5 minute read
Capture Myopathy What is it and How to Avoid it
from NY Winter 2021
by DandKDesign
WHAT IT IS AND HOW TO AVOID IT
By: Gail Veley - Sponsored by Whitetails of Oklahoma
Although Capture Myopathy is technically classified as a non-infectious disease found in wild animals, it’s actually more of a condition, said Jason Edmondson, owner of Haven Wood Farm in Wilsonville, Alabama and Field Representative for Wildlife Pharmaceuticals. Due to stressful conditions associated with darting, capture, restraint and transport of deer, those that experience Capture Myopathy lose motor function and muscle control from overexertion, quiver, pant and in usually every single case, die. “Anybody in the deer business has had to deal with it,” Edmondson said. “They can die within minutes or even up to two months later. And it isn’t always from restraint and transporting. It can be from hitting a fence or being chased by dogs.”
Coming from a professional background of flying over herds of animals in helicopters in Texas, dropping nets over them and consequently wrestling them to the ground (with their full senses and flight or fight instincts intact), Edmondson, 48, learned through comparison that whitetail deer do not take well and do not survive if not handled much more delicately and deliberately in the capture and restraint process. There is no cure for Capture Myopathy. Prevention is the only way to avoid it. “It’s pretty simple to avoid capture myopathy,” explained Kevin Grace, owner of Clear Dart LLC in Eldon, Missouri. “If deer are excessively panting, you cannot dart them, or you will kill them. Once they start to get too hot, you’ve got to quit. It doesn’t matter how much you need to get done that day. You’ve got to quit.” According to internet information provided by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, Capture Myopathy can affect a wide variety of ungulates from whitetail deer, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, bison, moose and even elk. Mammals from coyotes to primates, wild birds such as bald eagles as well as fish and amphibians have even been known to suffer from it. Based off internet information from The Deer Industry Association of Australia, Capture Myopathy can manifest itself in four ways:
1. Peracute Capture Myopathy – Death can occur in a matter of minutes due to potassium release from damaged muscles.
2. Acute Capture Myopathy – This is a less severe form with the affected animal “lingering” before death, which usually occurs in 24-48 hours.
3. Sub-Acute Capture Myopathy – An even lesser form in which acidosis causes muscle and kidney damage. Urine may be dark brown with death occurring within a few days.
4. Chronic Capture Myopathy – An animal may survive for several days or months but will often suddenly die from a heart attack.
In an effort to avoid Capture Myopathy, prepare well ahead of time and always choose cooler days to dart and transport deer. When Edmondson is called to a farm for darting and transport, he makes a habit of first observing the herd to spot which deer are the most flighty or easiest to startle. Those deer get darted first so as to not “stir up” the rest of the herd. He also feels avoiding certain drugs such as xylazine can make darting and transport much safer, as xylazine has been known to raise the body temperature of deer and cause hyperthermia. In addition, having deer pens or areas conducive for darting is also a necessity.
One of the most intelligently and effectively designed pens (and least stressful methods) for darting deer can actually be found at Grace’s farm, according to Edmondson. At his farm Whitetail Sales LLC, a solid wall pen approximately 100 feet long X 50 feet wide and 12 feet tall doubles as a feeding site for his bucks. By regularly feeding his bucks within the solid wooden wall enclosure, Grace ensures they are comfortable in this surrounding. Then, on darting day, Grace climbs up steps found outside the pen and from up above darts his selected bucks, without ever having to set foot inside the pen. Once these bucks go down, he opens the gate remotely and lets the others out.
“The number one thing is to always keep them calm through the process,” Edmondson explained. “This type of pen and darting method works extremely well for that.” Edmondson also feels the reversal process of darting is easier on deer when two of them wake up together, as having a “buddy” provides comfort. Although it may come down to spending additional money or taking additional time when working deer to avoid Capture Myopathy, it’ worth it. “A dead animal is worth nothing to anybody,” Edmondson said. “You’ve come this far. Don’t lose your investment in haste.”
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