AUSTIN – The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) reminds hunters in South Texas of additional requirements for handling white-tailed deer, nilgai, antelope, black buck, axis deer, and other exotic cervids harvested in a fever tick quarantine zone.
“Hunters play a critical role in helping to ensure fever ticks are not transported to unaffected areas,” said Dr. Andy Schwartz, TAHC Executive Director and State Veterinarian. “We want to remind those harvesting animals in a fever tick quarantine area to have animals inspected and treated. This process is quick, simple and protects Texas from the further spread of fever ticks.”
Landowners, lessees, hunters or other individuals who plan to harvest, move, or capture native or exotic free-ranging animals located on a quarantined premises must have the animals inspected and treated by a TAHC or U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) representative before removing the carcasses, hides, capes or animals from the premises.
Portions of Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, Webb, Willacy and Zapata counties have established fever tick quarantines.
“Fever tick quarantine zones are in place to prevent the inadvertent spread of ticks on animals,“ said Dr. Angela Lackie, TAHC Assistant Executive Director of Animal Health Programs. “To be issued a permit for movement from a quarantined premises, hunters will need to call the representative for their county to inspect and treat hides, capes, and/or animals presented.”
To learn more about fever tick wildlife inspections, visit https://www.tahc.texas.
The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) was established in 1893 as the Livestock Sanitary Commission and charged with protecting the state’s domestic animals “from all contagious or infectious diseases of a malignant character.” TAHC remains true to this charge while evolving with the times to protect the health and marketability of all Texas livestock and poultry. Learn more about the TAHC visit www.tahc.texas.gov.
