The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department and Texas Animal Health Commission in partnership with Texas A&M Agrilife Extension are providing a free training to landowners, managers, taxidermists, veterinarians, and others interested in collecting CWD tissues for testing under TAHC’s Certified CWD Postmortem Sample Collector training program.
This will be a classroom format as well as hands on training for CWD postmortem sample collection. Trained individuals will then be able to collect CWD samples necessary to meet CWD testing requirements for TAHC’s Herd Certification Program and for TPWD deer breeder facilities, deer breeder release sites, and other TPWD deer management permits including the Trap Transport and Transplant (TTT) or the Trap, Transport, and Process (TTP) permits. Certified collectors may also collect samples from hunter-harvested CWD susceptible species (white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, red deer, sika deer, and their hybrids) on their property and provide those samples to TPWD to help meet statewide CWD surveillance goals.
Pre-registration is required and space is limited to the first 50 participants. Details for the training follow:
Date: Wednesday, December 7, 2016
Time: 9 AM – 12 PM
Location: Zapata County Community Center
605 N US Hwy 83
Zapata, TX 78076
Lunch and snacks will be provided
Please contact Zar Rodriguez at (956) 765-9820; Zar.Rodriguez@ag.tamu.edu to sign up for the training. The training is provided at no cost to the participant.
For general questions concerning the training, contact any of the following individuals
- Dr. Susan Culp (TAHC) at (512) 568-7701; susan.culp@tahc.texas.gov
- Dr. Bob Dittmar (TPWD) at (830) 896-9045; bob.dittmar@tpwd.texas.gov
- Dr. John Tomacek (AgriLife) at (325) 657-7311; john.tomecek@ag.tamu.edu
Your participation in this program and sampling of susceptible species is essential to Texas achieving its CWD management strategies and surveillance goals. Thank you for your interest and participation.