Big Game Hunting.  Big game hunter is a term sometimes used interchangeably with large game although in other contexts it refers to large, usually African, mammals which are hunted mainly for trophies, not for food.  Big game hunting in North America more specific the United States of America refers to the larger species of mammals native to the North American continent, of these the most popular are Antelope, White-tailed Deer, Mule Deer and Elk.  Big Game Hunting Warning.  Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a fatal disease that attacks the brain and spinal cord of white-tailed deer, moose, mule deer, and Rocky Mountain elk. While the exact cause is not known, it is believed to be a prion disease. Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a prion is an altered protein that causes other normal proteins to change and cause sponge-like holes in the brain. The origin of these prions is currently unknown.  Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is related to, but different from, scrapie in sheep and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE or mad cow disease) in cattle and Creutzfelt-Jacob Disease (CJD) in humans. These diseases also attack the brain and cause deterioration and eventual death.  Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) was first identified in the 1960s in a Colorado research facility and since that time it has been found in Canada, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia Wisconsin, and Wyoming.  In the early stages of Chronic Wasting Disease, affected animals may not show signs of the disease. As the disease progresses animals infected with CWD will show signs of weight loss, generally accompanied by behavioral changes.  In later stages of the Chronic Wasting Disease, affected animals may show emaciation, excessive drooling, increased drinking and urination, listlessness, stumbling, trembling, loss of fear of humans and nervousness.  Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) appears to be passed between animals via saliva, feces or urine. Transmission between females and their fetuses does not seem to be a factor although indirect transfer, from contaminated soil for example, may occur.  Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) may be transmitted more readily within overpopulated herds and at deer or elk feeding stations where direct physical contact among individuals is more likely.  Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), does not move easily between species. There is no scientific evidence that CWD has been transmitted to animals other than deer, elk and moose. Copyright 2001 - 2007.