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Originally Posted by Sledhead71
This is a great debate and I do enjoy this discussion... But facts are facts and I will go backwards and restate that the infection rate from Sask to Alberta, where one province allows artificial baiting, and the other dose not, confirmed infection rates are near identical.
So truthfully the common practices of ranching and farming are as well near identical, so as the habits of the ungulates in both provinces, where then does one assume artifical baiting does increase or add to the problem ?
Looking at all the data published, similar habits of humans and ungulates in these neighboring provinces, artificial baiting certainly has NOT been proven to increase the transmission of CWD... I would expect to see at least a 10% greater increase in the data from Sask due to artificial baiting, but you don't....
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If what you say about infection rates is documented as you portray, there are a few things to consider. CWD is relatively new in Alberta and Saskatchewan...new enough that a trend can't be established as to infection rates. Saskatchewan did a massive cull much earlier than Alberta. I could be wrong but I ddon't think that Saskatchewan's CWD monitoring program is as comprehensive as ours so I'm not sure that you can really make the statement you are...without a lot of caveats.
I'd be interested in seeing your reference to the infection rates in both provinces....I haven't seen it.