As an avid deer hunter, Ricky McGuffie of New Iberia realizes the consequences of having deer urine out there in the woods, marsh and swamp, which is why he understands one of the many proposed changes in the hunting season rules and regulations to be decided by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission.

In fact, the ban of the use of natural deer urine as an attractant for hunting purposes is at the top of the long list released this past week by the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. A public comment period has been scheduled for the state’s hunters to weigh in on the proposals for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 hunting seasons in the Sportsman’s Paradise.

Natural deer urine scent can be a carrier of the chronic wasting disease that kills most deer species, including moose, elk, mule deer and whitetail deer. It is infectious and always fatal.

“I understand the reason they want to get rid of it. It’s a bad deal. It’ll wipe out a deer herd,” McGuffie said Thursday morning.

So far, CWD hasn’t been found in this state. CWD has been found in 25 states, including those surrounding Louisiana — Texas, Arkansas and Mississippi. Arkansas, Arizona, Alaska, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Virginia have banned the use of deer urine lures.

“Yeah, I use it. In fact, we sell some local urine, refrigerated, all natural, it has no preservatives,” McGuffie said.

As the owner of Cajun Guns & Tackle in New Iberia, McGuffie also knows all too well that the ban would take deer urine products off the shelves in his store on Admiral Drive and out of stores across Louisiana. He said his store sells 30 to 40 bottles a year.

That entrepreneur and others in the business will feel the loss.

“No, they won’t be happy. There used to be two guys around here who did it, now it’s down to one. I’m sure it’ll kick him in the shins,” McGuffie said, noting that his store’s supply of deer urine in a pump spray bottle is distributed by a man with pen-raised deer in Scott. “I don’t know if it’’ll be a big deal, but I’m not the guy selling to stores around here.”

Deer hunters, including McGuffie, spray urine on absorbent pads. Some even put it on the bottom of their boots as they hike to and from their hunting site as both an attractant and to cover up the human scent, he said.

LDWF has taken important steps to continue to keep CWD out of Louisiana. The state agency implemented a carcass important ban in 2017, which quashes the potential for the disease to be introduced in the state via infected carcasses.

State game biologists also worked to get a feeding ban implemented to minimize co-mingling of animals at feeder locations in East Carroll, Madison and Tensas parishes, parishes nearest the discovery of CWD-infected deer in Mississippi. That ban was rescinded but game biologists still urges deer hunters not to use supplemental feeds for hunting.

McGuffie said the state is trying to stay on top of the threat to deer herds. 

The 53-year-old outdoorsman, who has owned Cajun Guns & Tackle since 2001, recalled a study by the LDWF in which nine deer were in a pen. Then a 10th deer with CWD was introduced and within a short time all 10 had CWD and died within a year, he said.

Urine production and sale is unregulated by any state or federal agency. The production of these lures includes collecting urine through grates at captive deer facilities.

That allowed mixing with saliva and feces, which typically have a higher CWD prion content than urine, according to state game biologists. The CWD prion is shed by infected animals through saliva, feces, urine, blood, antler velvet and decomposing deer carcasses, they said.

LDWF Veterinarian Dr. Jim Lacour said there is no way to guarantee deer urine lure products do not contain the deadly disease.

“There is no rapid, cost effective test to determine if commercial urine contains prions,” Lacour said in August.

Natural deer urine lure products are collected from pen-raised does, he said. Ideally, he said, the entrepreneurs want to get the doe’s urine, which really is a powerful odor, at a time when it is ready to breed so that the liquid waste gives out hormones that attract bucks looking for does in heat.

There are artificial deer urine lures, which won’t be banned, McGuffie said, such as Pink 69. Those contain preservatives and other ingredients, he said.

Public comment will be accepted at LWFC monthly meetings from February through March and/or can be submitted in writing by mail to: Tommy Tuma, LDWF Wildlife Division, P.O. Box 98000, Baton Rouge, LA 70898-9000, or via email to ttuma@wlf.la.gov until 9 a.m., March 7.