk about vertical transmission of CWD, the caveats of CWD testing with RT-Quic, defining hemorrhagic disease (HD), it's effects on an animal, immunity, genetics, the culicoides and different strains of HD, and livestock.