We hear it all the time, chronic wasting disease, CWD, is spreading and it’s being detected in more and more places. The inevitable is probably going to happen and it will be everywhere in the future but there’s no reason to hurry up its spread. Now that deer season is here there are a few things we as hunters can do to help slow the spread.

  Properly disposing of the deer carcass can help slow the spread. Carcasses or parts thereof of infected deer can expose other deer to the disease. The prions that cause CWD can remain behind long after the carcass decomposes and the soil around that area can infect other deer for months possibly years later. Since there’s no easy way to tell if your deer is infected, you should treat every one of them like they are.

  So to help slow or avoid exposure risk, here are a few suggestions to implement this year at your camp.

  * Place your remains in trash bags and put it in your regular trash collection or take to a permitted landfill.

  * Not getting home for a while? The best thing to do is bury the remains at or near where you harvested it. Be sure to bury it deep enough that dogs, coyotes and other scavengers can’t dig it up easy.

  * Don’t have a shovel or the ground is frozen? Leave the remains on site as a last resort. This won’t prevent the nearby scattering of infected parts by scavengers but if CWD is present in the area the infected parts will remain in the general area and keep the disease from moving too far. Don’t leave them in fields, food plots and other areas where deer are feeding or where rain runoff can wash them into such places.

  * Never ever dump any carcasses deer or otherwise in any body of water. This is illegal and you could face a hefty fine if caught. Besides, we need to keep our waterways clean.

  * A good rule to remember is never transport any part of the spine or brain away from the area where your deer was taken. CWD tends to live in those areas of the body so leave them behind.

  * If you think that burning the remains will work, it won’t. Only commercial incinerators reaching over 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit can generate enough heat long enough to destroy the prions that cause CWD.

 * And lastly. Most states now have rules governing the importation of animals from other states so keep that in mind if you live in a different state from you where hunt. Check with your state’s DNR to see the rules where you live before bringing that trophy elk home from Wyoming. Find links to your state’s DNR site at http://www.backwoodsbound.com/stgamedepts.html.

  The early spring of 1861 held the promise of a new life for 17 year old Evangeline Cornett. Her parents had finally given in and agreed she could marry the love of her life, 21 year old William “Billy” Ison. The wedding was planned for the first week of October, just after the harvest.

 Then, in April, all was shattered. The Nation was at war with itself; several Southern states had seceded from the union and fighting had begun. In Eastern Kentucky, sentiments were to be found for both sides. While most wanted to remain in the Union, there were many who saw the Southern Cause as a just cause. Billy was one of those who felt his duty lay with the Confederacy and rode off to join Colonel Jeb Brazelton's 3rd Kentucky Calvary Battalion.

  Evangeline’s parents were staunch Unionists and reversed their stance, absolutely forbidding Evangeline to even talk to Billy much less marry him. As the war progressed, Union forces drove the Confederates out of the area and established a headquarters on the East Fork of the Kentucky River near Beattyville in the summer of 1863.

  However, there was still a good deal of sentiment for the South in the area; several families provided shelter and aid to the many Confederate spies and scouts that still roamed the hills and gorges near Beattyville and harassed the Union garrisons.

 One of these infiltrators was Billy and on several occasions he would meet with Evangeline at the little church known as Cherokee Springs Church. This church was located about two miles up the river from Beattyville near Athol and just over the hill from Craft’s Hollow where Evangeline’s family lived.

  It was October 31, 1863, Halloween night, when on her way to meet her love, Evangeline was stopped by a Union patrol traveling the road from Beattyville to Jackson.

  Evangeline was quite nervous and the young lieutenant was suspicious. The patrol allowed her to continue. Even though the Union soldiers had orders not to harass locals, the lieutenant decided to double back and see where this young girl was really going so late at night.

  Evangeline went directly to the church where Billy was waiting. Before she could dismount from her horse the Union officer appeared right beside her in the road. At the same time, Billy rode out of the trees bordering the little cemetery behind the church. He didn’t see the soldier, but did see Evangeline.

 The lieutenant, spotting Billy, brought his rifle up to his shoulder and aimed. Evangeline dug her heels into her horse’s side and rode toward Billy screaming for him to turn and run.

  The sound of the rifle echoed off the church and down the valley. Evangeline, struck through the chest, slumped over the horse’s neck as it charged into the cemetery.

  Billy turned and fired at the lieutenant, but missed his mark. He rode to Evangeline’s side and just as he reached her, the Union soldier put a ball from his sidearm through Billy’s heart. He fell against his loved one’s lifeless body and they both fell to the earth in deathly embrace.

  The lieutenant noticed Billy had pulled his watch from his pocket and must have been checking the time when the encounter suddenly happened. The light from the full moon shone on the watch face and it was exactly midnight.

