Critter cams capture clean up crews at work and may track CWD

Not much goes to waste in the woods, and fallen deer — including those that die of chronic wasting disease — mean fine dining for a variety of animals. Who comes to the dinner table, and can some of these species get CWD by scavenging infected deer carcasses?

To help evaluate the possibility of interspecies transmission of CWD, Ph.D. student Cherrie Nolden runs game cameras overlooking deer carcasses she puts out at about two dozen sites throughout the CWD core area northwest of Mount Horeb. The motion-activated cameras catch clean up critters at work — scavengers and predators that reduce animal carcasses to scattered bones.

Nolden’s cameras identify which species eat deer carrion. (The carcasses she puts out are CWD-free.) Diners photographed so far include opossum, raccoon, skunk, white-footed mouse, dogs and cats, coyote, fox, gray squirrel and cottontail, along with hawks, vultures, a golden eagle and other birds. Working with area trappers, she is collecting wild mammals that scavenge deer carcasses, and having them tested for CWD and other diseases.

To view a sample of the pictures, scroll to the bottom of the page at http://wildlife.wisc.edu/coop/CWD/interspecies%20transmission.htm.

Nolden is pursuing a joint degree in veterinary science and wildlife ecology. She works with virologist Judd Aiken, animal health and biomedical sciences, and wildlife disease ecologist Mike Samuel, Wisconsin Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit. The U.S. Geological Survey is funding the research.