A legal battle between the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and the RW Trophy Ranch’s owner and deer breeder may determine the fate of the ranch’s deer population. Robert Williams believes the TPWD has overstepped its powers by requiring he euthanize all 497 white-tailed deer on his property in Terrell because of possible Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) among the herd.
According to CWD-Info, the disease is a “fatal and contagious neurological disease affecting deer species. It causes a characteristic spongy degeneration of the brains of infected animals resulting in emaciation, abnormal behavior, loss of bodily functions, and death.”
The legal case between TPWD and Williams has been ongoing for over a year. Williams explained the battle to WFAA, saying it all began in the wake of the February 2021 winter storm.
Williams lost several deer in the storm and sent brain tissues to the state for mandated testing. The results showed that some of the deer tested positive for CWD.
Further testing at RW Trophy Ranch showed nine deer had tested positive for CWD. From that point, the dangers of CWD and the motivations of the TPWD have been called into question. TPWD says it must euthanize all the deer to mitigate exposure and spread of the disease. Williams is fighting the euthanasia order. He told The Dallas Morning News that the disease might not be as deadly as it is thought to be, citing research by the USDA in Iowa.
The research shows CWD may be a variant of scrapie, a disease discovered in sheep several hundred years ago.
The TPWD “can’t show you one case of a white-tailed deer shriveling up [and] dying in Texas from CWD,” Williams claimed. “CWD is a political disease in Texas. It’s different in Oklahoma and Louisiana.”
Testing for CWD is not mandated among deer breeders in Oklahoma and Louisiana. Williams has fought off the euthanasia order by winning two restraining orders against the TPWD, most recently on April 15.
The TPWD contends that the disease is real and should not be taken lightly.
“Research conducted in Texas by Dr. Rodrigo Morales at UT Health in Houston indicates that the disease we are dealing with is CWD and not scrapie,” said Mitch Lockwood, TPWD’s big game program director. “But it doesn’t matter. Regardless of the origin of CWD, which is a TSE that affects cervids, it is still highly infectious and deadly, contrary to the assertion of a few.”
Further intensifying the legal battle is that Williams claims he should be compensated if his herd is euthanized. Instead, he would be financially responsible for the costs of euthanizing all 497 deer. The expenses would include disease testing and carcass disposal, along with TPWD Wildlife Division supplies, salaries, travel expenses, equipment costs, and other fees.
“Then I would be expected to pay for it,” Williams said. “I told them they were out of their minds!”
TPWD officials say euthanizing an entire herd is not pretty and not something they would take pride in doing.
“This is an unfortunate situation that TPWD takes very seriously. TPWD must respond to this matter to protect the public’s resource from disease exposure,” read a statement from Wildlife Division Director John Silovsky.
In Texas, residents cannot privately own white-tailed deer; they are property of the state, no matter where they are contained.
TPWD said it offered Williams alternatives to euthanization that would mitigate the spread of CWD at the breeding facility.
“We’ve offered several alternative management options that would not include complete depopulation,” said Dr. J Hunter Reed, the state’s wildlife veterinarian with TPWD.
Texas Parks and Wildlife recommended four herd plans for the facilities, which would allow some deer to be released after testing and implementation of control protocols. Williams has rejected the alternatives.
“Their herd plans have been ridiculous. I won’t sign a herd plan the way they’re written,” said Williams.
The deer breeder added that he fears members of TPWD arriving under cover of darkness to euthanize the herd.
“I told [the TPWD] when they started this a year ago that I was going to fight them as hard as I can,” Williams said. “It is ridiculous what they are doing. I just don’t want them to kill my deer.”