  The old church is gone now and not much of the little cemetery remains. The road to the church is now little more than a weedy track, but, if you dare venture down that road on Halloween, at midnight, you’ll hear the pounding of hoof beats racing from the road into the cemetery.

  Then, barely audible, comes the anguished cry of a young girl’s faint deathly voice,

  “Run Billy! Please, Billy! Run!”

  The sound fades as it is carried away on the icy cold breeze blowing across the crumbling tombstones.

  The following article is courtesy of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, www.iowadnr.gov, and contains valuable information. Parts of the country are currently experiencing moderate to extreme drought conditions so the following guidelines should be used no matter where you’re harvesting. So think ahead, stay safe and have a blessed harvest season. - Editor

  AMES - As fall harvest starts across Iowa, the risk of wildfires in crop fields increases. Recent rains across Iowa provided some relief from the on-going drought, but crop fields are still dry, cured and could spark wildfires.

  This has been an extended drought year, particularly in northeast and southeast Iowa. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) encourages farmers to get reacquainted with fire prevention practices to keep your farm ‘fire wise’.

  The following simple steps for a safer harvest can save time and money.

  * Properly prepare machinery to reduce the chance of a field fire from an overheated bearing (check the manufacturer’s recommendations). A spark from an improperly lubricated combine can instantaneously ignite dry plants and field debris.

  Check that all fire extinguishers carried on the machinery are fully charged with loose powder inside. If the powder is not loose, remove the extinguisher from its bracket then thump the canister with a rubber hammer until the powder moves when shaken.

  Make sure the size of the extinguisher is appropriate for the size of the machinery. You may need larger and/or additional extinguishers. Also make sure you have the correct extinguisher for the type of fire to be extinguished. There are two types of extinguishers, the powder extinguisher for electrical and petroleum-based fires and the water extinguisher for vegetative fires. You may need to carry both kinds of extinguishers.

  * Keep equipment clean. Check and remove combustible harvest debris from motors, exhausts, ledges and brackets several times a day. A portable gas-powered leaf blower is great for blowing debris from the various surfaces of the combine.

  Service grain storage and drying equipment. Storage facilities are like your bank vault. Protect their contents by properly servicing all bearings, belts, motors and drags. Dryers frequently cause fires; have a qualified service technician perform the necessary maintenance before drying grain. Keep weeds mowed around the facilities to discourage a fire from spreading. All extinguishers should be handy, fully charged, and the proper size and type for the area.

  * Turn off interior lighting in overfilled bins. A grain fire will start if the grain surrounds the bulb. Turn off the light’s breaker to avoid accidentally turning the light on. This also applies to hay storage facilities.

  * Handle hay properly. Improper hay storage commonly causes or complicates farm fires. Preventative measures greatly reduce this risk.

  Planning proper hay storage is crucial. Store hay away from combustibles such as gasoline, fertilizers and pesticides, as well as open burning areas like burn barrels, brush piles and vegetative burning. Arrange round bales in groups of 10 or fewer and place at least 100 feet away from structures. Leave 30 feet of mowed grass, bare ground or rock between the bale groups, creating a solid fire break.

  Many hay fires occur by spontaneous combustion of moist hay, usually within six weeks after baling. Plan to bale hay at its driest stage and do not bale in the morning dew or too soon after a rain.

  Check stored hay frequently for hot hay or an internal hay fire. Be aware of a caramel or strong burning odor, a visible vapor or smoke, a strong musty smell, and/or hay that is hot when touched. If any of these occur, call the fire department immediately and do not move the hay. Moving it exposes overheated or smoldering hay to oxygen, speeding the fire.

  * When tilling in the fall, till a 30 foot break around building sites, remote bin sites and outside storage facilities to minimize fire spread, and around fields if there is excess fine fuels in the area. Remove weeds and other combustibles around structures and stored equipment.

  * If a fire occurs, remain calm, call 911 immediately. Provide clear, concise directions to your location. Many field and bin sites do not have 911 addresses, so be prepared to identify an intersection or landmark to direct responders.

 * To help control field fires until firefighters arrive, remain calm and act swiftly. Quickly disk a fire break approximately 15 feet wide around the fire. Be cautious when doing this as smoke will starve and stall a motor and will make hazards and bystanders difficult to see. To assist with a structural fire, make sure there are no flammable objects nearby and if the circuit panel is safely accessible; turn off the building's electricity. If time allows, evacuate any livestock to a distant pasture. If possible, spray high-pressure water on any surrounding vegetation or structures, discouraging spreading embers. Do not take risks.

  After using any equipment to fight a fire, check air filters, ledges, nooks and crannies for burning debris.

  For more detailed information, visit www.iowadnr.gov/fire.

  Remember, in a fire emergency, call 911 immediately. Do not wait until all your means of fighting the fire are exhausted. Every minute impacts your losses.