In October, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development announced that a large beef herd in Alcona County is infected with bovine tuberculosis, the 18th herd infection in this county since cattle testing began in the late 1990s.

“We also observed an increase in the apparent prevalence of the disease in free-ranging deer last year,” Emily Sewell, Department of Natural Resources wildlife health specialist for the northern Lower Peninsula, said. This increase occurred in both Deer Management Unit 452, the core area for the disease, and in the surrounding Deer Management Unit 487.

Deer and cattle health continue to be a concern in Alcona County. It is important for successful hunters to bring their deer to a check station. Keep in mind that less than 50 percent of positive deer have actual lesions in the chest cavity or lungs that a hunter may see when field-dressing the animal. The only way to know if your deer is positive is to have it tested. Visit michigan.gov/deercheck to find the location and hours of deer check stations near you.

For more information, contact Emily Sewell at 231-340-1821.